Comparative Study of Death of a Salesman and The...

‘The pursuit of individuality and distinctiveness ultimately leads to conformity and deep feelings of failure.’ Good Morning/Afternoon, and welcome to this literary seminar at Hunters Hill High. My name is Obi Williams and I have prepared a speech on the Human Condition, its relevance in Post WW2, and how it is presented through Post WW2 literature. This time was a period of immense social transformation, as during the war, unemployment had ended and the economy had greatly expanded which meant the end of the war brought with it; higher employment levels among women, a greater search for wealth, and a more every-man-for-himself type of society. This change led to a shifting of values for the majority of the population, a shift where†¦show more content†¦Willy’s ‘hopefulness’ is displayed when he is exclaiming to Linda that he ‘Sold over $500 gross in providence and $700 gross in Boston’ even though he is lying, and only really made not even half that, this reveals that Willy’s heart is set on achieving success worthy of the American Dream standards. His hopefulness however is cut short when Linda tells him how much they owe to others, to which Willy replies ‘A hundred and twenty dollars! My God! If business don’t pick up I don’t know what I’m gonna do!â €  This exposes that, while Willy’s mind is aiming for the epitome of the American Dream, his real life situation falls very short of that. Holden Caulfield and Willy Loman each struggle with their identity between two classes of society, indecisively aiming for one and unwillingly fitting into another, leading to a perception of themselves as failures. Conforming is neither a good nor bad element of life, merely a result of pursuing individuality and distinctiveness. ‘The Cather in the Rye’ presents this through Holden Caulfield, and the mental turmoil he experiences as a result of his non-intentional conformation. Throughout the novel, Holden attempts to distinguish himself from all the ‘phonies’ he so ever-presently witnesses around him. When Holden purchases the red hunting hat, a reoccurring motif of his individuality and hunt for himself, and states ‘I shoot people in this hat’ despite being an obvious