“Mother” by Grace Paley Essay

The Jewish Grace Paley was born in 1922 and grew up in the Bronx, New York. Quite dedicated in the civil rights movement she started writing short stories in the fifties. Additionally, Paley was involved in the women’s- and the peace movement. She wrote a number of short stories but got never done a whole book. Her stories contain mostly daily people from different ethnic groups, especially of the Jewish population. Grace Paley often tells her stories in an ironical sound and perspective of a female narrator. â€Å"Mother† is a short but profound story. It is told through the flashbacks of a daughter. Pointing out several details, the image where the mother stands in various doorways is the most remarkable one. At the end of a story, there is a sentence â€Å"I wish I could see her in the doorway of the living room.† As a reader, I understand that the narrator utter these words from the bottom of her heart. It is likely to me that there is a mixture of feelings e xpressed in this saying: nostalgia and regret. The first reason of her wish is that she misses her mother. She misses her so much with all what she used to do when she was alive. All her memories seem to revive within her mind. We all know that family sentiments are very delicate, especially sentiments between mother and daughter. Therefore, even years after her death, whenever she misses her mother, everything seems like just happen yesterday. The second reason for her wish is because of her regret or repentance. When her mother was still alive, she made her sad and worried a lot about her. Now she wants to see her mother again to tell her that she has made a great progress. She has become mature and led a good life as her mother always hoped. Also, she feels regretful because her mother died when her mind was full of worry; neither the daughter nor the husband set her mind at rest. If her mother reappeared in the doorway again, she would tell her immediately that she could feel secure about her future and rest in peace. Above a ll else, it is her nostalgia and regret that she wishes to see her mother again in the door. As human beings, people often do not know what they get until it has gone. Consequently, they live with nostalgia and regret. The author uses a lot of stylistics devices to make the story more sentimental. There is a rhetorical question â€Å"what will become of you?† which shows the mother’s concern about her daughter’s future. We can see that the mother really cares  about her daughter. Another impressive stylistic device is when the father complains about his work. He uses a repetition of the word â€Å"talk†. It occurs four times in one paragraph. As a result, he says the words â€Å"talk talk talk talk† back-to-back but, nevertheless, still doesn’t talk to her which shows his indifference. The author uses a quite simple language, and keeps her sentences relatively clear and brief. She might do this to point out that the narrator is just a simple girl, a teenager. The lesson I draw from this story is that we should cherish what we are p ossessing, especially our parents. Their love and care is endless. Like it is said the story, most don’t take much of their mothers’ advice, but later they realize how important they were.

