The Summer Was Ours..

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 04:56:17 GMT

1. You have $10 and need to buy snacks at a gas station; what do you buy?:
Pepsi, Smart Food, candy.

2. If you had to be reincarnated as some sort of sea dwelling creature, what would you be?:
A seahorse, I wouldn’t have to carry babies!

3. Who's your favorite redhead?:
No clue.

4. What do you order when you're at a pancake house?:
Uh… pancakes?

5. Describe the last time you were injured:
Um… I have a hangnail, doesn that count?

6. Are there any odd things that make you feel uncomfortable?
-Various forms of physical touching..

-Being the third wheel.

-Looking people in the eyes (I’m very weird about that).

7. Tell me a weird story from your high school years:
I tripped into a trashcan once.

18. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?
1-888-ELF-POOP.

9. Soda?:
Pepsi.

10. Flavor pudding?:
No idea.

11. What type of shirt are you wearing?
NAZ Drama

12. If you could use only one form of transportation for the rest of your life what would it be?:
The Maxima.

13. What are you listening to right now?
“La Vie Boheme”

14. Most recent movie you watched?
Heavyweights

15. Name 3 things you have with you at all times:
Cell phone, my wallet, my glasses.

16. Would you rather give or receive a foot massage?
Neither.

17. What is a saying that you use a lot?
“Nada.”

18. What's one piece of advice that you think should be passed?
Don’t be afraid of love.

Death Of A Salesman Paper

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 02:33:43 GMT

In the greatest American tragedy, Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, the protagonist, Willy Loman, goes through life trying to achieve what he believes is success. He defines success as being well-known and popular, but as Willy gets older, he is lost in the business of selling, no longer being able to gain as much money, and as a result, Willy has to borrow money from his friend Charley, to make him appear more successful to his family. Willy also has to live in the shadow of his extremely successful older brother, Ben, who went into Africa at eighteen, and came out at twenty-one rich because he happened to stumble upon a diamond mine. This effects Willy’s perspective of life and success, skewing the world that most other people saw as such a simple place that in order to be successful, one has to find a good job and be well-educated, Willy sees it in all how well-known and how well-liked you are. He believed that when he first started out as a salesman, he was more successful than most because he was well-liked, but then he turns to say that people made fun of his weight. He takes these notions all out on his sons, trying to convince them to be the way he thinks he is. This skews the way Biff and Happy grow up and thus determines what they do with their lives as far as jobs go. Biff, who Willy had high hopes for, changed jobs constantly, because he didn’t want to be a man that worked behind the desk, and then Happy is behind a desk holding down a job and just sitting and waiting for the manager to die, as well as sleeping with his co-worker’s significant others. This essay will prove about how Willy’s version of the American Dream ruined, not only his relationship with his kids, but his relationship with his wife, all at the hands of his dishonesty and longing to be a success.

The first relationship that you can tell is dysfunctional, is the relationship between Willy and his youngest son, Happy. Willy is so distracted with Happy's older brother, Biff, that he doesn't realize that Happy is desperate for his attention. Happy is constantly seeking his father’s approval, even as a child: "Happy [as he and Biff run off]: I lost weight, Pop, you notice? (Miller, p.35)". Happy just longs to make his father see that he is trying his hardest to make him proud. But, even though Biff is no longer making Willy proud by not having a stable job, Happy is still going unnoticed, by Willy. Even when Biff and Happy are planning to go into business together, Biff still gets all the glory, because he’s the one that went to talk to Bill Oliver. And even though Biff asks Happy to help him tell the story, Willy continually shuts him down: "Happy [cutting in]: He told him my Florida idea.

Willy: Don’t interrupt. [to Biff.] How’d he react to the Florida idea?" (p. 84). A possible conclusion you can make from this is that Willy is constantly thinking that his own older brother (Ben) was so successful that he automatically thinks that the eldest will be more successful than the younger, which is a common notion when seeing how successful Ben was in comparison to Willy himself. This triggers a somewhat lack of respect for Willy, as Happy later states in the drama: "Happy: No, that’s not my father. That’s just a guy. Come on, we’ll catch Biff, and, honey, we’re going to paint this town! Stanley, where’s the check? Hey, Stanley!" (p.91)

Of course also in the scene is another extremely important character, Biff. Biff always sticks by his parents when they need him, including when Happy begins to fib to Willy about what really happened in Bill Oliver’s office, telling Willy everything he wants to hear. Biff decides, after Willy runs to the bathroom, to confront Happy about what’s been really going on with their dad, incase he doesn’t already know: "Biff: Why don’t you do something for him?"

