Will Landschulz
Am Lit Per 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
In this scene we see Willy and Biff in the same room as each other. Biff is worried about Willy, and pities him, but things change in meaning over the space of mouth to ear, and Willy comes in insulted and angry. Biff and Linda try in vain to calm him down. Even after Biff tells him about the upcoming interview, Willy tries to add detail to Biff's description ("how much is he giving you?" "I didn't even see him yet, but -" "Ah, you're counting your chickens again.") and Biff starts to storm out in frustration and disgust. Happy gets an idea. He and Biff could sell sporting goods as a seperate line, "the Loman Line," with them both, the "Loman Brothers," selling and running the business. Happy used that term before, the "Loman Brothers," when Biff thinks up an "if only" cattle ranch that he and Happy would raise out West. Of course, neither of these plans can come to fruition if Biff can't hold down a job. So, therefore, he's going into an interview with an old family friend. The resulting flurry of pointers on how exactly Biff should comport himself in his interview ends in a near-shouting match between him and Willy after he yells at Linda to (basically) shut up. Going back to the plan, I think it is a little far-fetched, especially keeping in mind that Biff has had between 20-30 jobs, and there is no start-up loan in sight. There doesn't seem to be much going for this plan, as it is based on a dream, a far-off event when everything goes right.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Charley
Will Landschulz
Am. lit per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Charley seems at first to be a contemporary of Willy - although with Willy's adulterous memory it can be a little strange to make that out. Charley comes into the house via the door, placing him in the present day, and starts to play cards with Willy. During this conversation, we also get to see one of Willy's greatest influences, his brother Ben. Ben comes from outside the wall, placing him in the past, which brings together the present and the past. Charley can't hear Ben, but Willy can. By trying to carry on two divergent conversations, he gets strained and eventually drives off Charley by accusing him of cheating. And thus we see that, more and more, Willy is choosing to physically live in the past, in the "good old days," rather than those around him who are grounded in reality. A further interesting tidbit about their relationship is the fact that Charley shows up in bermuda shorts (called "knickers") for the flashback, tying him more closely to Bernard. It is heavily implied that Bernard is to Biff and Happy as Charley is to Willy and Ben. This implication gains even more weight when it is revealed that Bernard is Charley's son. Charley (and by extension, Bernard) seem to have their feet firmly planted on the ground, and are just short enough to see under the clouds.
Am. lit per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Charley seems at first to be a contemporary of Willy - although with Willy's adulterous memory it can be a little strange to make that out. Charley comes into the house via the door, placing him in the present day, and starts to play cards with Willy. During this conversation, we also get to see one of Willy's greatest influences, his brother Ben. Ben comes from outside the wall, placing him in the past, which brings together the present and the past. Charley can't hear Ben, but Willy can. By trying to carry on two divergent conversations, he gets strained and eventually drives off Charley by accusing him of cheating. And thus we see that, more and more, Willy is choosing to physically live in the past, in the "good old days," rather than those around him who are grounded in reality. A further interesting tidbit about their relationship is the fact that Charley shows up in bermuda shorts (called "knickers") for the flashback, tying him more closely to Bernard. It is heavily implied that Bernard is to Biff and Happy as Charley is to Willy and Ben. This implication gains even more weight when it is revealed that Bernard is Charley's son. Charley (and by extension, Bernard) seem to have their feet firmly planted on the ground, and are just short enough to see under the clouds.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Biff and Happy
Will Landschulz
Am. Lit Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
In this part, we are introduced to the Loman family: Willy, a travelling salesman over 60, his wife, Linda, and his two boys, Biff and Happy. Biff has returned from a farmhand job in Texas and hasn't managed to pin down a stable job yet. Happy currently works for a retail store in their hometown of New York. Biff seems depressed at his inability to nail down a job, and especially at how this decreases him in the eyes of Willy. Also, I can't shake the feeling that he doesn't tell Happy (and by extension, the audience) everything about his past, those "twenty or thirty jobs" he's had. The implication is that he quit the jobs, either from a frustration over the corporate ladder, or from a realization that whichever job he's in will get him nowhere. But after baring his feelings to the audience, he suddenly changes the subject to Happy. Happy is seemingly (well. . . ) happy and contented, with a 9-5 job and a "future." Is he, in fact, happy? The answer is a resounding NO. Sure, he's got a future, a job with nowhere to go but up, but the only way to get farther up the economic ladder is for his boss, the merchandise manager, to die so that Happy can take his place. Happy likes the merchandise manager, considers him a friend, and is thus trapped between the loyalty of friends and the constant push upwards on the economic ladder. One of the things that Happy notes about his boss is the fact that he builds one house, then after about two months, builds another one and moves into that one. The troubling thing, for the audience at least, is that Happy notes that he'd probably do the same. So on one hand you have a person who can't pin down a job and won't tell us anything about that. On the other, you have someone who is conflicted over wanting their boss to die so they can take his place. I don't really think that either of them would be good narrators, and I'm not sure we're supposed to like them. Pity them, yes, but not like.
