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Veronica's Blog
My Riverside Rapid Digital Portfolio
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In the play, “Death of a Salesman,” tragic themes are prevalent throughout the plot. The play was written in 1948, by the playwright, Arthur Miller. The play is set in the late 1940s, and is set around Willy Loman, a 63-year-old salesman who is starting to lose his touch with sales. Willy shows many signs of early onset Alzheimer’s, causing him to have many misperceptions about what is happening in his life, including with his career and his relationship with his sons. He is often found talking to himself, and having conversations with his dead brother, Ben. Willy comes to the realization that he is not as well-respected and loved as he might have been long ago in his life and career. Because Willy does not fulfill his dreams of becoming successful and rich, he pesters his oldest son, Biff, about getting a proper job and settling down. This causes their relationship to crumble. Once Willy confirms that Biff really does love him, he commits suicide because he thinks that he is worth more dead than alive. The play, “Death of a Salesman,” fits the genre of tragedy because it involves a great man with great potential, who ultimately has a downfall because of his own personal flaws. Willy Loman is a man with great potential, but falls into a trap of only seeking out materialistic possessions. This obsession causes him to ruin his relationship with both of his sons by putting them under so much pressure. Another flaw that Willy has is exaggerating reality to make him appear better. He made Biff think that he used to be a salesman for Oliver, but he really was a shipping-clerk. In tragic plays, the tragic hero often has a great moment of realization before his downfall. Willy realizes that Biff really does love him, despite their differences, before committing suicide. These examples show why the play, “Death of a Salesman” is tragic.
The purpose of this project was to form a visual poem by colouring over lines of text from a book, leaving behind words to create a poem. My poem is about the relationship between Biff and Willy, specifically when Biff is told by Linda to leave the home forever and avoid any further conflict with Willy. Biff tells Willy that he is leaving, then breaks down in tears and is comforted by Willy. The lines, “And it broke my heart to know you would have killed everything You have” talks about Biff and the rest of the family knowing that Willy was trying to kill himself. The outline in the background of my poem is Willy comforting Biff while he weeps. Overall, this poem is about the breaking of a dysfunctional father-son relationship.
The following shows my understanding of a monologue. This is my monologue of Linda speaking in “Death of a Salesman.”
This is a monologue because it is an extended and uninterrupted speech, and is directed at another character. This is also a monologue because it reveals a lot about the character, Linda, who is speaking.
This monologue would fit in the current plot when Linda tells her sons about Willy trying to kill himself with gas.
Linda: I am empathetic beyond words, mostly because I care for my husband and my boys so much. I know that Willy is going through such a tough time, and I can only help him with so much. Because of this, I try to go above and beyond for him, like buy him cheese, take his shoes off, and encourage him as much as I can. I treat him like a king because he has worked so hard his whole life and loves me so much. I tend to be quiet, though. I want to speak up, but I feel as if my husband takes me for granted when he cuts me off and does not let me speak. But just because I don’t speak up, does not mean that I do not have thoughts of my own. I know that my dear husband is trying to kill himself, and I am too scared to damage his pride by confronting him about it. My boys are struggling with their relationship with their father, and with their careers. My boys were always so popular, fit, and attractive, but now they lack the confidence that once made them so appealing. With all this conflict in my home, I am left wondering where I went wrong and what I can do to fix it.
Biff: Gee Mom, I did not know you felt that way.
Connor and I researched about Roger, from Lord of the Flies. Roger is quiet and keeps to himself. He is a “bigun”, probably around 13 years old, meaning that he is one of the older boys. Although he is quiet, he can be aggressive as well. He likes to bully the “littluns”. He is one of the hunters, and is Jack’s right-hand man. He has long dark hair and is tanned from the hot sun. He has a gloomy face and a dark demeanour. He is evil and cruel. He is feared by all the littluns and most of the biguns.
1.) “There was a slight, furtive boy whom no one knew, who kept to himself with an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy. He muttered that his name was Roger and was silent again”
- Shows that shows that Roger is quiet, and doesn’t like attention.
2.) “The dark boy, Roger, stirred at last and spoke up.”
- Shows that roger had dark skin, or a dark persona.
3.) “That was no good.”
Roger spat efficiently into the hot dust
- Shows that Roger is arrogant.
4.) “You don’t know Roger. He’s a terror.”
-> this quote could mean that nobody truly knows who roger is and that he is unpredictable and a terror
5.) “Roger led the way straight through the castles, kicking them over, burying the flowers, scattering the chosen stones.”
