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Death of the Salesman - essay and creative writing



sara213 2 / 9  
Feb 2, 2009   #1
Yeah I am. :D

yay...someone else who is doing the same thing. Yeah I'm in unit 3 but I had to redo unit 2 essay questions about The Great Gatsby, as you can see. After i finish that then i'm going to start unit 3 essay questions.

I only did one essay for The Death of A salesman:

In the novel, Death of a Salesman by Arther Miller, there are few motifs that carry along the play. Only one of the motifs will be discussed. That motif is the one of Diamonds. Diamonds in the play represent, wealth, success and the ability to pass material items to his family. This is something that the man character in the play has failed at. The following quotest will be examined: "You guys! There was a man started with the clothes on his back and ended up with diamond mines.", "Principally diamond mines." , "...It's who you know and the smile on your face! It's contacts, Ben, contacts! The whole wealth of Alaska passes over the lunch table at the Commodore Hotel, and that's the wonder, the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!..", "Oh, Ben, that's the whole beauty of it! I see it like a diamond, shining in the dark, hard and rough, that I can pick up and touch in my hand. Not like --- like an appointment!..." , "The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy." and "It's dark there, but full of diamonds."

Willy is quoted to saying on page forty-one, "You guys! There was a man started with the clothes on his back and ended up with diamond mines." He is telling his boys about the success that their Uncle Ben had discovered while in Africa. The mention of Ben's diamond mines comes after Bernard comes to tell him that Biff was stealing. Willy is reeling with anger and remembers Ben in one of his many memories.

Ben later comes in another memory where he mentions Africa as being: "Principally diamond mines." Later on Willy is still in his memory mode where he remembers telling Ben: "...It's who you know and the smile on your face! It's contacts, Ben, contacts! The whole wealth of Alaska passes over the lunch table at the Commodore Hotel, and that's the wonder, the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!.." Willy explains to Ben that in order to get diamonds you don't need to walk into the jungle rather it's having contacts and being well liked that will get you diamonds. Diamonds in this quote is referred to with wealth and money.

"Oh, Ben, that's the whole beauty of it! I see it like a diamond, shining in the dark, hard and rough, that I can pick up and touch in my hand. Not like --- like an appointment!..." Willy is gardening in the night time. He has asked Ben for his help in his discussion on whether or not he should commit suicide. Willy says that he knows that the twenty thousand dollars is so close to him that he could reach out and grab it. Hence by diamonds he is talking about the twenty thousand dollars that his family will get when he dies.

Near the end of act two. After Willy had heard a confession from Biff that he loves him. He hears Ben telling him: "The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy." Willy is thinking that by killing himself that he is giving something to his family. Something he wasn't able to do during his life as a salesman. "It's dark there, but full of diamonds." says Ben. As Ben has given him warning that his family might hate him if he did what he is suggesting. Yet again Willy is confident that they won't. He then sees that committing suicide will be giving Biff 'diamonds' or wealth. He justifies with himself that it is the right thing to do and that his son will love him for it. Then finally he takes the plunge and he crashes the car after everyone is sent to bed.

The motif of the diamonds is very important in the play, Death of a Salesman. It signifies wealth and success and as well as Willy's failure as a salesman in the play. He had lost many opportunities to find his diamonds by following his elder brother to Alaska. Which he opted not to do as by a suggestion by Linda. The diamonds motif pushes the story forward through till the very end. It is also the final push for Willy finally decided to kill himself. He sees by doing this for his son he gives him the diamonds that he failed to find.

I'm going to be doing essay questions about King Lear...From lesson 12 key question and Lesson 14, key question.

Vipul 1 / 7  
Feb 6, 2009   #2
Hi! Thanks. Do u have other keyquestion' answer about Dath of Sales man? Because already this one i have but i get some new idea from your answer. I am very appreciate to you.

Thanks.
OP sara213 2 / 9  
Feb 6, 2009   #3
I have one other one that i did.

it was the creative writing question, don't remember which one though.
This one:

Stanley is polishing glasses. He looks up as Happy enters, stage right. He puts a glass in it's place as Happy takes a seat at the bar.

Happy: Stanley, pass me a drink will ya.

