The city and the country Flashcards
(6 cards)
-IMAGERY of vitality and optimism in the country reflects Willy’s deep-seated longing for a more meaningful existence, rooted in the land, as embodied by his brother Ben’s success in the wilderness
-The country is also linked to how Willy is unaware that his real joy and fulfilment will not come from being a salesman but instead creating something tangible pursuing a life more in line with the FRONTIER AMERICAN DREAM would fulfil him much greater despite it being a stark contrast to his urban life
‘The trees are so thick, and the sun is warm.’
-idea that the CAPITALIST AMERICAN DREAM is selling you a life of submission and restricting your agency, almost brainwashed into following the standards and customs of that of a successful business man - restricting the level of agency one would have in the country out West
‘A carpenter is allowed to whistle’
-METAPHOR conveys Willy’s sense of entrapment, both physically and emotionally → the whole world around him seems to be progressing and reaching for the highest pursuits whilst Willy is diminished and trapped by the capitalist system, the very system that he yearns to be successful in - TRAGIC
’They have us boxed in here.’
-Biff is yearning for the FRONTIER AMERICAN DREAM, rejecting consumerism the monotonous and futile nature of working tirelessly for minimal reward
-Biff favours authentic traditional values in a world of CAPITALIST CULTURE where status and profit are prioritised
-desire for the outdoors SYMBOLISES the simplicity and yet entire fulfilment that nature can provide despite being at complete odds with the material success that Willy longs for
‘to suffer for fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation when all you really desire is to be outdoors with your shirt off’
-suggests an INCOMPATIBILITY between human nature and societal expectations
-reinforces Biff’s longing for the FRONTIER AMERICAN DREAM, reflects his belief that his innate desires for the outdoors and manual labour are at odds with the structured corporate world
‘men built like we are should be working out in the open’
-Ben’s view of CAPITALIST SOCIETY as more oppressive places restrictions on the pathway to success and attaining wealth
-categorising Willie’s efforts as a thankless pursuit and false promises, Ben’s self-importance
‘get out of these cities they are full of talk, time payments and courts of law’
