Director“In order to achieve personal fulfilment sacrifices have to be made. ” How have the contexts of the composers of “Death of a Salesman” and “American Beauty” shaped their representations of sacrifice? Personal fulfilment must be achieved through sacrifices, however sacrifices do not always promise the achievement of a dream. Personal fulfilment is a desire, often thought of a better life, and these cannot be achieved unless certain things are given up. These sacrifices are compared to what you have, and what you will get. Representations of different sacrifices morally or physically have been shaped to the context they are given.
In “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller and “American Beauty” by Sam Mendes both composers shape their understanding of sacrifice according to the context they have written in. Differing sacrifices are made to achieve personal fulfilment in the contexts they are given. “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller was set in the Depression of the 1930’s where America had no money and salesmen were the economic growth of American life. The American Dream was heavily desired, to have wealth and academic achievement thus creating reputation and respect was every man’s dream and Willy Loman was no exception.
To be successful salesman and to achieve this dream, Willy sacrifices his dignity and pride for a job. He repeatedly lowers his standards to just be successful and have money to support his family. “Sixty-five dollars a week”, “all I need… is fifty dollars a week” and finally “If I had forty dollars a week – that’s all I need. ” is spoken to Willy’s employer Howard Wagner. Howard is however, more interested in a new “toy” that he has, the recording machine which frightens Willy, portraying the old man being left behind as society moves ahead.
The Essay on Jerome Achieve Eugene Dream
A hero, above all must have qualities in which he is admired for his brave deeds in which he performs to realize a goal. These brave deeds are ones in which give someone the ability to endure pain and danger. Jerome and Eugene, in Andrew Niccols' Gattaca, both possess qualities in which make them a hero because they are prepared to endure pain and jeopardy to achieve their dream. Both ultimately ...
In “American Beauty” directed by Sam Mendes, Lester Burnham also aspires to achieve the American Dream. The film was set in the 1990’s and at that time America was in a much better economic state than the 1930’s. Many American families are already wealthy but are looking for new forms of pursuits. Lester already has the physical part of the American Dream that Willy has failed to achieve, a home and materialistic goods. The part of the American Dream that Lester desires is youth and freedom. He is desperate to be free of his responsibilities for the role of a good father and husband.
He wants to explore youth again as his sexual desires arise when he meets Angela. He sacrifices his job and reputation to free him of responsibilities he does not want. The dialogue “I’m looking for the least possible amount of responsibility” suggests that he wants to be free from supporting the family, taking care of Jane or any kind of responsibility that his family has trapped him. He looks for youth and again, sacrifices any kind of approval from his family, and gives in to the craving of Angela’s youthful body. In the context of time, different representations of sacrifice and personal fulfilment are explored.
Sacrifices must be made to achieve the American Dream, but are the sacrifices really worth what they give in return, if any? In “Death of a Salesman” Willy desires to give his future to his son by sacrificing his life for the insurance money. He dreams of the “death of a salesman” where fellow salesmen will come and cry at his grave. However, no one comes. What he has dreamed of will never come true and the sacrifice has not given him any type of respect, but sadness from his family. Sometimes the wrong sacrifices are made or wrong dreams are pursued. Willy did not have to make the sacrifice of taking his life, for the future of his son.
He has not accomplished anything and instead received the statement “He had the wrong dreams all, all wrong… he never knew who he was” from Biff at his grave. In “American Beauty” Lester did not achieve his dream either. His story also ends with death. The scene where Lester is seen dead from the perspective of Ricky is elevated in hues of red, blue and white, the colours of the American flag. The symbolism behind the colours suggest that this is what happens when you try to achieve the American Dream, that you will never get it and sacrifices are wasted. The American Dream was designed to set a trap in American lives.
The Term Paper on My African American Cultural Family
Abstract To understand one’s culture is one of the most important life-changing journeys an individual may embark upon. This paper will tell the cultural background of my family. I am an African American woman who was born in the South and have enjoyed some of the aspects associated with being African American, a woman, and a Collins, as well as had some disappointments in relation to all the ...
It was designed to never be achieved but to be dreamt of achieving so that the people of the country work willingly but always within an arm’s length away. Dreams must be achieved through sacrifice, but sacrifices do not always give a dream in return. Sacrifices are also shaped in the context they are given in and each a different representation. These ideas can be found in “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller and “American Beauty” by Sam Mendes. Both composers represented sacrifice in the context they were given and showed their audience what may result in the sacrifices that are chosen.