Am. Lit Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
In this part, we are introduced to the Loman family: Willy, a travelling salesman over 60, his wife, Linda, and his two boys, Biff and Happy. Biff has returned from a farmhand job in Texas and hasn't managed to pin down a stable job yet. Happy currently works for a retail store in their hometown of New York. Biff seems depressed at his inability to nail down a job, and especially at how this decreases him in the eyes of Willy. Also, I can't shake the feeling that he doesn't tell Happy (and by extension, the audience) everything about his past, those "twenty or thirty jobs" he's had. The implication is that he quit the jobs, either from a frustration over the corporate ladder, or from a realization that whichever job he's in will get him nowhere. But after baring his feelings to the audience, he suddenly changes the subject to Happy. Happy is seemingly (well. . . ) happy and contented, with a 9-5 job and a "future." Is he, in fact, happy? The answer is a resounding NO. Sure, he's got a future, a job with nowhere to go but up, but the only way to get farther up the economic ladder is for his boss, the merchandise manager, to die so that Happy can take his place. Happy likes the merchandise manager, considers him a friend, and is thus trapped between the loyalty of friends and the constant push upwards on the economic ladder. One of the things that Happy notes about his boss is the fact that he builds one house, then after about two months, builds another one and moves into that one. The troubling thing, for the audience at least, is that Happy notes that he'd probably do the same. So on one hand you have a person who can't pin down a job and won't tell us anything about that. On the other, you have someone who is conflicted over wanting their boss to die so they can take his place. I don't really think that either of them would be good narrators, and I'm not sure we're supposed to like them. Pity them, yes, but not like.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Trial
Will Landschulz
Am Lit. Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Janie shoots Tea Cake in self defense, but refuses to say anything at her trial. This is odd for her because throughout the book, she has been quick to say what she thinks, but at the time when she would have a multitude of thoughts, she remains silent on them all. I think this is because many of these thought would be conflicting, thoughts of survivor's guilt clashing with thoughts of self-preservation. She was the happiest before Tea Cake was consumed by rabies, and by killing him she killed all possibility of getting back to that. She might also have been left numb from the actual act of killing her husband, something that would have shattered her world. The hurricane might also have left its impression on her soul, leaving her stressed enough that a "mad" husband would send her into pieces. However, she tells her entire story to the jury when she is called to the stand, and frequently states to the audience that them getting the wrong impression of Tea Cake and herself would be worse than murder. It's almost as though she bottles it up through the entire trial and tells it all during her testimony.
Am Lit. Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Janie shoots Tea Cake in self defense, but refuses to say anything at her trial. This is odd for her because throughout the book, she has been quick to say what she thinks, but at the time when she would have a multitude of thoughts, she remains silent on them all. I think this is because many of these thought would be conflicting, thoughts of survivor's guilt clashing with thoughts of self-preservation. She was the happiest before Tea Cake was consumed by rabies, and by killing him she killed all possibility of getting back to that. She might also have been left numb from the actual act of killing her husband, something that would have shattered her world. The hurricane might also have left its impression on her soul, leaving her stressed enough that a "mad" husband would send her into pieces. However, she tells her entire story to the jury when she is called to the stand, and frequently states to the audience that them getting the wrong impression of Tea Cake and herself would be worse than murder. It's almost as though she bottles it up through the entire trial and tells it all during her testimony.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
the Everglades
Will Landschulz
Am. Lit. Per. 2
mrs. LaMagdeleine
One thing that we've noticed about Janie's relationships is that she is averse to doing the work that Logan or Joe have given her. However, when she gets to the Everglades with Tea Cake, she has no qualms about getting into the muck and working alongside him, doing work that is arguably worse than plowing or minding a store. I think this is because she was dissatisfied with her relationships, but she accepts Tea Cake and loves him, so she can't find it in her to be dissatisfied with him. There are some rocky spots though. There are times when she thinks he strayed to another woman, and there are times when he thinks she strayed to another guy. But when they set the record straight with each other, they trust each other and are happy again. Janie is back in the pseudo-dream of her pear tree and the golden glow it gave everything, except that this time, her dream is imbued with the clear lines of reality.
