"The Decline and Fall of the English Major" by Verlyn Klinkenborg

The next article I read by New York Times editorial writer, Verlyn Klinkenborg was "The Decline and Fall of the English Major"  As I said in the last post, Verlyn Klinkenborg doesn't have article titles that are very intriguing, but I think that it one of the editorials best quality. The difference between the article titles and the articles is insane. The titles give you false mind set that the article is going to be simple, but they are actually full of eye boggling details. Although the fun, descriptive titles are usually what draws readers in, these drew me in for the reason of wondering if the article would be just as simple and to my delight that was not the case. Another reason wanted to read this article is because the topic of english majors. English is my favorite class and also the reason I am reading these editorials so I thought 'Wow perfect article!'. The article is about how precious literacy and writing is and how people aren't taking english majors that much anymore. The editorialist is a big believer in taking english majors and according to the story he started out with, he was an english teacher! The author's love for english majors is shown through out the article and it is nice to read because his enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge rubs right off on the reader. Just like the other editorial "Locust Moon", Verlyn Klinkenborg has a fancy way of using adjectives to explain the point he is trying to make which I think its a very good rhetorical device. Other rhetorical devices he uses to convince the readers is great sentence structure, repetition and of course imagery. The editorialist is trying to convince the readers that english majors are more important than people see them as and I think he is even trying to persuade the readers to take more english classes. The style that Klinkenborg uses is quite an effective way to draw people in. He tends to start off with a personal story of his. I think it is good that he starts out with this because it draws readers in on a personal level. For me, it made me feel like I actually knew Klinkenborg and wasn't just reading one of his editorials. Then he goes off saying what point he is trying to make- he talks about how less and less students are graduating with english majors, less students have learned about humanities and how even students parents are questioning why people are still taking english majors. After,Verlyn states facts pertaining to his topic. This was a way for the editorialist to give more knowledge to the reader while still persuading about his side of english majors. Although Verlyn does use many rhetorical devices, the most effective one that I saw is diction. The way his words flow, freely and colorfully, really brings life to all of his articles.

"Locust Moon" by Verlyn Klinkenborg

Through out the summer I have been following editorial writer,Verlyn Klinkenborg who writes for the New York Times opinion page. This writer caught my eye because while reading biographies about all the editorial writers, I saw that he had a lot of experience writing books and writing in magazines so I was sure that his articles would be interesting. Another reason I chose to follow him was the list of things Verlyn wrote about. The topics included were: Agriculture, Environment and Culture. I think all these topics are intriguing and as soon as I clicked on his name, I knew I made the right choice. His article titles were all very inviting and up front about what each article was going to be about. I wanted to read all of them, but I knew to just choose a few of my favorite ones.
The first article that caught my eye had a simple title called "Locust Moon". Since the title was very simple, I thought the article would be that way also, but when I clicked on it, I saw something completely different. Klinkenborg used a wide range of adjectives to describe this locust. The words were so vivid and created a full picture in my mind with every sentence I saw. The article itself was started out by Verlyn writing a story about himself. The little details he included were enough for me to feel like I had actually known this man and been there while this story occurred. "Locust Moon" was about the locust that the author had been seeing more and more. Not only did Klinkenborg give his insight on what he saw- the locust making the sky look darker and darker at night time, but also included facts about locusts. The editorial itself is called "Locust Moon" instead of just "Locust" because I feel as Verlyn wanted to make it more interesting and create another picture by giving the image of black locusts actually taking up the moons light. For the starting and end of the editorial, he decided to talk about fireflies in both. Having the contrast of the fireflies light and the locusts darkness really added to the effect of the article because for me- I am not exactly sure what locusts look like, but of course I see fireflies all over the place, so for me to have that comparison, I could really tell how dark the locusts are. In my opinion, this article definitely drew me into read it and I think it did that for many other people too. Verlyn Klinkenborg used many rhetorical devices such as spectacular imagery, stating facts and comparing objects to help the reader paint a picture in their head of how the author wants the topic to be portrayed. The style of his writing really flowed in my mind because it went from a story that drew me in, to the topic discussed and then facts about the topic. It wasn't too long of an article, so I never got bored and with all the imagery I was actually wanting to read more about the topic. The position the writer is making is that the locust is taking up much of the sky at night and I can tell the reader doesn't like the locust and wants to see the light of the moon and fireflies. I think this topic isn't as big as some topics, but I do think many people will agree with his position on it because of Klinkenborg's ability to write about something as little as locusts and play it up by filling the article with adjectives and personal experiences that will get the reader to take the the time at night to see if the moon is actually getting filled by these bugs- at least I know that's what it did for me.

