Material World

In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman strives to make something of his life, and desperately wants the same for his children. In the play, his neighbor Charlie says to him "The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell." The neighbor finds it amusing that he (Willy) is a salesman and he seems not to know this. I believe what Charlie is really saying here (or what Miller wants us to take away) is that all his life Willy has sold himself short, and everything he could wish to have in order to be happy are all things he already possesses. He has a house that's almost paid off, a devoted and caring wife, and two healthy sons. Willy; however, is too obsessed with the material. When it comes down to it in Willy's mind the only things he has that matter to him are the material possessions that can be sold and easily replaced. Charlie is trying to tell him to open his eyes. See that there is more to life than being a salesman until the day he dies. In this time period it is a noble and expected thing to have a good job, make good money, and support the family you have, but in the end that is what matters, not sales numbers or promotions, but the love and support of the ones you are doing this all for in the first place. Willy seems to have lost sight of a lot of things, but most significantly the love he has in the home he has fostered. Charlie is trying to open his eyes to that. Americans today are much the same as Willy. With our fast-paced, get-to-the-top mentality we are quickly losing our morals and values and placing them on impermanent things like money and social stature. America needs a wake-up call like the one Charlie gave to Willy.

American Dream Revisited

I realize that I have already posted in response to the "What is the American Dream" prompt, and I know that this may never even be read by anyone, but I cannot stop thinking about it and wanted to get it out there. And besides, whats a blog for anyways, but I digress. The other day, upon completion of what I thought was a very acceptable answer as to what I thought the American dream was, I put on my headphones to escape from reality and something struck me. It was "Song for the Suburbs" by Ben Rector. I have liked the song since I got the CD months ago, but I never really listened to the words until they became relevant to me. The song begins by saying "This American Dream is/ Not what it seems/ Maybe we're still breathing/ but we're all asleep." This brought to light for me that the word "dream" in its most literal and basic understanding to me is just that; a dream. Dreams are what we have when the harsh reality of life scares us into thinking what we have isn't good enough. And then I heard towards the end of the song the verse "If this dream is what your after/ Then Dreaming is where you'll stay." Dreams as we see them are limitless, and to put a cap on our dreams is only limiting our chances for happiness and success in life. Dreams are had, goals are accomplished. I believe it is important to have a dream, don't get me wrong, but goals are the things we wish for and strive to make happen. Dreams are the things reality can't foster. As the song goes; "I want to live, until I die" and this is what has been resonating with me so frequently since the last post. Life is meant for living. If all we ever do is sit in the present and hope for a better future, then the time we have now is lost forever. I say a dream is good, have a dream, but don't make the accomplishment of that dream the sole basis for your happiness. Set goals and work to attain them, but more importantly than all that, live your life the way you want. It is yours, and you only get one. Don't limit yourself, just BE yourself. In retrospect I suppose that is what our modern version of this American way of living is. We have that freedom, the freedom to be whoever we want to be, and do whatever we want to do. So from now on I am done working towards what society thinks is my "dream." I am who I am and knowing that I have the freedom to do with that what I wish is my American dream.

A Casting Call of Sorts

Death of a Salesman was a play written in the late 1940's by Arthur Miller, depicting the life of an average American family desperately chasing the American dream ideal. Over the years, it has portrayed by countless companies, and high schools alike, and each has had to face the task of casting each of the roles by finding the most appropriate actors for each part. Death of a Salesman has also seen its day on the cinematic screen in the 1985 rendition starring Dustin Hoffman. Casting a role can be a difficult process, because often the casting director may search for qualities in each actor that are similar to those of the role they audition for; however, in reality, all you need is an actor willing to set his or her personal attributes aside and become fully enveloped in the role of the character they have been chosen to play. The actors I have chosen to star in my faux production of the work are those which I feel are capable of becoming the characters they are chosen to play. These actors may have also starred in other productions in which they proved they were able to play certain parts, and that was the criteria for the actors I have chosen.  

For the role of Willie Loman, Jeff Bridges. I feel as if Jeff Bridges could portray quite nicely the role of an average, aged, working class male in search of a better life for himself and his family. From starring in old westerns to new comedies, Jeff Bridges has shown that his acting ability is far beyond many of the other candidates to be considered for this role. Bridges is also good at "crazy" which may come in handy before the conclusion of the play.

As for Linda Loman, I would choose Meryl Streep. Lets be honest, there isn't much that Meryl can't do. I also chose her because I actually do feel as if she would be able to draw from her own personality, making the role of Linda truly come to life. Linda is a very loyal spouse to Willy, and plays the role of what "wife" was supposed to mean during the time which this play is set, but there is also a strength in her that many people may miss while reading the play. She is much stronger than Willy is in an emotional sense. We get the impression often that Willy has swayed her into his way of thinking, but that is all part of the facade that she puts on in order to offer the support a wife is supposed to offer. In reality Linda is a strong-willed, emotionally stable woman, who is also dutiful to her husband. That is why I would have Meryl Streep cast as Linda. 

As for the brothers, Biff and Happy, I based my decision on roles that these gentlemen currently play.

I would cast Chris Pratt as Biff based on his current role as Andy on Parks and Recreation. Biff is a likable character. Though he may not be as book-smart as most, he is a strong person who is able and willing to work with his hands, and has a kind heart, making his presence enjoyable to most people. Though his approval from his father is important to him, I don't feel as if it is as strong as Willy's desire for Biff to try to gain that approval. Overall I feel as if Pratt would do an astounding job playing the role of Biff.

Happy would be played by John Krasinski, better known for his role as Jim on The Office, I actually cast John for the role he played in Leatherheads as Carter. John would be the more stable, more reliable younger sibling who is living in his less-educated older brothers shadow. 

As for what I have read of Death of a Salesman, I am very confident in my choices and am curious to see how the story unfolds and develops, and which of my characters I may have to end up re-casting. 

My American Dream

A house, a job, and 3.2 kids. The white picket fence. A fancy car. Many people define the American dream in many different ways. It is different now than it was 40 years ago, and even 20 years ago the American dream was different than the way people view it now. A lot has changed over the decades, but one thing still remains true. Anything can be accomplished through hard work. I believe the American dream is to get higher education (whether or not that helps in the long run is up to you), find a career (not a job) that you are passionate about and love more often than not, and the rest is completely dependent on what makes you happy. To say that the dream is to have a family or to drive a certain car is unfair to those who do not wish that for their lives, but just because they don't hold value in those things doesn't mean they aren't living their version of the American dream. That is the beauty of America, we are free to dream the dreams the way we want to dream them. In short, I would say one who has accomplished the American dream is one who has worked hard and gotten themselves to a state in which they are happy more often than they are not. Happiness, in whichever way you as an individual choose to accomplish that, is the American dream in my opinion.