Am. Lit. Per. 2
mrs. LaMagdeleine
One thing that we've noticed about Janie's relationships is that she is averse to doing the work that Logan or Joe have given her. However, when she gets to the Everglades with Tea Cake, she has no qualms about getting into the muck and working alongside him, doing work that is arguably worse than plowing or minding a store. I think this is because she was dissatisfied with her relationships, but she accepts Tea Cake and loves him, so she can't find it in her to be dissatisfied with him. There are some rocky spots though. There are times when she thinks he strayed to another woman, and there are times when he thinks she strayed to another guy. But when they set the record straight with each other, they trust each other and are happy again. Janie is back in the pseudo-dream of her pear tree and the golden glow it gave everything, except that this time, her dream is imbued with the clear lines of reality.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Aftermath
Will Landschulz
Am Lit Per. 2
Mrs. Lamagdeleine
Here we see Joe's funeral. It is an about-face from the funeral of the donkey, where it was an empty ceremony to everyone but Janie, where this funeral is empty to noone but Janie. To keep up appearances, she "sends her face to the funeral" but inside rejoices at the freedom given her by Joe's death. After the funeral, she keeps up this illusion through extended mourning, which rebuffs any and all suitors, and gives her a chance to exercise her freedoms. However, she is also on the lookout for someone who can give her what she originally wanted, which is real love, rather than the material love given her by Joe. This is most definitively spelled out by her decision to take off (and later burn) the headscarf imposed on her by Joe, which turns her from a reasonably beautiful, middle-aged woman to a stunning young woman reminiscent of who she was before her marriage to Logan. However, she is not entirely comfortable without Joe, having worked within his rules for so long. She feels awkward when trying to collect the rent from boarders, apologizing to each tenant when coming around with the bill. She ends up sending an assistant, Hezekiah, to attend to that sort of chore. Hezekiah is an intriguing character, but he is only named after Joe's death, and then as a copy of Joe (he obviously emulates the former Mayor, to the degree of smoking like Joe did in life. I'm sure that Hezekiah will eventually become Eatonville's next Mayor. We may see this or not, but it doesn't really matter to Janie, as Tea Cake, whom we have yet to meet but whom we know is Janie's next love, is unlikely to run for Mayor.
Am Lit Per. 2
Mrs. Lamagdeleine
Here we see Joe's funeral. It is an about-face from the funeral of the donkey, where it was an empty ceremony to everyone but Janie, where this funeral is empty to noone but Janie. To keep up appearances, she "sends her face to the funeral" but inside rejoices at the freedom given her by Joe's death. After the funeral, she keeps up this illusion through extended mourning, which rebuffs any and all suitors, and gives her a chance to exercise her freedoms. However, she is also on the lookout for someone who can give her what she originally wanted, which is real love, rather than the material love given her by Joe. This is most definitively spelled out by her decision to take off (and later burn) the headscarf imposed on her by Joe, which turns her from a reasonably beautiful, middle-aged woman to a stunning young woman reminiscent of who she was before her marriage to Logan. However, she is not entirely comfortable without Joe, having worked within his rules for so long. She feels awkward when trying to collect the rent from boarders, apologizing to each tenant when coming around with the bill. She ends up sending an assistant, Hezekiah, to attend to that sort of chore. Hezekiah is an intriguing character, but he is only named after Joe's death, and then as a copy of Joe (he obviously emulates the former Mayor, to the degree of smoking like Joe did in life. I'm sure that Hezekiah will eventually become Eatonville's next Mayor. We may see this or not, but it doesn't really matter to Janie, as Tea Cake, whom we have yet to meet but whom we know is Janie's next love, is unlikely to run for Mayor.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Matt Bonner's Mule
Will Landschulz
Am Lit Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Poor Matt. His mule just won't give him as much as a "howdy do." And when it does, it raises hell and runs off. As such, it is a matter of much hilarity among the settlers of Eatonville, much to Matt's chagrin. The whole debacle with Matt's mule comes to a head when it (on one of its madcap escapes) happens to wander in front of the store, where the majority of the other villagers, as well as Janie and Joe, are watching. The others start tackling the mule, first capturing it, then teasing it. Janie is disgusted by the way they carry on about the mule and goes into the shop. Joe thinks that it is great fun at first, but he, too gets tired of it and ends up buying the mule from Matt so he could free it. But all this is setup for the "reveal" that comes when Janie makes an impromptu speech likening Joe, with his power and his freeing the donkey, to Abraham Lincoln, with his power and his choice to free the slaves. As she puts it, (translated from dialect) "you have the power to free things so that makes you like a king." This is beneficial to Starks' public image, but it flies in the face of another statement given by Starks in the previous chapter: "My wife doesn't make speeches." Here, she shows that she can make speeches, if given the time and opportunity to speak her mind. In fact, many of the constraints of Jody's on Janie have to do with censorship. For example, Janie cannot talk to the "gum-grease" that frequent the porch of the shop, Janie must have her hair tied up in the shop at all times, Janie doesn't make speeches, Janie shouldn't go to the Donkey's funeral with all the muck. This last edict is a matter of much resentment for Janie, as Jody's efforts to keep her higher than the rest only serve to isolate her. It's quite lonely at the top, as she quickly discovers. She argues with Jody a couple times, which degenerate into struggles over her autonomy and finally culminate when Jody slaps Janie for messing up a meal. After he storms out, she realizes that he was nothing like her dreams made him, just something like a clothes-rack that she used only to get away from Logan Killicks. She gave him all this power, and then she bowed down, and later she bowed down because he had that power from their marriage. She only now realizes the thing she staked her hopes on didn't live up to its promise.