Themes

There were many themes I took note of in Death of A Salesman.
The first theme that I immediately saw was Lost Dreams. This is a big theme of the play because every character has a dream that they lost out on that affects them a great deal. For example, Willy had a dream of becoming a well-known, rich salesman... his dream didn't work out, but the journey he went on to try and achieve this goal caused his family and him to suffer.
The next theme I noticed was The American Dream. The American Dream is a theme for many stories and plays because a lot of characters want this ideal living situation. A working husband, a wife and two successful kids. Well, in this case, Willy also had this dream in mind. He wanted to supply his family with his riches from his sales, but his job didn't get him to where he wanted to be. Willy also wanted to supply his wife and kids with food, clothes and gifts, but he didn't have the money to do that. He longed for his sons to make him proud by being successful business men and living out The American Dream for themselves, but his sons- in his eyes, failed.
Another theme was Lies. Lies is a big theme in this play because the Loman family is either lying to other people or lying to themselves. Biff is a good example of someone who lies to other people to get on their good side. One example of this is how Biff lied to Willy and the rest of his family about his job and where he worked. He accepted who he was at the end of the play, but before, he couldn't face the fact that he let down his father and family. Happy, Willy and Linda are are examples of people who lie to themselves. Happy and Willy both can't seem to figure out who they are and lie to themselves that they are this image of who they long to be, rather than who they really are. Linda lies to herself too, but in a different way. Willy is falling to pieces and Linda keeps lying to herself, telling herself that its not his fault, but other peoples.
The last theme that I really saw was Appearances. This is an important theme because through out the story, The Loman family greatly values looks. Willy's memories of Biff involves Biff gliding through high school based on his good appearance. Appearance also comes up with Willy. Instead of admitting he isn't the great salesman he thinks he is, Willy worries that it is his appearance holding him back in business.

Character Symbolization

In this post I am going to talk about what some of the major characters in the play represent, discuss the plot development as well as some symbolization I noticed.
They're not many characters in this book but each character is very important to the structure of the story line. Willy, of course, is the main character of this book. Through reading, I have noticed that he has a lot of problems with his image and self actualization.  His life is in ruins and he fails to recognized that his job, family and medical problems are setting him back. Willy doesn't realize the truth of his life until the end, and at this point he is about to commit suicide. I also think Willy is a hero. Not a normal hero like Hercules or Super Man, but more of an accidental hero, in my opinion. I think he causes the family to stress and fight because he is such a difficult person, but when he dies I feel like he "saves" his family from all of their problems because he was the base of them. This I think is why at his funeral, Linda, his wife, is kneeling next to his grave saying "We're free..."
Happy, the younger son of Willy and Linda has always lived in the shadow of his older brother and can't seem to accept the fact that his father never gave him the attention he craved. It's quite interesting that Willy gave all the attention to Biff, because Happy is a lot like Willy and Biff is not. Willy and Happy both suffer from false expectations and can't accept the reality of their lives. I think Happy is living a life based on his father's because of the fact that he has always been second best and has more of a desire to please his dad. His name, I figure, is an oxymoron. Happy has a job and seduces plenty of woman yet he still isn't happy. He is living like his father and if he continues on the same path as him then I think he will end up like Willy did, dead and lonely.
Biff, the older son and the other main character is different from these two because in the story he is trying to find the truth about himself and his family. His brother and dad cannot accept their failures and truths, unlike Biff who confronts his problems at the end. Biff is also the only character in the book that I recognized show'd some real personal development...Everyone else remains pretty static through the play. Up to the point where Biff caught Willy cheating on Linda, I think Biff never thought of his father as flawed, but after, he didn't look up to him as much which I believe is why Biff turned out differently from Willy and Happy.
Linda, wife of Willy and mother to Biff and Happy is as I described before the anchor for Willy, but was also the subject to many of the emotional problems that Willy and Biff have. Not that she caused them, but the situation they broke apart because of dealt with Linda. She is also the one that remains sane through it all.

An Abrupt Ending

As I talked a little about before, Willy had an affair with a woman who remained nameless in the book. Not only did this show Willy's ungratefulness towards Linda, but also one of the main factors that ruined Biff and Willy's relationship. Biff saw Willy and his mistress together. This made Biff realize that the hero he had seen his dad as, for so many years was phony. Not only did this one scene ruin their relationship, but also Biff's success in life. Since Biff had looked up to his dad for so many years, this made him want to be nothing like his dad and so he gave up on going to school and making it big just like his dad wanted.
During this story, it seems both Biff and Willy are trying to recreate themselves. They both are trying to get jobs at this point in the play and both interviews seem to crash through the roof. As I get closer to end, Willy seems very self righteous to me. When his interview for his job fails and he gets fired, his old friend Charley offers him and job. Willy won't take it, even though he desperately needs the money. I think the reason he won't take it is because as a man, he wants to do everything himself, without anyones help. After the job interviews are done, Willy, Happy and Biff meet up for dinner. Biff wants to tell Willy the truth about his job interview going all wrong but Happy, always trying to make Willy happy, tells Biff to lie, just to cheer Willy up. The stories get all mixed up and ends with Willy getting horribly mad. The sons leave the restaurant with two ladies, leaving an angry, hallucinating Willy talking aloud while replaying memories in his head. When the boys get home later that night and Willy is safe in bed Linda demands Biff and Happy to leave her house. In my opinion, I think she is lashing out on the boys because she is so frustrated with Willy and his behavior that she needs someone to take it out on.
The play quickly draws to the close that same night. At the end, Willy wakes up from bed and begins arguing with Biff. The argument goes on and on until Biff starts crying over Willy. At this point, I could really tell how important Willly is to Biff and how much he affected Biff's life. Even Willy realizes it at this point too. I thought the story was finally turning around, maybe to a brighter, joyful scene, but instead it took a left turn and went completely down hill... Willy is talking to his dead brother, Ben when suddenly real life comes into perspective for Willy and Ben disappears. This moment in the play was a little confusing but I think what was happening is that finally coming back into reality after all this time scared Willy and Willy killed himself by car to get away from all the sounds and movements of the actual world. His death wasn't like I foreshadowed. At his funeral not many people came unlike the salesman he inspired to live and die like. I thought this part was really heartbreaking because it made me realize just how much Willy worked and how all his effort didn't get him anywhere. He also had a vision for himself and it didn't turn out at all how he expected it to. I think Linda, Biff and Happy are all sad, but relieved at the end to be away from Willy and all his problems. As the play comes to an end, Linda is crying at his grave saying "We're free..."

