Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Story themes and how they relate to today's world.
Themes: 1. The meaning of success in life can be different for people. Willy believed a person needed to be popular to be successful. He felt a person needed to be attractive and have a lot of friends to make money and be able to buy materialistic things. *** Have you seen this type of person in your community? Is this a common belief in your community or are there other definitions of what success is? What is your definition of what success is? 2. People face problems in their life in various ways. The characters in the play dealt with their problems differently. Willy couldn't accept his failure as a salesman so was in denial much of the time or he hallucinated being in another place to escape the painful reality of the current moment. Or, he sometimes would talk to his dead brother to seek advice. The final way was with suicide. Biff tried to escape his problems by running away only to find that didn't work. Then he became more honest about himself dealt his problems realistically. *** Have you seen people run away from their problems, or be in denial that their problems exist? Have you known people who have committed suicide? Does your country have programs to reach out to those who might commit suicide? In what ways do you or people you know deal with their problems? 3. Infidelity is sometimes part of relationships. Willy has an affair with another woman while he is married. When Biff finds out he doesn’t tell anyone but has a change in attitude about his dad. He lost all respect for him. *** Have you ever known anyone who cheated in a relationship? Have you heard about it happening to people in your country? Why do you think people do this? (Why do you think Willy had that affair with the other woman?) Do you think people know it is happening but don't say anything? (Why didn't Biff tell his mom about his dad cheating on her?) How do you think people can have a healthy relationship without any cheating taking place? Is divorce high in your country or do the majority of people stay married? 4. Parent abandonment has lasting affects on children. Willy's father left the family when he was young and this made Willy feel insecure about being a father himself. *** Have you ever known a father, or mother, who abandoned their family? If you don't know anyone personally have you read, or heard, about this in your country? Why do you think a parent would abandon a family? What type of affect would this have on the remaining children? What are your country's laws about a parent leaving a family and the responsibility for paying money to the remaining parent? 5. Jealously and/or pride can make a person act in negative ways. Willy is both jealous and too proud to receive help from Charley when Charley offers him a job. *** Describe a situation when you have seen someone act negatively when he or she has been jealous about something or been too proud about a situation. Why do you think people act this way? How can someone stop being jealous or too proud? 6. Write about any other theme, not listed here, that you would like to respond to in the play and how it relates to your community.
What's success?
What is SUCCESS?
Is it when you are HAPPY about what you have?
Is it when you are HEALTHY?
Is it when you are PROUD of yourself?
No.
These are all lies.
That's how losers see it.
In my view SUCCESS is MONEY, POPULARITY, WEALTH. Aren't people like Brad Pitt, Madonna or David Beckham successful? They have money, popularity and wealth. Maybe you might say it's wrong of me to say that. But hey, you must understand the real meaning of SUCCESS before judging me negatively. SUCCESS IS NOT HAPPINESS. Success is materialistic, while happiness is spiritualistic. But we all live in a materialistic society, so happiness can't be our way out of problems which come from modern society. Happiness may just be a result of being successful.
Willy understood the real meaning of success, but he didn't came off. So he's a loser but still consistent, because he didn't misunderstand the aim of the American Dream (SUCCESS) and acknowledged his failure.
Lucio P.
Liceo Amaldi, Alzano L.Do
There are several people who
There are several people who still beleive that moneys buys sucess and happiness. This is a common belief in my community today and I don't think it will really ever fade away. There are other people who still aren't as successful but are still just as happy, or if not, happier because the love and support from their friends and family is enough for them. My definition of success is trying my hardest at everything I do and living my life up to its fullest potential.
Katherine B.
USA, CA, P4
Success can be defined in
Success can be defined in many different ways. For those who have everything success the majority of the time is love and happiness. In the other hand for those who don’t have much like Willy, success is defined as money. In my opinion even though I cant go shopping every weekend and buy whatever I want when ever I want I consider myself extremely rich within inside. I have a family that loves me, friends that understand me and the support that I need to succeed in life. This for me is real success.
Claudia T.
