Language

"Language is the best tool we have, but it keeps getting in the way. So in science, we revert to mathematics. And in theology, we revert to poetry. Mathematics and imagination are two ways of talking about things beyond normal language."
Based on your experiences with poetry in previous years, and in the beginning of our new unit, comment on this excerpt. Here are some questions to get you thinking: Can mathematics and poetry be linked in this way? Why does language get in the way? If it gets in the way, why is the language of poetry more apt to tap into truth than other forms of language (prose, etc.)? Is it possible to "part the veil", to "see beyond" our experience through the medium of words - the words of poems in particular? Is McLaren suggesting the languages of poetry and mathematics are holy in some way?

= Well, personally, I have always thought of how language is the start of everything. It's amazing how just words itself can change someone's emotions or even drastic as change someone's life. It can make someone cry yet it can make someone smile. It can make someone want to go do something as to change the world, yet it can make someone go suicidal.
Language does constantly get in the way of our everyday lives. We all have times where we have to say something to express a thought, but you just don’t know how to say it right to deliver the exact feeling you want to put to words. Simply as when we need directions, many people tend to take out a pencil and draw to explain than to rather inform the other person with just words. In math equations, we need to draw some figures to find out what a polygon is or what’s not. Sometimes, you have to see it in a different perspective in order to know what that exactly feels. This is where poetry comes in. Poetry is like feelings poured down on a piece of paper but by comparing it with different things rather than directly saying it. (That’s what I think at least) Sometimes you have to tell your friend, “You know that feeling when you do _____? It feels like that!” Like, you don’t know how to describe it so you have to compare it to something else for them to understand. For example, people often ask what love is. Nobody can explain the exact meaning of love. So we all tend to describe love with something else that we have experienced through.
As my personal opinion, I don’t think McLaren is suggesting that languages of poetry and mathematics are holy. I mean, they help but to the point where it’s holy I’m not sure. Yet sometimes, the fact that mathematics and poetry can inspire people’s lives and the fact that they get to express through these two sources is what I find it remarkable about those two.

Death of a Salesman

3. What is the difference between having a nice personality and being a good person? (What is a "personality" anyway?) Relatedly, what is the difference between having a nice lifestyle and living well? Do you see anything in common between the notions of "personality" and "lifestyle"? If so, please describe it.


Having nice personality and being a good person can have very common traits but there are slight differences which can make them be two very different things. A person with 'nice' personality can easily be judged as to being a nice person. However, having a nice personality does not always correspond to being a good person. You might have a nice personality where you get along with many people and be the joker of your class, but that does not mean that you don't go out at night and steal other people's car or hack into somebody's computer. Similarly to the previous question, having a nice lifestyle can be similar but very different with living well. One might have a nice lifestyle of everyone doing things for you and all you do it sit around and do nothing but do what pleases you, but does that really mean that you are living well? That person will never learn how to respect or put others before himself. I'm not referring to everybody here, however, is having a nice lifestyle going to make you a person who lives a life well? Personality is a major factor that affects one's lifestyle. If your personality is likable and congenial with others, people are going to want to be with you and support you through life. However, if your shy or you don't get along with other people as much, people tend to never notice you or don't even bother getting along with you at all which leaves you thinking that you have the worst lifestyle that anyone can have. But that's the part where life's not fair. Because a person with ‘nice’ personality does not mean they are a 'good' person, it's not fair that people like them and support them anyway. People in our world are so corrupted with their superficial views and judgment at things that chances for other people decrease just because of personality difference. We all have to admit, we are more attracted to things that glow and shine than things that are dull and blunt.

Death of a Salesman

2. What is the significance of Willy's suicide attempts? Why and how is he trying to kill himself? What does he expect will result from his death? Will that happen?

Willy tries to attempt suicide when he realizes he is hopeless and a complete failure in life. Willy's mind was far too tangled, making it impossible for Willy to know his true identity and what Willy Loman really meant. He knew he cannot be the same person as David Singleman and he knew that the life that he wanted was never going to happen. Feeling no support from his own family and everyone around him, Willy thinks that the only escape rope was death. The significance of Willy's suicide attempts refers back with Dave Singleman's funeral. Even though Willy had the same occupation as a salesman like Dave Singleman, Willy had died with no respect but solitude. It shows how Willy's character was such a cumbersome character that just went too far with his dream, affecting many people around him in many ways. Not knowing that being oblivious with the idea of American Dream can only result nothing but death. But the whole purpose of Willy dying was because he still expected people to be at his funeral. In Willy's mind, he is probably thinking that all of his hard work and dejection from people will all pay off someday when he dies. He thinks people will miss him and that they will mourn in his funeral and will realize that he was the one who was right all along. Ironically, nobody comes to his funeral except his family. In addition, even his own wife says, "We're free." at the end of the play which means that Willy was nothing but a burden in the family. Willy is a character that never got what he wanted and never will.

Death of a Salesman

1. Who is "Dave Singleman"? What is the significance of his name? What is Willy's attitude toward him? What does he find admirable in him? What is the attraction which surrounds the figure of Singleman and his saleman profession? Is Willy's motivation for going into salesmanship related to a way of dying rather than a way of living?

Dave Singleman is considered to be the "legend" in the business world. He is so called to be a great salesman and he was known for never having to leave his hotel room while he did his job. I mean, he could make a living by just calling the buyers and selling products not like those men who have traveled around the world to sell their products. The significance about his name is actually pretty simple. Dave "SINGLE"man can be guessed to a man who needs to stand alone and face isolation with such occupation. Salesmen are known for having no friends or having deep relationships with people for many reasons. However, it's sort of ironic because in the book Dave Singleman had many people around him that respected him for his skills. Therefore, maybe Dave Singleman is like the "key" to becoming isolation since that's what happened to Willy. Willy had admired David Singleman so much it came to the point where his whole life depended on becoming like him. He wanted that success of American Dream that David Singleman had achieved so much that he wanted that for his son Biff. It was mainly because of the respect and success David Singleman seemed to have that Willy was so astonished about. However, this obsession had lead him no where but death. Willy was too blinded by the real idea of what success is and everything in life after Dave Singleman was just times wasted. Because one should not think that money and respect is everything. Or else they will end up having a sad death with nobody attending their funeral.