A play that demonstrates the emptiness of the American dream Death of a Salesman Essay Example for Free

A play that demonstrates the emptiness of the American dream Death of a Salesman Essay A play that demonstrates the emptiness of the American dream. How far do you agree with this assessment of Death of a Salesman? It is evident from the first view of death of a salesman that there are definite, negative realities in the American dream. From writing this play, Miller has strongly illustrated that the American dream produces an image that human worth and values can be measured in financial terms. During 1940s America, capitalism and consumerism was at its strongest with the American dream acting as a predator to the unsuspicious, determined and success-hungry businessmen of America. Although some of these men prospered in creating a successful business and earned a lot of money, others failed and felt that their own small achievements were empty and insignificant. In the play, Willy (like other American salesmen) has focused his life and attention on achieving the American dream and being a successful role model to his sons. Willy, however, does not accomplish success and instead falls victim to capitalism. His main belief is that popularity leads to personal and business triumph, and materialistic items prove that he is well liked and loved by his friends and family. Even though Willy cannot afford expansive gifts, the American dream is based on materialising love and values and Willy does this when he buys Biff and Happy a punch bag branded with Gene Tunneys signature. Although at first this gift seems appreciated, rather than flatter and excite, materialism and brand names haunted Willy with debt and insecurity, yet he felt obliged to provide for his sons and determined to succeed in the American dream. Willy is a failure and his suicide attempts displayed an unproductive, exhausted man. He feels that what he does attain are empty achievements and his bad points and reasons for failure were obvious; such as instilling false values into his sons. It can be interpreted that, because Willy was ineffective, when he did achieve something, it was insignificant and empty; although some critics may feel that his lack of success may mean he put more pride in his minor accomplishments such as DIY around the house. This is shown when Willy is trying to impress his neighbour Charley by saying Did you see the ceiling I put in the living-room? Willy and Linda had only one payment left on their twenty five year mortgage before the house is their own, and Linda feels quite content and happy about this. But Willy is still unhappy, questioning the reason for owning the house in the first place: What point?. Owning the house is an empty accomplishment for Willy, even though it took so long to achieve. Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and theres nobody left to live in it. this alone demonstrates the emptiness of consumerism and the American dream. It is also illustrated that the American dream is an empty achievement when, at the beginning of the play, Happy and Biff are discussing their employment and future. At this point, Happy indicates that his managers success is empty, with him building a house that he cant enjoy once its finished. Happy states that he is generally achieving everything that he wanted, yet they are not important to him; they are empty accomplishments. He even questions the reason why he is working just as Willy questioned the point of the house, because all he is achieving from working is pointless and empty success. It could be argued that Miller is trying to pursue the idea that it is the process of success that is more important than success itself. This strongly questions American values, as many people follow the American dream which holds the belief that material items are more important and that they represent personal and business victory. However, Happy is successful personally to compensate for his empty achievements as a clerk. He seduces the fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½es of his managers because he has an over-developed sense of competition Happy takes what he wants even though he apparently hates himself for it, indicating the use of the bad morals taught to the boys by Willy. This again could be construed as an purposeless success in the process of achieving the American dream. Another point of perspective is that the women, like materialistic items and commercialism, may produce status in the American social system, but they also produce stress and not necessarily happiness. Willy is in constant competition with his neighbour Charley, continuously aiming to be bigger than Uncle Charley and promising his sons this success. This point suggests that materialism and the American dream are more important than general well-being and human worth, and some critics feel that through this neighbourly competition, Miller is questioning the values of America as a whole. Willys mind and psychology also breakdown because of his obsession with the American dream, and his dreams become illusions. Eventually, Willy is fighting with illusions and reality and believes all he is worth is his insurance money, stressing the idea that the American dream is empty and human values can be measured economically. The irony of Linda declaring were free at the end of the play is both ironic and tragic as although she is now free of debt, the empty American dream the illuded both Willy and herself is still holding her and others ensnared. On the other hand, in contrast to Willy, Charley is successful and has a fulfilling career and achieved the American dream. Willy is very envious of Charley, so much so that his pride, jealousy and stubbornness prevents him from accepting a job off Charley, even when he is unemployed: I just cant work for you, Charley. Similarly, Howard, although cruel to Willy and fires him, is very successful. He has a happy, idealistic family life. He is able to afford materialistic goods, can provide for his family, is not overridden by debt and is generally fulfilled by his success and the American dream. Howard is very proud and boastful to have achieved the American dream and this is shown when he boasts his tape recorder to Willy, who is obviously resentful. Howards other material possessions appear to be unimportant compared to the tape recorder and are no longer required, showing Howard to be a rather wasteful person. This again implies that, in difference to Willy, Howard is extremely successful and is relishing in consumerism, finding the American dream very rewarding. However, another point of view could be that Howard, like Willy, finds the American dream empty as he is not enjoying what he has achieved, and is just replacing everything with a more modern or expensive model. In dissimilarity to Willy, Charley is a genuine, kind and caring neighbour, and is not at all in competition with Willy. Therefore, Charley values human worth and this suggests that American values are not concentrated mainly on accomplishment. Charley has not let the American dream influence his ideas of human worth and values, and he does not think that human life can be measured financially. He actually seems genuinely worried at Willys hints towards suicide and says to him nobodys worth nothing dead. Charley is realistic compared to Willy, who is idealistic and living in his own fantasy. Through his success, Charley sees Willys faults and reasons for his failure and tries to make Willy acknowledge this by constantly asking Willy, when are you going to grow up?. Charley recognises Willys fantasies are wrong and he tries to help him. This shows that the American dream has not diminished Charleys character as it has Willys and Charleys success mean she can help Willy financially. This can be interpreted as Charley using his satisfying achievements to help Willy. For Charley, his dream has become a reality not an illusion. Charley may have also become victim to capitalism but, in comparison to Willy, he is thriving off it whereas it is destroying Willy. He is content with his success and feels fulfilled by his achievements, suggesting that the play does not entirely demonstrate the emptiness of the American dream but the fulfilments also. Miller himself argues that the play is not entirely based on the faults of the American dream although it does question American values very powerfully. He strengthens his argument because, although Willy is defeated by the American dream, Charley is entirely successful without creating personal flaws from his dreams of success. Bernard, his son, is also a genuine (as well as successful) person; a complete difference from Willys sons. As a result, Death of a salesman almost perfectly depicts aspects of the American dream today. Our twenty first century ideals, dreams and illusions echo, even more so perhaps, the prosperous America of fifty years ago. It can be related to by people of our culture today as well as those from the 1940s, making the powerful reminders of the illusion focused on in Death of a Salesman completely relevant to our world. It is from this that I have come to the conclusion that, although Death of a Salesman subtly contains stories of success due to the American dream, this play is a textbook illustration of the emptiness of the American dream and consumerism; where failure and disappointment eats away at happiness and confidence, but success is, similarly, an empty accomplishment.

