"Death of a Salesman" and "Fences" Article Response

Arthur Miller and August Wilson are two very similar men. They have both won numerous awards for their writing, are both followers of baseball, and they both acknowledge the use of poetry in their works. Both authors write plays that could be considered autobiographical as well. In Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and Wilson's "fences" the protagonists of each play, Willy and Troy also portray similarities. Both Willy Loman and Troy Maxson are common men but both are apparently qualified to be tragic heroes. Both of these men are in pursuit of the American Dream with a special desire for material items. Likewise both of the men's wives can be seen as similar. They both enable their husbands to pursue their dreams while explaining their husbands actions to their children. Both Willy and Troy have sons that hold promising futures in the game of football where neither son makes it. Both men are unfaithful to their wives and end up dying before the plays end. But according to this article, the portrayal of these seemingly identical character's couldn't be farther from the truth.

Troy Maxson was an African American trying to make it during a time in America in which this was very difficult. He was abandoned by his mother at n early age and chased away by his father soon after. Troy had also spent a significant amount of time in prison as well. Willy on the other hand was a salesman that enjoyed his career. Because of troy's race, he is automatically put at a lower rank in the world than Willy. Willy is never faced with the obstacles that Troy was so it can be inferred that Willy was allowed to live an easier life than Troy, though both lives resulted in early death.

I agree with the author of this article. I see the similarities between Troy and Willy but I also see the significant differences. Troy had it a lot harder than Willy ever though of having it but ultimately chasing the American Dreams that both of these men had, resulted in their demises.

Found Poem - "Death of a Salesman"

Hopes and Dreams

Light rises on the kitchen.

Willy, talking, shuts the refrigerator door,

and comes downstage

to the kitchen table.

He is totally immersed in himself.

She more than loves him,

she admires him,

his massive dreams

and little cruelties,

served her only as sharp reminders,

of the turbulent longings within him.

But she lacks the temperament

to utter and follow to their end.

My Clinical Experience

I recently started a clinical at Plastic and Hand Surgical Associates through my medical assisting program at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology. This is an eight week program where i will get about thirty hours of clinical experience. My experience so far through this experience has been a great one. I have learned more in just 5 hours then I have learned in weeks of school. This opportunity allows me to make sure that the medical field is where I really want to go with my life and this experience has solidified that. I now know that I want to be a nurse and in the work area of a medical facility. I love the fast paced environment and caring for people and knowing that everyday is going to different.

Plastic and Hand Surgical Associates is a plastic surgery office where they perform anything from liposuction to the simple removal of a mole. I have been to this site two times now and I have already seen many different things. I have seen breast cancer patients who go from having a mastectomy (removal of breasts) to them having breasts again. It's amazing what they procedures can do. I have also seen a newborn baby with a cleft lip and other minor injuries. Overall this has been a great learning experience for me and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Troy as a Tragic Hero

August Wilson's character Troy from his play Fences can be considered a tragic hero. Growing up and trying to achieve the American Dream as a colored person during the time period in which this play was set, can be a very difficult challenge. Troy's dream was to become a professional baseball player but due to his race he was unable to accomplish this. As a result, he takes this out on his son Cory when Cory gets a shot to play football in college. By holding his son back, Troy thinks he is saving Cory from hurt when actually Troy just hasn't realized that times have changed and that colored athletes have a better chance now. Troy worked somewhat hard for everything he had, except for the payout from his brothers accident. Troy viewed himself as hard working but a little piece of him was taken away when he couldn't play baseball resulting in resentment towards many things. Troy's tragic flaw is that he is a colored man during a time when these people were seen as "different" and as a result of this flaw can be viewed as a tragic hero. Troy wen from being an excellent athlete with a future ahead of him to a fall from glory when his dream of becoming a pro baseball player is crushed. As a result, Troy suffers everyday knowing that because of his race, he was not able to accomplish his American Dream.

Is the American Dream Dead?

Personally, I do not believe the American Dream is dead. When children are young they look up to adults and explore the options of their futures. Though these dreams may seem unrealistic at the time, some children will followthrough with these dreams and become what they want to be in life. In Fences by August Wilson, Troy's son Cory strives to play football at the college level, when his father won't let him, because he was unsuccessful obtaining his dream, Cory goes for it anyway. That is the mentality of the American Dream, to go after what you want despite that people around you tell you you'll never be able to achieve a specific goal.

My parents for example, grew up in Millinocket, Maine where there isn't much of anything unless of course you want to work in the now closed mills. In an interview with my parents, they both exclaimed; "While we were growing up, we knew that we were eventually going to have to leave our hometown in order to make a living." My father who went into the logging business up in Millinocket out of high school knew that in order to achieve his American Dream of becoming a master electrician that he would have to move to southern Maine to achieve this. So, that is exactly what my parents did. Shortly after my mom graduated high school, they packed up and moved down here. My mom and dad both worked very hard to save enough money to build the house that I am still living in today. My parents accomplished their American Dream by moving out of a dying town and becoming prosperous down here.

So to me the American Dream is not dead. I am soon moving on to the next step in my life by going to nursing school and becoming what I think i want to be for the rest of my life. Though it is still far away, I am one step closer to my American Dream concluding that to me the American Dream still lives in every single American, whether they chose to go after it or not is up to them.