Biff and Happy

From the very beginning of the story I thought to myself, "these boys are five years old." However, it turns out they are in their thirties. I found it strange how Linda told Willy how cute it was to see them shaving together and going on a date. (1548) Also, they sleep in twin beds. In our small group we compared it to Stepbrothers! Old men who cannot make a living on their own and resort to living and falling under responsibility of their parents. There are many links you can make between the two. Biff was supposed to be this All-Star athlete, but he did not pass math. (1600) Biff is a lost boy. I believe Happy is a little better than Biff. Willy does not lose himself when Happy is around, or order him to go find work. The two boys also resemble Tom and Laura in the Glass Menagerie. They are sheltered and act like they are little kids. The parents are not responsible enough to structure them. Also, Biff and Happy know their father is a mess. Biff tells Happy that Willy will eventually kill himself. (1614)

Death of a Salesman #5

One of the biggest themes addressed in the play is living the "american dream". There are many similarites between the Glass Managerie and Death of a Salesman. Willy was a well-respected father when his kids were little;however, things started to change on him and Willy did not want to believe it. For instance, the Loman's did not have as much money as they used too. So, Linda began sewing her stockings and Willy told her not too and that he would buy her some. Willy was making less and less each day until finally he was fired. His sons were not in the best shape either. Willy told Biff to go find a job. (1579) Also, Willy always imagines his brother Ben and says he "walked into the jungle at 17 and walked out at 21 rich!" (1572) Willy is upset his life did not turn out rich and perfect. This correlates with the Glass Managerie. Tom and Laura are trapped with their mother Amanda and they do not know how to make it better. THe father in both stories are prominent figures. In the Glass Managerie the father is just in a picture, wheras in Death of a Salesman he is the source of drama.

Death of a Salesman #2

Death of a Salesman is a form of tragedy. In the end, one of the main characters dies, Willy. However, it was not just a planned death or thought out process, rather his whole life lead him to his fault. Willy was a salesman but later in life was always put on the move and grew too tired. (page 1548) Willy was married and had two sons-Biff and Happy. Willy became dillusional. He became crazy and would talk to himself and picture old times. on page 1556 is it when Willy begins his crazy mind. The boys know he has lost his mind, but Linda does not want to believe he has gone crazy. She notices Willy acting up more when Biff returns or is near. Everytime Biff and Willy are together they argue. They have unsettled business from the past and Willy can not get past it. (1615) Biff sees signs that his dad is going to kill himself and eventually one night Willy gets in his car and dies. (1628) It is important for audiences to realize the type of genre the play is so they do not have to high of hopes for another. Tragedies are based on losing a hero do to their hubris. Willy's hubris was that his life was not how he planned it out to be.

Laura

I wanted to blog about Tom's sister Laura because she seems to be a voided character and the title is based off of her. I never really understood what a Glass Menagerie was until close to the end. Laura has a collection of glass animals. Laura was crippled and put herself down alot. (page 1244) When I was reading this story, I kept thinking Laura was younger than Tom. But, that is ot true, Laura is two years older. TOm is the one going out and working at the warehouse having a job, while Laura quit school and walks in the park and museums for seven hours a day. (page 1242) When Jim comes to the house, Laura freaks out. She feels ill and does not want to open the door. She used to have a crush. When Jim breaks one of Laura's animals, i feel it symbolizes that Laura will break away from her constant shyness. She will soon become someone and make something of herself. Jim tells her she needs to be confident. (1283) Tom loves his sister and is concerned about leaving because he knows whereever he goes, his sister will always be around because of her great love of menageries.

The Glass Menagerie #3

Tom Wingfield is the protagonist of the play. He is the younger brother to Laura who is a cripple. He seems to be the only member of the family who makes a steady income and does alot for the family. He has to take over the "father" role because their father walked out. Amanda, the mother, has many issues from her life. She is very concerned with her daughter Laura's gentelmen callers. "What? No one-not one?" page 1239. Amanda and Laura so far seem to be the antagonist. Tom goes out almost every night to the movies. (1246-1247) His mother does not believe him and tries to push him to tell her the truth. (1247) Also, Amanda tells Tom that he needs to find a gentleman caller for his sister. (1254) Tom gets uptight with his mother and sister. This offers drama to the play. Without all of the chaos in their lives and problems between them, the story would not have a basis. They advance the plot by eliciting the actions by others. Amanda questions Tom over and over until finally he breaks free and expresses his thoughts and feelings. By doing this, the story moves forward and opens new doors.

The Glass Menagerie #1

In The Glass Menagerie, there are three main characters who are all related. At the surface, they seem to be a loving family. Mother Amanda, sister Laura and brother Tom. Tom is the main character so far it seems to be. He is also the narrator. At the beginning of the play, we discussed in class realistic and nonrealistic. Right off the bat, Tom says that the gentelman caller is the most realistic character. (page 1236) However, we are not introduced to him until later in the play. In the first five scenes, I feel as though the play is realistic. They have a family who has some problems that lie in between them especially Amanda and Tom. They argue frequently. For instance, on page 1245 Tom and Amanda are arguing about where Tom has been and what he has been doing. This is realistic. Parents are always worried about where their kids may be. Later on, they address the issue of the sister Laura. She dropped out of school and is crippled. (1253-161) These seem to portray all realistic qualities of a family. The nonrealistic sense comes in the stage setting. Walls are missing and ways of talking are changed. This is exemplified in the direction of the narrator in the beginning of the scenes.