San Diego C.A
United States
Question 1: I believe that
Question 1:
I believe that people act like this everyday where ever you are. People act like that at school and show of there shoes and clothes they wear. Even famous people do that, they always have to have the new clothing brand that just came out. Or the new bags from LV or Coach, most people are like Willy and will always brag about what they have and what you don't have.
Cheyne hoke U.S. p.3
Meaning of Success
I view success not as Willy did, in which you had to be attractive have lots of friends and money. I think that success is when you feel that you have acomplished a goal that you have set out to overcome. You do not need friends or money to have success. A poor man with a family might be just as successful as the big, manager who is making all the money. I know some people think success is what material things you have obtained, but I see it as what you have accomplished in yopur life.
Question 1
QUESTION 1
Unfortunately in my country there are a lot of people who behave like Willy and think that to be successful means to be popular. These people use to show off their holdings, their possessions and try to live a luxurious life only in order to demonstrate how good they are because they firmly believe that this is the only way to reach success. Thus they want to meet more interesting or important persons they can and try to keep in touch with them because their aim is to get to an upper status although they don’t really care of the persons who already are in this status. So the relationship between this kind of people aren’t sincere: it can be sad that behind their behaviour there’s hypocrisy not at all happiness. Consequently their success is only “material” which in my opinion is a very sad thing…to be successful for me means at first to feel successful, or better, satisfied and sometimes it doesn’t rely on money or fame. Satisfaction derives from hard work and sacrifices, and when you reach this type of success you are fulfilled and it doesn’t matter if you are unpopular, because you fell happy however! Maybe popularity is a consequence of success but it’s wrong to say that to be successful means to be popular. Nevertheless nowadays the young generation too gives a superficial meaning at the word “success” and many teens are spoilt and looks like the adults who educated them to show off their richness wearing brand clothes or buying something very expensive…this is not an achievement, not an effort to obtain something but it’s a thing these young people already have. Actually this kind of belief bring to an unsuccessful life like Willy’s one which climax with a suicide.
Laura M.
Liceo Amaldi, Alzano Lombardo (BG), ITALY
Hello Laura i wanted to
Hello Laura i wanted to agree with you on what your saying about Willy. People in the U.S. are exactly like him and what you are saying about him is very true. People should not have to be popular to make it in life you should act like your self not to impress people but to just be your self is the best thing. Do many people act like that in Italy? A lot of people act like that in the U.S.
Cheyne Hoke p.3 U.S.
Replies to questions 1 and 2
QUESTION #1
At the present time many people in our society believe that to be popular means to be successful, and making money, being popular, and being considered successful by other people become the aims of their lives. But the concept of "success" isn't the same to everyone. As a matter of fact many people also think that success in life isn't connected to material things, and that to be successful means to be happy with what you've got. Anyway some of these people have that opinion but they put something else in practice, and they mainly follow a line of action or thought similar to Willy's one; they do give importance to family ties and good relations with people but they aim to make money and have more and more.
I personally think that success is the achievement of what you had established or wished, but only if you earn it in a fair way and with commitment. In fact I suppose that with commitment, goodwill, and sometimes sacrifices you can reach anything you want. So success ins't something that you can easily achieve, as someone could think, and, as a consequence, it's frequent to have an initial insuccess, but the right thing to do is going on trying to reach the purpose, and this is valid in job, family, love, school, sport and every field of life.
QUESTION #2
The first step to get the solution of a problem is to admit it, but there are some people who can't do that, or at least can't do it on their own. I have heard about someone in this situation and I think that people around them should help them to recognise the problem.
After doing this I suppose that it makes sense to try to solve the problem only if you really intend and want to do it, because without the fuel of the will it's hard to solve out the problem. Surely the escape is not a solution; many people act like this but later they discover that the problem is always there... So, sooner or later, the problem has to be faced.
Neither suicide is a solution, but this happens only in very serious situatons. Committing suicide is like giving up and "give the victory" to the problem, whhich remains there. People who want to commit suicide should be helped because they must know that there is a solution to almost any problem and a human life isn't worth what you can get from any attempt of solution, and moreover they leave the unsolved problem to other people.
Giulia S.