Apert Syndrome :: essays research papers fc

Apert Syndrome (AKA Alport syndrome) is a genetic defect which can be inherited from a parent who has Apert or a fresh mutation. It falls under the broad classification of craniofacial/limb anomalies. Approximately 1 per 160,000 to 200,000 live births inherit it. Some symptoms that Apert sufferers have are various heart defects, ear infections, severe acne, increased incidence of eye injuries, and many more. The skull is prematurely fused and unable to grow normally, and the fingers and toes are fused together in varying degrees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If your child gets Apert Syndrome they may have many physical defects as well as a few other problems such as slower learning, a cleft palate, vision problems, and problems with acne during puberty. I don’t think Apert Syndrome children die, expecially because you can pass Apert through genetics. A child with Apert Syndrome could live a pretty normal life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The mutation which causes Apert Syndrome is found on chromosome number 10 called Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 2 (FGFR2). You have two copies of this gene, one from the mother, one from the father, which is composed of a string of about 2000 of the chemical building blocks that make up the genetic material called DNA. When Apert Syndrome occurs, just one particular building block in one of these two gene copies has been exchanged for another. The other gene is entirely normal. The one tiny change in FGFR2 results in the physical features of Apert Syndrome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no link between anything the mother does or doesn’t do during her pregnancy to cause Apert. Doctors believe Apert Syndrome occurs when a gene mutates early in the pregnancy. The chances of having a second child with Apert are almost non-existent. However if one parent has Apert Syndrome there is a 50% chance that their child will also have Apert Syndrome. And studies have shown that Apert occurs more often to babies with older fathers.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Essay

