The Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is a despondent tale of an unsuccessful salesman, Willy Loman, who beguiles himself and his family into believing he is noteworthy and fruitful. Willy is married to Linda Loman. Together, they have two sons, Biff and Happy.
Many arguments could be made for the actions of Willy. He could be described as depressed, disillusioned, or just utterly misinformed on life. I have come to the conclusion that it is a combination of all three, starting with his misguided view on the ways of the world. From there, it snowballed into depression and disillusionment. From the beginning of the story, Willy's philosophy on how to be successful in life is to be "well-liked". This, he believes, is the true key to success. He deceives his wife and children on a daily basis into believing this as fact. In reality, Willy is not "well-liked" at all.
Linda Loman, the wife of Willy, does nothing to hinder his ways. She is the biggest culprit in aiding his eventual complete delusion. The argument could be made that she herself was not aware of his reality. But since she was always assisting, if not controlling, the bills and family finances, she had to be somewhat acquainted with Willy's success, or lack thereof. She never questions anything positive he tells her. She even refuses to confront Willy about his suicidal thoughts.
Biff is loved and spoken of the most out of the two sons. The problem is, Willy only raised him to be "well-liked" and encouraged him to ignore other things such as school work. Biff's relationship with his father, along with his reliance on what was taught to him, begins to deteriorate once he finds out he is having an affair. Biff will never look at him the same.
Happy is the more successful of the two sons but also, the more forgotten. He is constantly trying to gain attention from his parents but to no avail. Despite moderate success, he remains unhappy and lonely due to the neglect practiced by his parents.
This story really brought up mixed emotions in me. On one hand, Willy was not the most respectable father and apparently not a loyal husband. Although it is not revealed whether he was perpetually unfaithful, he was never honest with Linda about his infidelities. This inexcusable act coupled with his constant deception will not allow me to respect him. On the other hand, he was just a man struggling to provide for his family. Maybe it's a cycle of morals passed to him from his father. This is one thing I wish was addressed in the story as Biff lived a good portion of his life adhering to his father's teachings. Could the same be said about Willy? Does that make Biff a bad person as well? I'm not so sure.
Overall, this was a near painful read. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but there was almost no positive emotions drawn from this. Still, I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading. If anything, it should help the reader realize what constant self deception could lead to in the end.

The Black Aesthetic

The Encyclopedia defines the black aesthetic as "a period of artistic and literary development among Black Americans in the the 1960s and early '70s." The literature in this time period was thought to tackle racial tension, African culture, and other issues.
Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" is a perfect example. The main character whose name is unknown, has an overwhelming desire to deliver a speech to a crowd littered with angry, discriminatory white men. This, in itself, is a noble task. During the time period in which this piece of literature was written, slavery was abolished, but black people still did not withhold the same rights that white Americans were privileged. If put in the same situation, I am not sure I would have the courage to stand up in front of a group that had a predisposition of hatred for me.
This story was unbelievably painful to read. It reflects the villainous portion of human nature so vividly. I cannot say that this story directly relates to my life for I could even begin to imagine the experience the plight of a black man during this time. However, the empathy I felt while reading this was smothering to say the least.
My favorite portion was when he was finally awarded the opportunity to give his speech. The main character had endured hell just to have the opportunity to speak to a crowd who disdained him. Once given the opportunity, he had a mouth full of blood. And instead of relieving himself in one of the buckets, he swallowed as if to say "I can take whatever you deal me with dignity".
After reading this, I would like to study the black aesthetic more extensively. I have read a few biographies describing similar experiences. But I feel a desire to delve deeper into this topic.
When I first read "Invisible Man", I was unaware of how layered the excerpt was. It amazes me how Ellison was able to pen, what on the surface appears to be a simplistic story, but in reality, is a tale that takes thought and discussion to truly grasp.
I was surprised to learn that this was considered a "safe" work. I presume it could have been more brash, but to me, it showed a side of white culture that many, to this day, still choose to ignore.
I would recommend "Invisible Man" to everyone. It is vital to know the history of our culture in order to understand the present.

"It's not where you're from, not where you're at....it's where you're going"

Where I'm from

I am from a fatherless block of desolate homes scattered on concrete.
I am from hand me downs and sugar coated truths.
I am from a family stitched together with fervor.
I am from a mindset of dreams.
I am from Pistol Pete, Pete & Pete, peanut butter & jelly, and Pulp Fiction.
I am from a place of expectations not always met but never frowned upon.
I am from a house with closed eyes and open ears.
I am from a neighborhood once littered with children but now void of laughter.
I am from where I am.......