Liceo Amaldi, Alzano Lombardo (BG), ITALY
Hello Giulia I wanted to
Hello Giulia I wanted to tell you that I agree with you on the question you answered for number 2. people should always try and work things out and not just run away from there problems because it doesn't help anything in the long run. Suicide is never a good way to get out of things and it happens all the time in the U.S. and your right its giving the other person the victory of there problems. Is there a lot of suicides in Italy ?
Cheyne hoke p.3 U.S.
Hello Cheyne, I suppose
Hello Cheyne, I suppose there are some suicides in Italy but the media don't talk about them very often, so I can't tell you if there are a lot or only a few... Anyway I think that many people in every Country use the suicide as a solution to their problems, as much in Italy as in the rest of the western world.
Giulia S.
Liceo Amaldi, Alzano Lombardo (BG), Italy
I have known a few people in
I have known a few people in my life that have cheated on their partner. I feel that when people cheat they are just bored with their relationship and have no true feelings about the other person. There are many pwople today that have been involved in cheating in one way or another, from being cheated on to cheating on someone. In the end cheating only hurts yourself.
Ashley Persiani
San Diego Ca USA
Just A Thought
I was thinking about how good the movie version of Death of a Salesman was accurately portrayed compared to the play version of it. I loved they way the director used his creativeness in directing the overall movie as well as how he set the stage up. Using the surreal properties of an "open" stage in the movie really glorified that the story was being transfered from a play to a movie. The choice of casting for Willy was also a good choice. The actor portrayed him well and he was just as imaged him when I first read the play. Did anyone else enjoy the movie as well?
De'Angelo D.
San Diego, CA, USA
QUESTION 1 Every community
QUESTION 1
Every community has men or women who want to be successful in their life, who more who lead. To be successful means that you obtain the effect or the result you intended. It also means that you’re a person who earns a lot of money or is very well known and respected by the other.
To many people, the most important ingredient for success is awareness. In fact it cultivates mindfulness, which results in productivity. Successful people are constantly in alert to changes, emerging trends and opportunities. For example when my awareness is clouded, I tend to screw up and miss things that I hard reached before. There’s someone who thinks that success is only a male prerogative. It’s a wide spread opinion that women have to stay at home to take care of family and children, that is to be full timer mums. How many law firms, for example, don’t allow women the possibility to become partners in the company meeting? If employers should choose, how many of them would take on a woman instead of a man? Employers know that probably women will get pregnant and they necessarily have to stay at home in maternity leave. Take on a woman is a risk that they couldn’t let themselves. I believe that everyone, male or female, who is able to reach an aim fixed in advance must have his own possibilities and none can stop him/her, apart from prejudices and discriminations.
QUESTION 3
I’ve never known someone who has an affair. People decide to have it because something is no there in their relationship. Essentially a person betrays another one because she doesn’t fell truly involved from her feelings. Most of the time the betrayal is a necessity that you feel, sometimes to attract attention and to be taken more in consideration from your partner. This doesn’t mean that betrayal is justified, but only that it finds his roots in an incomprehension between people.
In front of an affair, each couple reacts in many different ways. More and more frequently who discovers to be betrayed doesn’t says it frankly. He waits to see if his partner has the courage to admit his wrong behaviour. Many times on the contrary the person who has been betrayed understands that she lost confidence in her partner. She doesn’t recover it anymore. As a consequence the words “It’s over” sound as inevitable. To gain someone’s confidence it takes you more time than to loose it forever. It’s particularly unwelcome to divorce with many legal battle and to divide every single thing that It has been built together.
Chiara R. Liceo Amaldi, Alzano L.do, Bg
To Chiara R. Licea
I agree with you because I've known someone who has had an affair and it was because there wasn't that love and comfort anymore. They felt like they could get that love and comfort from someone else. While having the affair they didn't think about the consequences but just what they were getting out of it.
Jeremy C.
San Diego, CA, U.S
Responding to Chiara's response to question 3...
Hi Chiara,
Thanks for posting. A lot of what you said was legitimate. A few things you mentioned in your response jumped out at me. You said, "To gain someone’s confidence it takes you more time than to loose it forever". I understand what you are trying to say and I like it. It's true, it takes barely any time to earn someones trust, but it takes a lifetime to earn it back once you have lost it. I think this is why many couples where one or both partners have cheated are unable to stay together. No matter how many times the person tries to apologize, it will not change what they did.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Forgive and forget."?
