Symbols and Motifs: The Great Outdoors
Symbols and Motifs: The Great Outdoors by Carlos Alejandrino and Anika Miller
How this motif contributes to the theme of play or to other aspects of drama contributes to the characterization of Willy Loman, and Biff Loman
Willy Loman
He knows that the outdoors is source of happiness, however he can’t take the risk of financial instability because he is a coward. Just like when he was too scared to take a risk to go to Alaska with Ben, to search for his faither.
Willy feels as if his goals must be extreme, he doesn’t accept simplistic goals. He has the wrong idea of success
Biff Loman
Throughout act 1 we see that Biff really wants to live a life in the great outdoors, however he doesn’t realize this yet.
However, in the end of Act 2 he comes to a realization that it’s how he really wants to spend his life.
“…I stopped in the middle of the building and I saw—the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke….What am I doing in an office making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am!...”
In this Biff also realized who he is. Knows his path unlike Willy who is lost.
The theme of individual vs self Biff and Willy finding themselves, but Willy never really found what he truly would be good atcarpentry
Patterns
You can see that the great outdoors is where Willy wants to be, it’s a place that is desired, but they don’t think they can make a living there to meet Willy’s requirements;
But it is a source of happiness
Not part of the American dream
Therefore the American dream is wrong
Whenever Biff talks about the outdoors, he mentions it in praise and admiration.
How this motif contributes to the theme of play or to other aspects of drama contributes to the characterization of Willy Loman, and Biff Loman
Willy Loman
He knows that the outdoors is source of happiness, however he can’t take the risk of financial instability because he is a coward. Just like when he was too scared to take a risk to go to Alaska with Ben, to search for his faither.
Willy feels as if his goals must be extreme, he doesn’t accept simplistic goals. He has the wrong idea of success
Biff Loman
Throughout act 1 we see that Biff really wants to live a life in the great outdoors, however he doesn’t realize this yet.
However, in the end of Act 2 he comes to a realization that it’s how he really wants to spend his life.
“…I stopped in the middle of the building and I saw—the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke….What am I doing in an office making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am!...”
In this Biff also realized who he is. Knows his path unlike Willy who is lost.
The theme of individual vs self Biff and Willy finding themselves, but Willy never really found what he truly would be good atcarpentry
Patterns
You can see that the great outdoors is where Willy wants to be, it’s a place that is desired, but they don’t think they can make a living there to meet Willy’s requirements;
But it is a source of happiness
Not part of the American dream
Therefore the American dream is wrong
Whenever Biff talks about the outdoors, he mentions it in praise and admiration.