I am trying to say that even though the families are of different racial backgrounds, they have the same common problems. I would like to know if my thesis is fits my essay and I would like to know if all of my paragraphs flow with each other. I need to write more analysis on my quotes, but I do not know what to say. Thank you very much for helping me. (I think I need a better title...)
The Attempt for Success in Fences and Death of a Salesman
When one attains wealth, respect and happiness they are successful. Two protagonists, Willy Loman from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Troy Maxson from August Wilson's Fences strive to become successful through comparable motives and ideals. Yet, the only distinction between Death of a Salesman and Fences is the issue of race. Willy Loman is part of a white family who is struggling to survive and Troy Maxson who has an African-American background is also having trouble supporting his family. Both protagonists are blinded by their illusions of success, and both of their experiences are akin to one another. Willy's experience with achieving the American Dream is similar to Troy's will to survive because Troy tries to be on the same level as Whites by overcoming racial barriers.
Willy Loman, a traveling salesman, believes that one must be well-liked in order to achieve the American dream. However, Willy does not realize that the value of hard work and devotion plays the most important role in achieving success. Willy tries to teach his falsified ideology of the American dream to his sons, Biff and Happy. He focuses more on Biff, the football player, because Willy believes that Biff has potential to become a salesman like him. After Willy talks to his sons about his travels, he says, "...I'll show you all the towns...And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England...I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own" (Miller 31). This quote is significant because Willy tries to persuade his sons into becoming like him by telling him about his life experiences. Not only does Willy try to take away Biff's dream of becoming a football player, Willy is abandoned by his father and his older brother, Ben who becomes lucky in Africa at twenty-one. During a discussion with Howard, his boss, Willy says, "Oh, yeah, my father lived many years in Alaska. He was an adventurous man...I thought I'd go out with my older brother and try to locate him..." (Miller 81). Willy strives to be like his father and wants to emulate the success of Ben. However, because they are not in his life, it is up to Willy to learn on his own. Willy also cheats on his wife, Linda, with an unnamed woman in Boston. Biff loses complete trust in Willy after he finds out about the affair. Biff says, "You fake! You phony little fake!" (Miller 121). The adultery shows a sign of emotional detachment because Willy is constantly lying to Biff. Willy Loman is a failure as a businessman, a husband, and a father because of his disillusionment of the American dream and his experience with abandonment.
Troy Maxson, the protagonist of August Wilson's Fences, is a garbage man who is struggling to provide for his family. Even though Troy is a garbage man, he has the same issues as any other family regardless of skin color or race. As Willy Loman tries to persuade his son Biff to be more like him, Troy tries to pull Cory away from his dream of playing football. When Rose asks Troy why he does not let Cory play football, Troy says, "I don't want him to be like me! I want him to move as far away from my life as he can get...I decided seventeen years ago that boy wasn't getting involved in no sports. Not after what they did to me in the sports" (Wilson 39). Troy believes that sports will not guarantee Cory a future because of the fact that Troy is unable to become a baseball player because he is African-American. Troy also says, "If they got a white fellow sitting on the bench...you can bet your last dollar he can't play! The colored guy got to be twice as good before he get on the team." Troy continues to talk about the racial barriers that affect his life. Troy is also abandoned by his parent at a young age. Troy is abandoned by his mother because of his father. Troy says, "But he was just as evil as he could be. My mama couldn't stand him...He wasn't good for nobody..." (Wilson 51). After Troy cheats on Rose with Alberta, Cory becomes angry and Troy disowns him. Troy cheats on Rose to escape the daily responsibilities of his family and his life, such as completing the fence. Troy's lack of commitment to finishing the fence is equivalent to his lack of commitment in his marriage. When Troy says that Cory's belongings will be 'on the other side of that fence' it shows Troy's emotional and physical detachment from Cory. The fence Troy is building for Rose symbolizes all of the barriers that Troy has come upon. First, his abusive father, then poverty and homelessness and then it is because of the racial barrier that Troy is not able to accomplish his dream playing baseball.
Both plays, Death of a Salesman and Fences are similar to each other because they pose the same problems that people face in society. Many husbands cheat on their wives, many fathers want their sons to successful, and many parents abandon their family. All of these events happen in both of the plays. One may argue that Fences is an African-American version of Death of a Salesman. Fundamentally, this is true because regardless of racial background, the issues are no different than that of a White family. Both Willy Loman and Troy Maxson are failures because of their inability to adequately support their family. They both fail to see a clearer meaning of what it means to be successful because they are stymied by their own illusions of being successful. Hence, even though Fences is about an African-American family and Death of a Salesman is about a White family, the issues portrayed in both of these plays parallel each other.
The Attempt for Success in Fences and Death of a Salesman
I would take out some words:
"Attempting Success" in
Fences and
Death of a SalesmanIf you use " " marks and italics, it will be clear and interesting. "Attempting Success" is the theme.
...strive to become successful while exhibiting
through comparable motives and ideals. ----- "through" sounds like they "used" their motives and ideals to attempt success, but actually they were "exhibiting" these motives and ideals.
Use a comma for this compound sentence:
Willy's experience with achieving the American Dream is similar to Troy's
will to survive struggle, because Troy tries to be on the same level as Whites by overcoming racial barriers.
Shave off the extra words:
Both plays, Death of a Salesman and Fences are similar to each other because they...
:-) Good theme! I think it will get a good grade, but it depends on how picky the teacher is.
Decide whether or not to capitalize "white" and be consistent.
Make it so that you are never just saying "the issues portrayed in both of these plays parallel each other." Instead, change those general sentences to express your argument. You are arguing that they share a fundamental commonality: a desire to a break free of all that constrains and limits them.
You may or may not agree with me, but I'll point this out anyway.
Quote:
"...I'll show you all the towns...And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England...I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own" (Miller 31). This quote is significant because Willy tries to persuade his sons into becoming like him by telling him about his life experiences.
I think it is a bad idea using this phrase. What it is telling me is that you do not really understand what this quote is saying and you just quote the whole lot and expect me to figure out, or you are not competent enough to integrate the quote with the idea that you want to express.
Instead try to do something like Willy tries to persuade his sons into becoming like him by "[showing] them all the towns" and ...
Yea, you see, this quote don't flow smoothly. So just take it out altogether and rephrase it. You don't need many quotes to impress the reader. Like you have pointed out, it is the flow.
Once again, I may not be right. Think about it yourself.
Good luck!