& Do you think its possible for someone to literally forgive and forget?
Replay to Katie
Replay to Katie B.
“Forgive and forget”. In Italian we say “Perdona e dimentica”. I believe that being able to do both things at the same time it’s a few people’s gift. Maybe forgiving someone is the most difficult thing that you could ask to a person that has been trust and betrayed. Equally forgetting a fact that has struck us could be really hard. It would be necessary a huge willpower to begin all over again and to get over every negative experience. You can’t be sure that what has happened in the past will never happen again in the future.
In my opinion I don’t know how many possibilities there are to go back to past as if nothing had happened.
To Chiara R.
Hey Chiara, I agree with what you said about a woman betraying her significant other because shes not as into the relationship as the other might be. It also works the other way around, for a man.
Does infidelity happen as often in Italy as it does in America?
Chris R.
Period 5
San Diego CA, U.S.A
Reply to Chris R. I don’t
Reply to Chris R.
I don’t know if infidelity in America is more diffused than in Italy, because I don’t have any precise information about the exact percentage of betrayals of these two countries. I think furthermore that the important is the concept at the base. Infidelity and betrayal shouldn’t exist, because they’re wrong in any case.
To Chiara Yea I think its
To Chiara
Yea I think its wrong too, in any relationship no matter what the circimstances.
Chris R.
san diego CALI
U.S.A
Period 5
Hi Valentina P! I agree with
Hi Valentina P!
I agree with you, you shouldn't commit suicide to solve your problems. This leaves more problems for your family, and causes them so much pain. So many people commit suicide for many reasons, it is seen in my country. Have you ever known someone who felt so horrible and helped them cheer up, so nothing bad would happen to them?
Kayla A.
San Diego, CA
USA
Reponse to Kayla
Hi Kayla! Yes, on one occasion I have known a person who was in a terrible situation, on the edge of the precipice, but I have helped him to react and to look at life in a different point of view. Like this he has changed this negative thought and now he always faces with hostility. As a matter of fact everybody at least once in a lifetime feels sad and upset but than any problem can be solved.
Valentina P.
Alzano L, Bergamo, Italy
Five
People do not like to be viewed as wrong. Whether they be stubborn, self conscious, or pig-headed, people do not like to be wrong in any situation. Though Willy is not making money at his salesman job, and is ultimately fired, he can not except this fact and does not want to take money from Charley. A mix of Willy's stubbornness and pride did not let him give into Charley's offers. Pride and other things of this nature can hold people back from reaching their potential, or even result in one's death.
Kayla Kee, San Diego, CA
Facing Problems
My sister is a person who can't face her problems. She's in denial that the guy she's with actually likes her. She believes that he can change his ways. She's in denial about all this so she's staying with him and won't leave him. She believes that she likes him.
theme 1
Today it is well-known that people who have money can live a wealthy life. In fact being rich means to be famous, to be discussed, to be dreamed and become a model: the majority of the teenagers believe that the most important thing in life is to have a lot of money, so they can buy everything and be “omnipotent”. Of course, the young generation isn’t helped ‘cause the media show rich people that are successful only because the sing or they play with a ball (….I don’t understand…..I always sing but I don’t receive anything!!!).
So success isn’t linked to “effort”: you can find it hard to believe but almost everywhere it is equated whit dignity. I do acknoweledge that with money you can live better and easily, but it doesn’t mean that if you aren’t very well-paid you are a “good-for-nothing”.
A lot of people live with their normal salary without problems! Sometimes it happens that people (who are not very rich) buy expensive things only to show that they are well-off (though they aren’t). Personally, I believe that success means to be able to reach an aim (a sort of finishing line) using your own abilities and undertaking to achieve it with all the pros and cons of this “fight” of life.
In addiction to this, there are also others important things in life as a job that you love, a family, a house, friends….. It’s true that it is difficult to have a good salary if you are a simple salesman but even if you can’t have material things you can live with your relationships and your dreams. Life is not always beautiful and easy, but we have faith on PEOPLE, not on THINGS.