Am Lit Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Poor Matt. His mule just won't give him as much as a "howdy do." And when it does, it raises hell and runs off. As such, it is a matter of much hilarity among the settlers of Eatonville, much to Matt's chagrin. The whole debacle with Matt's mule comes to a head when it (on one of its madcap escapes) happens to wander in front of the store, where the majority of the other villagers, as well as Janie and Joe, are watching. The others start tackling the mule, first capturing it, then teasing it. Janie is disgusted by the way they carry on about the mule and goes into the shop. Joe thinks that it is great fun at first, but he, too gets tired of it and ends up buying the mule from Matt so he could free it. But all this is setup for the "reveal" that comes when Janie makes an impromptu speech likening Joe, with his power and his freeing the donkey, to Abraham Lincoln, with his power and his choice to free the slaves. As she puts it, (translated from dialect) "you have the power to free things so that makes you like a king." This is beneficial to Starks' public image, but it flies in the face of another statement given by Starks in the previous chapter: "My wife doesn't make speeches." Here, she shows that she can make speeches, if given the time and opportunity to speak her mind. In fact, many of the constraints of Jody's on Janie have to do with censorship. For example, Janie cannot talk to the "gum-grease" that frequent the porch of the shop, Janie must have her hair tied up in the shop at all times, Janie doesn't make speeches, Janie shouldn't go to the Donkey's funeral with all the muck. This last edict is a matter of much resentment for Janie, as Jody's efforts to keep her higher than the rest only serve to isolate her. It's quite lonely at the top, as she quickly discovers. She argues with Jody a couple times, which degenerate into struggles over her autonomy and finally culminate when Jody slaps Janie for messing up a meal. After he storms out, she realizes that he was nothing like her dreams made him, just something like a clothes-rack that she used only to get away from Logan Killicks. She gave him all this power, and then she bowed down, and later she bowed down because he had that power from their marriage. She only now realizes the thing she staked her hopes on didn't live up to its promise.
Monday, February 2, 2009
New Maitland/Eatonville
Will Landschulz
Am Lit. Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Here we've finally gotten to see the "colored town" that Jody has been dreaming up for us. It's somewhat lacking. No, it's a lot lacking. Even Jody is disappointed at the way it seems to have crashed. This backdrop gives us a deeper look into Jody's character than we originally get from over Janie's back fence. He shows a ton of initiative, first off. Second off, he is appalled at the way the town differs from his dream, and is spending all his time trying to fix it. This one-track mind approach might drive a wedge between them. Third, after he is (unanimously) elected Mayor, he cuts off the applause for Janie by saying she doesn't make speeches. This is probably true, but the fact that he goes right over her head to regain control speaks volumes about him - and not a single word of it good. Janie, since becoming Mrs. Mayor, can't give Jody the attention she wants to give him. Jody, since becoming Mayor, has been giving all his attention to the town. He is arrogant as well, giving himself a gilded spittoon, a fancy desk, and a mansion, when compared with the "shame-faced houses" occupied by the remaining denizens of New Maitland/Eatonville. However, most of the problem comes from the attention (or lack thereof) that Jody and Janie can give each other.
Am Lit. Per. 2
Mrs. LaMagdeleine
Here we've finally gotten to see the "colored town" that Jody has been dreaming up for us. It's somewhat lacking. No, it's a lot lacking. Even Jody is disappointed at the way it seems to have crashed. This backdrop gives us a deeper look into Jody's character than we originally get from over Janie's back fence. He shows a ton of initiative, first off. Second off, he is appalled at the way the town differs from his dream, and is spending all his time trying to fix it. This one-track mind approach might drive a wedge between them. Third, after he is (unanimously) elected Mayor, he cuts off the applause for Janie by saying she doesn't make speeches. This is probably true, but the fact that he goes right over her head to regain control speaks volumes about him - and not a single word of it good. Janie, since becoming Mrs. Mayor, can't give Jody the attention she wants to give him. Jody, since becoming Mayor, has been giving all his attention to the town. He is arrogant as well, giving himself a gilded spittoon, a fancy desk, and a mansion, when compared with the "shame-faced houses" occupied by the remaining denizens of New Maitland/Eatonville. However, most of the problem comes from the attention (or lack thereof) that Jody and Janie can give each other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)