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells the story of Victor’s ambition to successfully create a life through the use of science. In the present times, this is closely known as genetic engineering or cloning, wherein a scientist or a doctor dabbles in the works of creating a new life or transforming a life through science and technology. Shelley shows in her work that Victor had successfully created a being, however it stunned him, not in amazement but in hatred and fear of the misshapen creature he has created. The creature that Victor created was adultlike like in its physique but childlike in its mind. Its innocence became its downfall as it slowly learned, the hard way, that it is not a normal human being but a reject of the society because of its appearance. This led to its violent rampage destroying the things that it desires, belongingness in the society, and created an even more fearsome aura that caused people, even its creator, a deeper terror and horror in its existence. This shows that such inventions and discoveries does not necessarily mean success in the world of science as such creatures do not play a significant role in making the lives of people better. This indicates that science and technology has a great power in playing with fate and lives that people tend to question its ethics, morals and values. Shelley successfully presents in her work that science has to consider certain ethics and morals with its inventions, thinking about the purpose and result of the work in the world of humans. Ethics and morals are the basis of how humans live and think. The society strongly against inventions such as cloning and genetic engineering because of these values. Although the value life is a strong motive for dabbling into the arts of creating or transforming human life, the society thinks immoral of such actions because it makes the creator play with life, which in a religious or ethical sense, humans cannot play with. Shelley’s Frankenstein shows that playing with fate and life has its consequences. Something that is created from the pieces of humanity cannot be entirely human on its own. Rejection is always present in society, and it cannot be blamed on the people when a creature, as misshapen as Frankenstein roams the streets without full knowledge of what life is. The lesson the Shelley leaves her readers is the importance of considering how knowledge is to be used for humanity and to improve human life. Another impacting thought that Shelley leaves is the significance of proper teaching of the masters to their students. When Victor showed an uncanny interest in modern science, his teachers dismissed his curiousity without explaining to him why such fascination is dangerous and not worth paying attention to. Victor turned to modern science because of the limitations of alchemy. He combined his knowledge of aggripa, alchemy and the modern science to turn create a new life that he later rejected and loathed. Both the educators and the students have a responsibility in what they do and the results of their actions. Before any scientific invention and discovery is pursued, ethical considerations, moral responsibility and purpose is to be weighed. Educators and students should look at their works with purpose and not just because they wanted to create something new. They have to consider the results of such actions, and if it will result to something that is not beneficial for human life and will endanger the morals and values of the society, then it should be discouraged. Science and technology is something that is to be used to improve human life not destroy it.

Merck Co. Case - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 309 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/09/23 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Merck Co. , Inc (A) (The summary is based on the article in Vol. I and does not include the extra readings given by the professor) This case is a classic example of enterprises trying to balance their business of increasing profits and expected social responsibilities. This dilemma is further accentuated when the company happens to be a pharma company whose decisions directly affect people’s lives. The Dilemma: A possible drug for River Blindness, a disease which affects almost 85 million people in the third world countries, has been discovered as a derivative during Merck’s research on medicines for animal health treatment. But the drug needs to be tested extensively and researched further before it can be used in humans. This would require millions in investments but little financial returns, as most of the affected people cannot afford the drug. Merck spent a lot of money on research and believed that its future success depended on inventing new drugs. Th e odds of developing a successful drug are rather low and entail high investments. On an average it took 12 years and $200 million to bring a new drug to market. So allocation of funds for this research would mean eating into another drug’s budget. Besides there were no US or international program to create incentives for companies to develop drugs for diseases that affected the poor in the third world countries. A possible hope for Merck was that some international organization like WHO might partially fund the program. Merck’s researchers were the best paid in the industry and they thought of their work as a quest to alleviate human disease and suffering world-wide. Thus, refusal to fund the research might affect the morale of the team. This is the single biggest concern of Dr. Vagelos, the head of Merck Research labs, while taking a call on the matter. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Merck Co. Case" essay for you Create order