Maura M
Liceo Scientifico Amaldi, Alzano Lombardo, Italy
To Maura M
I agree with you, I know many people who believes that money means you have success and without it, you will not be anything. Personally I believe even if you don't have a lot of money, there are other alternatives that may benefit you in the world.
Jeremy C.
San Diego, CA, U.S
Money???
Hey Maura,
I agree with your comment I believe that some people would think that money buys happiness. I don't believe that's true where I live my family don't need money to make our life better, We find our own way just being with each other. Sometimes the people that have a lot of money and that like to show it of are the people that are showing there ugliness. Some people who are famous show that they are great people by making donations and funds. What do you see in your neighborhood? How is the view from your house?
Michelle Mora Per.5
San Diego, CA. U.S.A
to Michelle
Hy Michelle!
I think that there are a lot of famous people that are not worth to have money for their activity. But sometimes even these people are generous and they give money to associations because they really want to help them. Do you agree with me?
In my family my parents don't have a very high salary but we can get by without problems and we're proud of our life! Sometimes it happens that my father gives money to an association (it is not about a large amount os money) so we do our best to help the others. And what is the view from your country?
Maura M
liceo scientifico Amaldi, Alzano, Italy
:)
Yes I do agree that even those people who don't really deserve to have money make a good use to themselves and make donations and all kinds of thing. In my family we don't have a very good income but it's enough to keep us moving forward. But now that the economy is getting worse we have to be aware of what to buy, for our needs not our wants. I would love to travel someday around the world, the only time I've traveled was to Mexico to see my mom's side of the family for the first time:) It was a great experience for me. Have you ever traveled outside of your country, or would you like to and where?
Michelle Mora per.5
San Diego, CA. U.S.A
:)
Yes I do agree that even those people who don't really deserve to have money make a good use to themselves and make donations and all kinds of thing. In my family we don't have a very good income but it's enough to keep us moving forward. But now that the economy is getting worse we have to be aware of what to buy, for our needs not our wants. I would love to travel someday around the world, the only time I've traveled was to Mexico to see my mom's side of the family for the first time:) It was a great experience for me. Have you ever traveled outside of your country, or would you like to and where?
;);)
Last year I went in Spain with my parents and my sister's family, when I was a child I went also in Tunisia, Egypt and Greece. With school, we went to France and Germany! I love travelling, even if I don't like flying...I would like to go to Ireland, Madagascar, Holland..... I love the sea, because it makes me feel happy and calm! and you? do you prefer the sea or the mountain?
Willy believed a person
Willy believed a person needed to be popular to be successful. He felt a person needed to be attractive and have a lot of friends to make money and be able to buy materialistic things.
*** Have you seen this type of person in your community? Is this a common belief in your community or are there other definitions of what success is? What is your definition of what success is?
Hey Maura I read your statement for theme 1 and i totally agree with you. Kids now think money is everything, in my head some kids think that money just grow on trees but it really isnt. I use to be one of those kids who spend money like crazy but now since im older i reaize that you have to work hard for your money.
In theme 1 it ask me a question that "Have you seen this type of person in your community?" my answer is yes i see this everywhere i go i even see this in my family. i seen many different type of difinitions of success but the most common one is having alot of money. My difinition of being success is having a good education and having a good education will bring you where you want to be.
Andy Le San Diego CA
to andy Le
you're right there are a lot of persons like Willy, but if you pay attention, you will see that there are also many people that like simple forms of success...for example, it's a reason of pride to have a child....it is easy to say if you haven't a baby, but when you have one you will find it a "real success"!
Hi Maura M! I like your
Hi Maura M!
I like your post. It was very interesting and I like how honest you were about your singing. If you keep trying you may just make it someday. I agree that money makes life easier for you. This may be true but a person with the most money in the worl may nhot be happy. I disagree that success is like a finish line. I believe this because once one reaches success they must work hard to stay their. Success is an ongoing struggle that everyone wants to reach and stay at when they are there. How do people define success in your society?
Mariah Y. San Diego, California U.S.A
to Mariah Y.