Continuing Death of a Salesman...

As I continued reading, I noticed more and more of Willy's "day dreams" or hallucinations. In my opinion, Willy is using these memories of the past to hide away from the present. He also searches for the mistakes he made back then, mostly with Biff and seeks out how he managed to ruin the good relationship he once had with his son. Through reading this, I could tell that Willy wanted to be well known and rich as a salesman.  On page 81 of Death of a Salesman Willy has a monologue. He talks about an old man he once knew who died "the death of a salesman". This speech caught my eye, not only because it uses the book title in it, but also because I think it shows Willy's hopes and dreams in a nutshell. It also shows how he wants the life and death of a true, successful salesman, but just can't seem to get what he wants and how his constant yearning for riches and fame has led to him to destroy the relationships he once had.

Two characters I noticed as I kept reading were Linda and Happy. Linda is wife of Willy and mother to Happy and Biff. Happy is the younger son. I noticed these characters were both abused by Willy. They were not physically abused, but they were both emotionally bruised by him. In Linda's case, Willy took for granted her and the support she always gave him. From what I've read so far, Linda has never given up on Willy. She seems to be his anchor...whenever he is getting wilded up about something not going his way, Linda seems to always be there to calm him down/set him straight. It seems to me that Linda adores Willy and does whatever to make him happy, but Willy doesn't seem to appreciate her help. One example of his ungratefulness is how he sleeps with a mistress on a business trip and even gives the woman Linda's stockings. Happy is a whole other story. Happy was always less superior to his older brother Biff and because of this Willy seems to favorite Biff. Since in high school, Biff was the star football player and was always getting the girls, Willy would only pay attention to him. I think this is because he thought Biff would grow up to be very successful and since Willy wanted that for himself, he also wanted it for his son. Happy tries to get his attention endless amounts of times. He is constantly choosing Willy's side and standing up for Willy even though Willy doesn't seem to notice. One example of this is a flash back to when the two boys were in high school. Happy keeps saying "I'm losing weight pop, you notice?", looking for his father's acceptance and admiration, but instead Willy is too wound up in listening to Biff to care. Happy never expressed hatred or envy toward Biff, instead he tries to adapt Biff's way of living in high school. In high school Willy was always impressed by all the girls Biff had trailing behind him and also joked around with Biff about his stealing habits. Happy represents this by "stealing" other men's wives by sleeping with them. 

First Read of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

I started Death of a Salesman last night and so far there are many things I have interpreted about the characters and plot. As soon as I started reading this book i noticed the amount of imagery in the description of the setting. of course it was setting the scene for the play, but unlike some other plays I have read in the past, it wasn't vague at all. The next thing I learned while continuing to read was the characters names and titles. Willy, I gather, is the main character and the salesman in the story. I saw some foreshadowing when Willy talked about being unable to keep his mind focused while driving. Willy seems to have issues going on in his mind and these problems are shown by him being forgetful and also not being fully "in the present" - mind wise. In my opinion, he is almost showing signs of alzheimer's disease. Another thing I noticed about Willy is the contradictions he makes. One example of this is when he is discussing his elder son, Biff with his wife, Linda. Biff is unsuccessful and cannot seem to find his place in life. From a young age both sons of Willy and Linda seems to have a lot of potential for greatness and Willy is disappointed to figure out his sons are not want he expected them to be. The contradiction I was referring to is when Willy spews out a mean remark about Biff being a lazy, drop out then almost immediately contradicts himself by talking about Biff's great potential and how he's on the verge of going far in life. Biff's younger brother, Happy, seems to be doing okay work wise, but like Biff, he is not happy with his success and wants to do more in life. My overall take on this book, from what I've read so far is that as an old, worn-out salesman, Willy is unhappy with the way his life turned out. He talks about his old dreams of his boys becoming big shots and him moving up in life, but none of that seems to turn out as he wanted. This results in Willy constantly talking to himself aloud, replaying memories of better times.