昨天下課前,老師說essay交過來,你們走吧,下禮拜期末考取消,我不想考了.
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所有必修的英文課程都修完了,剩下很無聊的GE, history和health.沒勁唸了,下學期暫打烊,我蠢蠢欲動的心想旅行...
Unique Individuals
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and August Wilson’s Fences are two of the foundation works of American drama. They are not only concerned about reality, but are also filled with human compassion. Both authors write about the collapse of the American Dreams and ordinary people struggling with everyday life, which includes the conflict between fathers and sons. In addition, the plays depict how women suppress their dreams and desires to be the glue holding the the family together even after a husband’s betrayal. The plays demonstrate the downside of parents expecting their children to reach their expectations based on their own personal experiences. Also, these two plays convey a message that neither husband nor wife should give up on their own ideals in marriage. Although there are different cultural and racial elements between these two families, the plays are spreading hope at the end by growing a garden and planting seeds.
According to Sigmund Freud, dreaming about a house symbolizes lack of security (McLeod). Therefore, having your own house becomes part of the American Dreams, for most people long for a sense of security. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, after Willy Loman is fired from his job, heavy mental stress coupled with economic problems at home crushes Willy. He commits suicide, trading his life for an insurance payment to solve the family's economic problems. Willy’s wife, Linda, says in the final elegy, “Willy, dear, I can’t cry. Why did you do it? I search and search and I search, and I can’t understand it, Willy. I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And there’ll be nobody home. We’re free and clear. We’re free. We’re free… We’re free…” (1775). This kind of freedom is full of grief, for Linda always put Willy first, and thus- has lost the ability to find her own life after Willy’s death.
In contrast to Linda’s grief that the mortgage- free house is now without her husband, Troy Maxson, the protagonist in August Wilson’s Fences, uses his brother’s compensation to pay for his house. He says, “That’s the only way I got a roof over my head” (1202). Later on, Troy’s son, Cory, accuses him, “It ain’t your yard. You took Uncle Gabe’s money he got from the Army to buy this house and then you put him out” (1230). Troy’s brother, Gabriel, is a mentally challenged person injured in World War II. Even after three surgeries, he still “has a metal plate in his head” (1200). The ironic theme in both plays is for having their own houses to fulfill the American Dream, the salesman must die and the soldier must be injured. Linda says we are free, but her freedom is tied to grief. On the other hand, Troy has put Gabriel in the hospital where he is safe but without freedom.
Willy Loman and Troy Maxson both have affairs but for different reasons. The
consequence is the same; each of their sons runs away from home. In Death of a Salesman, the older son, Biff, finds out his father is having an affair. Willy justifies the affair because he feels lonely on the road as he tries to explain to Biff, “She’s nothing to me, Biff. I was lonely, I was terribly lonely” (1766). This proves that first, he has so much hot air bragging about his successes as he says, “I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own” (1720), which is not true. Secondly, he makes a bad choice when he decides to cheat on his wife. This incident destabilizes the harmony between him and his son, Biff. It destroys Biff’s admiration and trust in his father. Furthermore, it destroys Biff’s whole life because he runs away from home without getting his high school diploma as his confession to Willy that “I stole myself out of every good job since high school” (1771).
Alternatively, in Fences, Jim Bono, Troy’s best friend, mentions that he sees Troy with another woman, Alberta. Soon after that, Troy confess to his wife. He says, “I’m gonna be a daddy. I’m gonna be somebody’s daddy” (1220). The reason he has an affair is to get away from the pressures and problems and be a different man (1222). The significance is the relationship between Troy and Alberta damages Troy’s marriage and hurts his wife, Rose, who he truly loves.
Rose replies to Troy, “I got a life too. I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the same spot with you. Don’t you think I ever wanted other things? Don’t you think I had dreams and hopes?” (1223). This is what Rose gets after she gives up everything for Troy. The result of self sacrifice is sooner or later, you become a victim.