- Shows that Roger doesn’t care
- He thinks hes better than everyone else
6.) “He was not noticeably darker than when he had dropped in, but the shock of black hair, down his nape and low on his forehead, seemed to suit his gloomy face and made what had seemed at first an unsociable remoteness into something forbidding”
-> This quote shows that Rogers skin tone has gotten much darker since he’s landed. His hair has also grown out a lot
8.) Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry— threw it to miss
- Shows that Roger is mean and obnoxious
9.) When Roger opened his eyes and saw him, a darker shadow crept beneath the swarthiness of his skin; but Jack noticed nothing.
- Shows that Roger has a dark demeanor
10.) All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of
frenzy. Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife. Behind him was Roger, fighting to get close
-> roger likes to be apart of the attention as he was trying to join in
11.) Roger, uncommunicative by nature, said nothing. He offered no opinion on the beast nor told Ralph why he had chosen to come on this mad expedition.
- Shows that Roger doesn’t speak up or contribute to the conversation
12.) Roger spoke; they jumped, for they had forgotten him. “A frog.”
- Shows that Roger is quiet
13.)Roger became the pig, grunting and charging at Jack, who side-stepped.
- Shows Roger’s aggressiveness
- Pretends to be a pig
14.) Roger ran round the heap, prodding with his spear whenever pigflesh appeared.
- Shows that roger is aggressive and savage
15.) Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a highpitched scream.
-> this quote shows that roger is the one who raped the pig which shows his immaturity
This is a podcast about The Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding. Below are facts mentioned, and their sources.
Here is take one:
Here is take two, the updated version:
Facts with sources:
And according to the findings of Wayne’s this and that, Humans have been primitive for the last 2,998,000 years. The idea of being civilized is still new to us because for 99.9 percent of the time that humans have been around, we have been primal.
The Affect of Primitive Instincts on Modern Male Behavior, www.waynesthisandthat.com/primitive.
Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
“A Quote from Unpopular Essays.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/324765-collective-fear-stimulates-herd-instinct-and-tends-to-produce-ferocity.
Skyword’s studies show you are more likely to copy others when we lack social acceptance in an attempt to fit in with the crowd.
“[Study] Social Media Influence Is Pervasive-and Sometimes Automatic.” The Content Standard by Skyword, 21 May 2016, www.skyword.com/contentstandard/marketing/study-social-media-influence-is-pervasive-and-sometimes-automatic/.
there is research proving that people are more likely be violent in groups, because they feel anonymous; their actions won’t get traced back to them. They get a “high” from doing things that society otherwise would deem as wrong
“The Brain and the Herd Mentality.” Main, 8 Dec. 2017, www.td.org/insights/the-brain-and-the-herd-mentality.
Grace point wellness tells us that between the ages of 2 to 5, many children start to show morally-based behaviors and beliefs.
Oswalt, Angela. “Early Childhood Moral Development.” Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7), www.gracepointwellness.org/462-child-development-parenting-early-3-7/article/12769-early-childhood-moral-development.
Below are quotes from the story “The Lord of the Flies” that describe the physical appearance if the island.
The Platform
“Here the beach was interrupted abruptly by the square motif of the
landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four feet high. The top of this was covered with a thin layer of soil and coarse grass and shaded with young palm trees. There was not enough soil for them to grow to any height and when they reached perhaps twenty feet they fell and dried, forming a criss-cross pattern of trunks, very convenient to sit on. The palms that still stood made a green roof, covered on the underside with a quivering tangle of reflections from the lagoon” (Golding 13).
The Beach
“The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings. Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and the open space of the scar. Ralph stood, one hand against a grey trunk, and screwed up his eyes against the shimmering water. Out there, perhaps a mile away, the white surf flinked on a coral reef, and beyond that the open sea was dark blue. Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake—blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple. The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralph’s left the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat” (Golding 4).
Lagoon :
“Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake—blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple” (Golding 10).
The Beach
“The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralph’s left the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat” (Golding 10).
The Cave
“He led the way over the rocks, inspected a sort of half-cave… There was indeed a long green smudge halfway up the rock… Side by side they scaled the last height to where the diminishing pile was crowned by the last broken rock… A hundred feet below them was the narrow causeway, then the stony ground, then the grass dotted with heads, and behind that the forest” (Golding 115-116).