Happy: Me!

Biff: Don’t you give a damn for him, Hap?

Happy: What’re you talking about? I’m the one who–

Biff: I sense it, you don’t give a goddam about him. [He takes the rolled-up hose from his pocket

and puts it on the table in front of Happy] Look what I found in the cellar, for Christ’s sake!

How can you bear to let it go on?

Happy: Me? Who goes away? Who runs off and–

Biff: Yeah, but he doesn’t mean anything to you. You could help him–I can’t. Don’t you

understand what I’m talking about? He’s going to kill himself, don’t you know that?

Happy: Don’t I know it? Me!

Biff: Hap, help him! Jesus... help him... Help me, help me, I can’t bear to look at his face! (p.90)"

It is obvious through this dialogue that Biff cares deeply for his father. He realizes that his father is not perfect, and at the same time as hating him for it, he appreciates him for it. He knows that his father wanted the best for him and knows he’s not the best man in the world, but is aware of how hard he works and how he’s unappreciated. You can tell he thinks highly of his father when he speaks to Letta and Miss Forsythe. "Biff [at left, turning to her resentfully] Miss Forsythe, you’ve just seen a prince walk by. A fine, troubled prince. A hard-working, unappreciated prince. A pal, you understand? A good companion. Always for his boys." (p.90) He was also that way as a teenager:

Biff [taking Willy’s hand]: This Saturday, Pop, this Saturday–just for you I’m going to break

through for a touchdown.

Happy: You’re supposed to pass.

Biff: I’m takin’ one play for Pop, and when I take off my helmet, that means I’m breakin’ out.

Then you watch me crash through the line.

(p.10) He obviously loves, not just his dad, but his mother too. You can tell when he sticks up for her when his father yells at her:

Linda: Willy–

Willy [turning on her]: Don’t take his side all the time, goddammit!

Biff [furiously]: Stop yelling at her!

(p.48)

Linda, as well as Biff and Happy are effected by Willy’s erratic behavior. She is constantly being shot down, and she was also cheated on by Willy. Willy’s dishonesty with her effects her even years later when she can’t even mend her stockings in front of him. She loves her husband, more than her kids, or so it seems, which makes Linda’s relationship with Willy the most interesting to examine.

Title Of DOAS Paper and stuff.

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 01:34:46 GMT

“Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.”
-H. Jackson Brown Jr.

La Vie Boheme!

Fri, 25 Nov 2005 02:43:18 GMT

I saw RENT on Wednesday, and it was amazing.

Angel was the best character.

I wish I could be Angel and Collins's AIDS infested child.

Haha.

I also got my Powderpuff Shirt (Smudge #187). But I didn't play football, it was tooooooo cold, I stayed inside.

Today is Thanksgiving.

I went to brunch with my daddy and mum, nana and grampie, auntie Phylis and uncle Bill, the Englemanns (Bill's parents), and Lauren. It was all right, the food wasn't that great, but I didn't eat much anyway, because I feel horrible.

Bobby gave me a CD because he's amazing.

And a forty-ounce slurpee which isn't even gone yet.

Today's our six month anniversary.

And I love him.

My Name Is Hans Shnoble.

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 01:23:02 GMT

I'll just do a quate (quick update)about my weekend.

Friday- Dentist appointment, guitar lesson, Manda's party, fight with Bob, making up with Bob in the coat room (I cried kinda), spent 11/11 11:11 with Bobby in the car, listened to KONSTANTINE with Bobby in the car, I LOVE BOBBY yay.

Saturday- Went to Desiree's and went to mall and hung out at Desiree's, stayed there.

Sunday - Had self-esteem demolished.

Wendy, This Isn't Your Egg Anymore.

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 03:19:13 GMT