Another factor that leads to the tragedy is the protagonist’s personality flaws. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, we see Willy Loman’s twisted love towards his sons. He teaches them dishonesty and cheating and how to be successful without working hard. He teaches his sons that “it’s not what you do, it’s who you know” (1748). His philosophy is “be liked and you will never want” (1721). Unfortunately, he can not accept his own failure any more than he can accept his son’s failure. Willy Loman’s love of the family motivates him. Linda tells their sons, “The man (Willy Loman) who never worked a day but for your (the two sons’) benefit” (1733). However, his unrealistic dream leads him and his sons on the wrong track. For example, He drives out everyday and tells his family that he has coffee with the mayor, and sells “a nice bill” pretending to be a successful salesman (1720). In fact, after working 34 years for the Wagner’s company, the boss, Howard Wagner who is 36 years old, fires Willy. The boss says to him, “This is no time for false pride” (1746). Indeed, it’s his false pride that makes him refuse a job offered by his only friend, Charley. He would rather borrow money from Charley every week than take the job. He replies, “I can’t work for you, that’s all, don’t ask me why” (1754). It could have been a different ending instead of a tragedy if he had taken the job and faced reality.
Besides, in August Wilson’s Fences, Troy’s most distinctive trait is he takes care of his family and is a man with responsibility in his own way. Troy gives the family his “sweat and his blood” (1208). Although surrounding by all the unfairness, Troy refuses to give up and wrestles with his life. Therefore, he teaches his son the tough way. Troy’s son, Cory, asks him: “How come you ain’t never liked me?” (1207). Troy answers: “What law is there say I got to like you?... I go out of here every morning… bust my butt… putting up with them crackers every day… ‘cause I like you? You about the biggest fool I ever saw. It’s my job. It’s my responsibility!” (1207). In spite of Troy’s harsh language, he does love his son. Yet, Troy buries it deep without showing it. The conflict between father and son stems from Troy’s experiences with baseball. He thinks sports is a dead end for “the colored guy” (1205). He knows that “ain’t nobody gonna hold his hand when he get out there in that world” (1208). As a result, he refuses to sign the paper which allows Cory play football and get a chance to go to college (1206). Troy never encourages Cory in a positive way nor shows him any affection. No wonder Cory says to Troy, “Just ‘cause you didn’t have a chance! You just scared I’m gonna be better than you” (1217). Indeed, Troy wants Cory to move on for a brighter future, but Cory cries out loud that “you ain’t never done nothing but hold me back” (1230). Rose tells her husband, Troy, that “times have changed from when you was young, People change. The world’s changing around you and you can’t even see it” (1208). Alas! August Wilson writes the play with such compassion, and he provides a question for us. Is this love when Troy tries so hard to make his son succumb to his will? There is one thing for sure that Troy doesn’t understand: everyone is a unique individual.
Likewise, it is also Troy Maxson’s love of the family that keeps him going through all the difficult times. His wife, Rose, tells their son, Cory, before Troy’s funeral that “your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t… and at the same time he tried to make you into everything he was. I don’t know if he was right or wrong… but I do know he meant to do more good than he meant to do harm” (1235). We can see a bright future in front of Cory for he finally understands that his father did care for him, and he has already made his own decision in life. Meanwhile, Willy’s son, Biff, finally realizes that “what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been!” (1757). He realizes that he is nothing and says to his father, “Will you let me go, for Christ’s sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?” (1772). Biff finally faces himself as he is. Too bad, Willy cannot accept his own failure even before his death.
To conclude, Willy Loman and Troy Maxson are both ordinary people who struggle with life. In the final scene, Troy’s illegitimate daughter, Raynell, is holding a small stick in the garden fiddle and says with hope, “seeing if my garden growed” (1232). Similarly, Willy says before he leaves the restaurant that evening before he commits suicide, “I’d better hurry. I’ve got to get some seeds” (1766). Seeds and a garden are both symbols of hope. Everybody has a dream and hope in these two stories. Willy and Troy dream of success. Biff and Cory dream of finding what they want to do in life. Linda and Rose dream of a happy family. The lesson in these two plays: everyone is unique and individual. Don’t impose your dream on the next generation or use your own experience as an excuse for dismissing other people’s opportunities. Learn from Rose. She says, “My first mistake was not to make him (her husband, Troy) leave some room for me” (1235).
Works Cited
McLeod, Saul. "Sigmund Freud." Simply Psychology, Company Registration no: 10521846, 2013, www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html#dream. Accessed 15 May 2017.
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