“Fort”
“He was surrounded on all sides by chasms of empty air. There was nowhere to hide, even if one did not have to go on. He paused on the narrow neck and looked down. Soon, in a matter of centuries, the sea would make an island of the castle. On the right hand was the lagoon, troubled by the open sea; and on the left— Ralph shuddered. The lagoon had protected them from the Pacific: and for some reason only Jack had gone right down to the water on the other side. Now he saw the landsman’s view of the swell and it seemed like the breathing of some stupendous creature. Slowly the waters sank among the rocks, revealing pink tables of granite, strange growths of coral, polyp, and weed. Down, down, the waters went, whispering like the wind among the heads of the forest. There was one flat rock there, spread like a table, and the waters sucking down on the four weedy sides made them seem like cliffs. Then the sleeping leviathan breathed out, the waters rose, the weed streamed, and the water boiled over the table rock with a roar. There was no sense of the passage of waves; only this minute-long fall and rise and fall” (Golding 150).
Coral Reef
“The coral was scribbled in the sea as though a flowing, chalk line but tired before it had finished. Inside was peacock water, rocks and weed showing as in an aquarium; outside was the dark blue of the sea” (Golding 26).
Bathing Pool
“The beach near the bathing-pool was dotted with groups of boys waiting for the assembly
The Scar:
Beyond falls and cliffs there was a gash visible in the trees; there were the splintered trunks and then the drag, leaving only a fringe of palm between the scar and the sea” (Golding 22).
The Island
“It was roughly boat shaped; humped near this end with behind them the jumbled descent to the shore. On either side rocks, cliffs, tree-tp[s and a steep slope; forward there, the length of the boat, a tamer descent, tree-clad with hints of pink: and then the jungly flat of the island, dense green, but drawn at the end to a pink tail. There, where the island petered out in the water, was another island; a rock, almost detached, standing like a fort, facing them across the green with one bold, pink bastion” (Golding 26).
The Beach
“The beach near the bathing pool was dotted with groups of boys waiting for the assembly. They made way for him silently, conscious of his grim mood and the fault at the fire. The place of assembly in which he stood was roughly a triangle; but irregular and sketchy, like everything they made. First there was the log on which he himself sat; a dead tree that must have been quite exceptionally big for the platform. Perhaps one of those legendary storms of the Pacific had shifted it here. This palm trunk lay parallel to the beach, so that when Ralph sat he faced the island but to the boys was a darkish figure against the shimmer of the lagoon. The two sides of the triangle of which the log was base were less evenly defined. On the right was a log polished by restless seats along the top, but not so large as the chief’s and not so comfortable. On the left were four small logs, one of them–the farthest– lamentably springy” (Golding 82).
He took one last drag on his cigarette and snapped it away. Then with that faint, fleeting smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad; erect and motionless, proud and disdainful, Walter Mitty the Undefeated, inscrutable to the last. BANG! The first gun went off, then followed by the rest. Time slowed down as Walter danced and swerved his body in an acrobatic way, dodging every bullet. The bullets whizzed past his head, almost giving him a new haircut…
“Why is this man dancing like a lunatic?” whispered a woman walking past. Walter looked up and saw his wife scurrying towards him like a beetle crawling out of a drain.
“WALTER,” she exclaimed, “People are staring!”
Walter’s wife had a disdainful look on her face as the couple continued down the street, past the pharmacy. He looked up and saw a gleaming white passenger plane in the sky…
“We’re going down!” blared the intercom from the speakers above. Walter looked around in his seat. He was surrounded by pandemonium; men and women were franticly trying to put face masks on while simultaneously trying to buckle their seatbelts. Walter had to think, but it was very difficult because of the constant alarm that was sounding and the people that were screaming for help. The whole of the plane was shaking with turbulence. Suddenly, the front of the plane tilted forward, and it was obvious to Walter that he needed to do something quickly. He sprung from his seat and knocked the face mask that was hanging from the ceiling above him out of the way. He ran up the aisle, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He reached the cockpit and wrenched the door open with strength he didn’t know he had.
Inside the cockpit Walter saw the pilot and his co-pilot sitting limp with the controls in their hands. Through the window, Walter could see the ground getting closer and closer by the second. He unbuckled the pilot and pushed him off the seat. He took over the controls and fiddled with the array of buttons. They were blinking uncontrollably in rhythm with the alarms that were still blaring in Walter’s ears. He grabbed the control throttle and yanked upwards. He knew he was successful in his attempts, as the land beneath him seemed to be shrinking.