Stanley, getting a drink ready: I haven't seen you in a while. passes Happy a drink

Happy: I've been occupied with work really.

Stanley, nodding: You missed honey the other day.

Happy, shrugs: There is always another beautiful one to come in at anytime right? then he takes a sip of his drink.

Stanley: That's true but a real beauty like her doesn't come every once and a while.

Happy, shakes his head: There are more beautiful creatures out there. Not only her you know, Stanley.

Stanley: Of course. Say about that last night you came with your father.

Happy: Yeah what about it?

Stanley: Well, I was wondering about that night.

Happy: Oh and what about that night?

Stanley: I don't meant to intrude on your family business but your father wasn't really himself that night. In fact I found him in the bathroom on his knees.

Happy: You did. Did you? he finishes his drink and sets it aside.

Stanley, taking the glass Happy had finished: He was going on about plantting seeds and he need to find a store that sells them. I tell you i was quite worried for him.

Happy: Yeah well...there is nothing you could do for him. Pass me another drink will you?"

Stanley, obeys and fetches another glass and beings to mix a drink for him: I'm sorry that there was nothing much I could do. he passes the drink to Happy.

Happy: What can you be sorry for it is not your fault. Besides like I said he is in a better place.

Stanley: Well I tried to help him out.

Happy: That's good it didn't do him much good to plant seeds at night time. takes a sip of his drink

Stanley: You know you could have brought him home instead of leaving him there.

Happy: Oh, pop was doing fine. He had a fun time.

Stanley, sighing: For some reason I'm not sure he did. He seemed to be distressed about something.

Happy: Distressed is not the word.

Stanley, cleaning another glass: He is a poor old man. I felt sorry for him. But i can't begin to understand why you left him here that night.

Happy: I was out painting the town with two fine creatures and my brother. My brother needed some cheering up after the plan had fallen through.

Stanley, putting the clean glasses away: Yes, but how about your father? I sent him off on his own. He was distraught on finding seeds so he could plant them. At such a late time the man was thinking about seeds.

Happy, taking a sip from the glass: He was trying to plant a garden in the dark. he glances down at his drink that is in his hands.

Stanley: Oh, really.

Happy, nods in agreement: Mother was upset that we came home. He was out in the garden planting seeds.

Stanley: Planting in the middle of the night. That is crazy.

Happy: You are telling me.

Stanley: How is he now?

Happy, a little sadden: Oh there are many things that you would be surprised to hear. Many, many things.

Stanley: Oh? you don't say. Well you didn't tell me how he is yet you know?

Happy: He is dead.

Stanley, shocked: What when did that happen?

Happy: That is the same night that we left this very resturant.

Stanley: I'm very sorry to hear about that.

Happy, takes another sip from his drink then places his hand on the counter banging it hard: I have sworn to him that i will do right by picking up from where he left off. he then turns to look at the entrance.

Stanley: That is good that you choose to honour your father like that.

Happy, shrugs: it's the best i can do. I will work my hardest to get ahead in life. and then to become number one! and maybe even get married.

Stanley: Will you do it?

Happy: Yeah.

Stanley: You know you shouldn't have left him. He really needed his boys to help him.

Happy, shaking his head: I don't think it would have made a difference.

Stanley, finishing cleaning the final glass puts it away: It could have.

Happy, gets up from the stool: It was nice to chat with you Stanley and have a few drinks. But i got to go. I have a big date tonight. he exits stage left.

Stanley watches him leave. the lights fade on the bar.

curtains fall
EF_Kevin 8 / 13053  
Feb 6, 2009   #4
I've had that book in my bookcase for years, now I'm going to have to read it, as I'm intrigued! It's cool that you two can help each other.

It appears that this is all original material, (above). This material doesn't appear anywhere else, does it?

:)
OP sara213 2 / 9  
Feb 7, 2009   #5
Nope, it is only in my notebook. I wrote that whole scene up as part of a creative writing question. Which required you to write a script between Stanley and Happy after Willy dies using all the theatrical support (not sure what it is called EG... curtains fall)

I got a decent mark on it too. ^_^

Although I didn't really like the book much. It was very hard to finish.


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