In my society (and I think also all over the world) the success is almost always a matter of money. But near money we can see also some others values, as the family: I think that it is one of the most satisfying aims that a person can reach, 'cause nowadays it's quite difficult to make a family without having some problems....well, the most difficult problem that a family could have is that of the money...but I don't mean "money to be rich" but "money to live decently and pacefully". But if you have only money and you haven't got a family or someone you can share your life with, you won't be happy. MONEY DOESN'T MAKE HAPPINESS
Maura M
Hi Maura M!!! Wow thank
Hi Maura M!!!
Wow thank you for writing me back!!! well I do agree with you about what you said. What good does it make to have money if you don't have anyone to share it with? There isn't any good in that. Do you think that it is true that money can buy happiness? (like in material things?)
Mariah Y. San Diego, California, U.S.A
Hi Mariah! I do believe that
Hi Mariah!
I do believe that money can buy happiness only for a moment....but that isn't the real happiness of life! Happiness is caused by simple things: for example I'm very happy when I see the sun at 7.30 a.m. while I'm going to school because it makes me feel better! Do you think it's a good thing? I hope so.
Maura M.
liceo scientifico Amaldi, Alzano Lombardo, Italy
A Street Car Named Desire
Hi, Maura
interesting post, now I do agree with you on most of what yo said such as many of us teens think that money is everything since the money makes it seem as such a big thing. But about your singing it isn't that easy as you have learned, but you should never give up. Take me for example I'm a rapper/producer and i work with many kinds of music and it's hard to get your name out there. But after a while your name just makes it threw and then you start getting noticed. But i don't see success as a finish line because you will always be trying even harder after a while and you never seem to finish.
And yes there are many pros and cons about life but no matter where you are in life there is always a bright side to life.
Andres Macias
San Diego, Ca
USA
To Andres
Hi Andres!
thank you for your reply, I think it is very interesting. You say that you're a rapper/producer, so, is it so difficult in the USA to get noticed in music? I think you have to work hard, but it is normal if you want to be always updated and clever!
You're right, it isn't good to consider success as a finishing line...we have always to overcome ourselves!
Hope to hear from you soon
Maura M
Liceo Scientifico E.Amaldi, Alzano L., Italy
Hello there Maura, your
Hello there Maura, your comment touched home with me in a way with you singing and not receiving anything for it. Have you ever tried singing at a farmers market or other local gathering? in the market where i work there are singers,people who play instruments, or someone trying to sell some kind of artwork for every few yards of sidewalk. And of course there are some who do a pretty good job at what they do and there are others who just should not have picked up an instrument or pencil in the first place. My point is basically that the people who practice what they do seem to get more money than someone with a pretty face and a guitar.
Chris Stallard , San diego, CA
Patrick Henry Highschool
Hey Maura, I agree with your
Hey Maura,
I agree with your comment I believe that some people would think that money buys happiness. I don't believe that's true where I live my family don't need money to make our life better, We find our own way just being with each other. Sometimes the people that have a lot of money and that like to show it of are the people that are showing there ugliness. Some people who are famous show that they are great people by making donations and funds. What do you see in your neighborhood? How is the view from your house?
Hey Maura I agree with what
Hey Maura
I agree with what you said about money being portrayed as success(in life) is overemphasized, and that teenagers in our day and age are affected by the media showing how successful and rich people are, such as singers and baseball players. I know in our culture that kids aspiring to become rich and famous try hard to become that person, and put too much emphasis on trying to be someone their not just because their role model's lives seem to be perfect because they have money and success. Life's not just about money. Does this type of thing happen in your culture?
Ryan Seaver
San Diego CA USA
to Ryan
Dear Ryan,
you're right: "Life's not just about money" ! Also in my society there is this type of thing: famous people are becoming like idols to revere....young people think these idols are perfect so they try to do like them. But sometimes it happens that famous peolpe do some despicable things (after all they're humans, not Gods), so they give us wrong models and we can reproach them!
Bye
Maura M
Liceo scientifico E. Amaldi, Alzano L., Italy
Hi Maura M, I agree with
Hi Maura M, I agree with what you said about how you don't really need to have material things and a big salary to be happy. It is unfortunate how the media portrays a picture that you can only be happy and wealthy if you are famous. In San Diego I think there are people who do work really hard to get to where they are now and that hard work shows. Like you said all you really need is a good goal and hard work to get to where you want to me. Do people have to work really hard in your city to be successful?