Then, Walter turned to see a flight attendant rush into the cockpit. She was beautiful, though her hair was falling rakishly out of her bun, and her clothes were tattered and dirty. She looked Ingrid Bergman. She opened her mouth to thank him…
“Watch out for that fire hydrant!” shrieked a familiar voice. Walter looked up to see his wife with a scowl on her face. “You never seem to think, Walter! Do you ever even have anything going on in your head?”
Walter looked down, as he always did, too embarrassed to defend himself, letting his wife believe as many lowly thoughts about him as she would like.
The purpose of this project was to take eight photos that represent eight plot points from the short story, “Father and Son,” by Bernard McLaverty. The plot points that we selected signify the most important points in the story: the exposition, initiating incident, rising actions, climax, falling action, and the denouement.
McLaverty’s short story is about a father and a son, and their disjointed relationship. The father and his son are both facing inner demons, which makes them have a lack of communication, weakening their relationship. The father is so worried and scared for his son that he cannot sleep. His son has problems with drugs and has been caught in bad situations in the past. The father wants to talk to his son, and says that he will, but he keeps putting it off. The son thinks that his father is a coward, and for this reason, he will not talk to him. The story comes to a climax when the son is shot and the father finally gets to hold his son in his arms. The plot points in the story highlight the conflict between the father’s and the son’s relationship.
1) Exposition
Quote:
“Because I do not sleep well I hear my father rising to go to work. I know that in a few minutes he will come in to look at me sleeping. He will want to check that I came home last night” (Callaghan 165)
Explanation:
This quote introduces the complications between the son and the father. It also introduces the characters, the father and the son, to the reader. The reader also becomes aware that the main setting of the story is the house. This information is the main point of the exposition.
2) Initiating Incident
Quote:
“My son is breaking my heart. It is already broken.” (Callaghan 166)
Explanation:
The fathers quote introduces the reader to the conflict of the story between the father and the son. This sets up the plot for future conflict and gives deeper meaning to characters. The reader becomes aware that the main conflict will be within the father’s and son’s relationship. This gives insight to the plot and the character’s relationship.
3) Rising Action
Quote:
“I have not seen my son for two days. Then, on the radio, I hear he is dead. They give out his description. I drink milk. I cry. But he comes in for his tea.” (Callaghan 167)
Explanation:
This quote shows the internal conflict within the father and how his negative relationship with his son is affecting his mental state. His mental state later explains his actions. This is important to the plot and represents rising action because it adds layers to the conflict in the plot and foreshadows to the climax.
4) Rising Action
Quote:
“ I had to go and collect you. Like a dog.” (Callaghan 168)
Explanation:
In this quote the reader is provided with background information to improve understanding of the Father’s emotions and the son’s past. This increases the tension within the conflict, adding complexity to the plot. This plot point represents rising action because it improves comprehension of the character’s reasons behind their actions within the conflict.
5) Rising Action
Quote:
“The door swings open and he pushes a handgun beneath the pillow. Seen long enough, black and squat, dull like a garden slug.” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
This moment is the final moment before the climax. Tension and emotions are heightened to add suspense to the story. The pressure in the story continues to build before the resolution and the story’s peak. The readers suspicions of the son’s dangerous activities are confirmed.
6) Climax
Quote:
“There is a bang. A dish-cloth drops from my hand and I run to the kitchen door. Not believing, I look into the hallway” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
During this moment all tension is released and the story begins to wrap up. It is confirmed that the father’s suspicions about his son being in a troubling situation were true. It is the most eventful moment of the story. The conflict is resolved in an unfortunate matter; the father receives closure about his son.
7) Falling Action
Quote:
“My son is lying on the floor, his head on the bottom stair, his feet on the threshold.” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
This moment ties up loose ends andconfirms that the son has been shot. The father startsto make
his own conclusions about what happened and who did it. The reader becomes aware of the end of the conflict between the father and son. There is a sense of closing to the scene that gives evidence that the story is being wrapped up.
8) Denouement
Quote:
“I take my son’s limp head in my hands and see a hole in his nose that should not be there. At the base of his nostril. My son, let me put my arms around you.” (Callaghan 169)
Explanation:
In this scene we see the final action of the father saying his farewell to his son. He is finally allowed to hold his son and care for him; what his son wouldn’t let him do when he was living. The final emotional moment between the father and the son is realized.
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