Savannah O San Diego, CA, USA
to savannah
well, I think that all over the world people have to work a lot to reach their aims....it's difficult to do that because nowadays it's hard to find the job you desire. We are in a period of crisis, and often the young people that want to find work can't realize their dreams. They have to adapt to something they didn't studied for....but in any case they can be successful: they can have a family, they can have some children, they can have friends,..... Yea, you have to work, but you have also to enjoy your life;)
Reply to Maura M
Hey Maura!
I agree with everything you are saying about how our generation is money driven and feel that is the only way to be successful. Especially when you said "you aren’t very well-paid you are a “good-for-nothing"." My mom is not rich and lives off of a regular paying job and she is very happy with how her life turned out. Everyones definition of success is different, I think those who work for there money have more pride in what they own then those who just get it handed to them.
I think your definition of personal success is very close to my own definition. It's always good to hear someone who is not just all about making money and trying to be famous. I feel like those people don't have a true grasp on life.
Do you know a lot of people who think the only way to be successful in life is to be rich and well-known?
Kassity Wotring Per. 4
San Diego CA, USA
to Kassity
Hi Kassity!
I know some people who think the only way to be successful is to be rich and well-known...to make an easy example, if you watch the tv you may say a lot of rich people that think they're successful 'cause of their richness: yes, money is an important thing (everyone would like to be wealthy) but we mustn't money with happiness, success, etc...!
Response to Maura M.
Hi Maura. I completely agree with your comments about success. I think that we share a lot of the same opinions. I especially agree with what you said about how success means to be able to reach the finishing line.
I think that everyone has a different definition of success and it varies from person to person. Everyone has a finish line in a different place, for some people it is farther and for some people it is close by.
Here in the U.S., there are some people who never have to work because they inherit their fortune through their family. These are the few exceptions where they did not have to experience hard work to be rewarded. However, this does mean that one of their ancestors would had to have worked very hard to acquire that much money. Are there a lot of people like this in Italy who are heirs of a fortune?
Amanda P.
San Diego, CA, USA
To Amanda
You're right, it may happens that people inherit a fortune. The majority of the families isn't very very very rich, so you can't inherit a lot of money....But I don't like to speak about that because people must die to inherit the fortune....:(
Here in Italy there is a game, like the lottery, in wich you have to predict some numbers....you can win a large amount of money and you can define it success...but I think that is only fortune!
theme 1
Lots of people, as Willy in "Death of Salesman", might have misunderstood the real meaning of having success in their life.
They become prisoners of their dream, every step they take in their life is done in order to join popularity and wealth.
Nowadays our society provides that our happiness comes from money.
The ones who are only focus on achieving the “American Dream” may lose their aim; the fear of not getting to what they want, make people fall in depression. They don’t trust them anymore and everything seems to be wrong, to be a failure.
What people have to understand is that each person can build his happiness being proud of what he did and he will do. the Success doesn’t exist, everyone should think of what he really want to achieve and how he can do that without being bias by the public opinion.
Virginia M.
Liceo Amaldi, Alzano L.do
QUESTION 1- Death of a Salesman
I think that success is when a person hit a target that he had proposed to get to himself. That's not necessary in work: this target can be hit in family, in the relationship with friend, with boyfriend or girlfriend, etc. And, for me, it's not necessary to be popular or to have a lot of money to be successful: for example a father or a mother of a poor family who are heroes for their children are, in my opinion, successful people because they hit one of the most important targets: be two parents who are respected, doesn't matter the money. Unfortunately many people don't understand this and they think that for being successful a person must have a big house, a chep car and fashonable clothes. But this things dont't make a person happy, because meterial things doesn't satisfie a person (maybe in the moment in which you buy it, but not for a long time), so they always have to buy because they feel that they miss something, and the more they have the more they want. But these people doesn't understand that what they miss is having real friendship and relationship becuase they don't give importance to these thing.
Martina B
Alzano Lombardo (BG) Italy