Gay Marriage: the Recognition of Equal Human Rights Essay

In America, people hold on to the Declaration of Independence as an implementation of their rights. Part of the Declaration of Independence clearly states, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† (Jefferson 80). Gays are human beings too, and they should equally be able to enjoy the human rights. If we believe that human rights are equal regardless of their sexual orientation; then why do gays have to struggle for equal positions in the church, law, and psychological equality? Gay people, their families, and their friends are fighting for these rights. They want equality for gays including legal marriage, and marriage benefits that the regular man-woman marriages enjoy. Gay marriage becomes an option because many gay couples want the equality of human rights. Gays realize their rights are being abolished by the fact that they are not allowed to legally marry and enjoy the privileges as married couples. Only twelve states in America and District of Columbia legally allow gay marriage. The twelve states are: Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington (Millstone). Massachusetts is the first state that legalized gay marriage on May 2004 (Tying the Knot). Although gays can legally marry in these states, the couples have limited rights. DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) restricts federal marriage benefits; therefore, it prevents gays from receiving the insurance benefits for government employees, Social Security benefits, immigration, and the filing of joint tax returns (Burns). The documentary, Tying the Knot shows that many gay couples stay together for a long period of time, whether they are married or not. They share their lives: mentally, physically, and economically. But when a spouse dies, the other spouse does not get his/her rights as a normal opposite-sex spouse would get, which includes pension benefits and/or the house (belongings). The movie shows a sad reality to this current unfairness toward gay couples. While gays’ rights are being suppressed, the questions start to come up, â€Å"Is being gay an option? †. This question becomes a part of controversy for gay marriage. According to Dan Eden, a writer for an online journal Viewzone since 1996 on his research, â€Å"Homosexuality is a congenital condition much like being ‘left-handed’. † He provides a scientific point of view that homosexuals are born that way; hormones also affect sexuality, beside chromosomes. Homosexual is not a lifestyle, homosexuals are born gays and they do not choose being gay as a lifestyle. The National Memo, a political newsletter since 2011, interviewed people and asked them, â€Å"Do you think people born gay or choose to be gay? † When they answered, the interviewers added another question, â€Å"When did you choose to be straight? † which made people think. The National Memo wants people to think about this, while Eden wants to make a clear statement that â€Å"being gay is not an option†. The Obama Administration has been trying to bring equal rights for gays, by stating that LGBT’s rights (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) also part of the human rights (Clinton). Hillary Rodham Clinton, the US secretary of state in 2009 stated, â€Å"All people deserve to be treated with dignity and have their human rights respected, no matter who they are or whom they love. † It is clear that people have an equal rights and freedom to love, to choose their partner, and to get married despite their sex’s orientation. On the other hand, according to Ben Newman, a public relations director who had been in position as a â€Å"healed gay†, being gay is an option and can be cured. His name has been changed to protect confidentiality. Newman explained this in his story regarding how his family background and childhood experiences made him being attracted towards men, although he was already married to a woman and had children from her. Later on, he followed a reparative therapy: a reverse treatment through psychotherapy to change his sexual orientation. He succeeded to come back to the society as a â€Å"straight† man after 2 years and 3 months in the reparative therapy (Newman). In this situation, although gay marriage is already legal in some states, gay couples still struggle with their positions in government and law, and also with their positions between church and state. In government and law: when will gay couples receive an equal law for their marriage? Does government have the power to define marriage? It seems that even when gay couples are allowed to marry, they are without any marriage rights, because of DOMA. In regard to their position between church and state, there is much religious objection towards gay marriage. In the United States, Christianity and Catholicism are the primary religions. These religions believe in God and believe that the marriage is rightly between a man and a woman. Although certain churches approve gay marriage (Tying the Knot), the fear is, how it might affect the government, and how it might cause people manipulate the marriage to get the government’s benefits (Boston). Furthermore, in State of the Union 2004, President George W. Bush stated: The union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith. Ages of experience have taught humanity that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society. Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society (Burns 7). President Bush described marriage as cultural and natural way to expand the society, because of the fact that marriage between man and woman would produce and foster children. These man-woman marriages are honored by faith and beliefs. He does not want the changes in marriage values affect the society in a bad way. In addition, for people that do not agree on gay marriage, they have skepticism about how gay marriages will affect children in the future. Although people assume that gay couples will not have children, but in reality they do, either from previous relationships, adoptions or simply have to raise children from other family’s member. However, children who are raised by gay couples need legal assurance from their â€Å"gay parents†. According to Anne Pollock, a graduate student in social studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, â€Å"The first priority of civil marriage should be to provide a secure environment for all children. The religious right’s claim that children benefit from their [antigay activists] assaults against gay families is nothing less than hypocritical. Burns)† If the gay parents do not have equal legal rights, like what stated in DOMA; so that, if something happens to one of the gay parent, their children also will suffer from the consequences. For example, if a working gay spouse gets into accident at work and dies, the problems would show up for the other surviving spouse when they are denied for the support, which she/he needs to live with the children. For this reason, the benefit is future’s assurance for children themselves; lastly, it seems self-righteous to take away these rights from the children. The other skepticism towards gay marriage is that it will harm children. An author of several books about marriage, Maggie Gallagher states, â€Å"First and foremost, children need stable families to become the kind of adults who will in turn provide stable families for their future children†¦ Legalizing same-sex marriage would sanction families that would deprive children of the experience of either motherhood or fatherhood. (Burns)† Gallagher wants people to think that a normal family has a father and a mother to raise their children; these children will look upon their parents to build their own family in the future. The family that does not have man-woman parents will create a different effect to their children. Therefore, Gallagher believes that man-woman marriage will produce children, and on the other hand, gay couples could not produce children. Specifically, gay marriage will harm children mentally and in long term, our population. Moreover, there are other questions toward gay marriage: will it promote social stability or harm society? For years, gay people have been struggling for their recognition, although they get married in a party with friends and families, but they did not get marry legally. However, they have not think about their future assurance such as: the insurance benefits for government employees, Social Security benefits, immigration, or the filing of joint tax returns. Their futures seem uncertain; something might happen and take away the rights that a normal opposite-sex marriage would legally have. In addition, The California Health Interview Survey held a research regarding physical distress from legal same-sex marriage and how they legally recognized themselves affect their mental heath, and it showed various numbers about how important the recognition from society for whom they are (Wight). If gay marriage becomes legal, there is some assurance for their future; and, if they are socially accepted for whom they are, the society will move forward and become a stable and better society. On the other hand, there are skepticisms that gay marriage will harm the society. According to Sam Schulman, a popular New York writer, gay marriage is selfish and degrades moral values from our society (Burns). People deserve to love and choose their partner, but if their choices are not base on acceptable morality, then they should not do it. Gallagher is strengthening Schulman’s opinion; Gallagher points out about how marriage is the needs of man and woman, in terms sexually, to produce children, financially, and socially (Burns). In conclusion, in term of human rights, gays are human too. They have rights to be treated equally. The searching of equality has been happening for years, from the rights of black people, women’s rights to mix-race marriage rights. People have the rights to choose their own partner, their love, and their assurance in the future. Why legalize gay marriage if the marriage itself has taken its rights (DOMA)? People mention morality and society in terms for our children future, by rejecting gay marriage and its rights. Gay marriage is not the only problem that people have nowadays, there are other occurrences that ignore the morality and society; there are crimes that ignore morality values (rape), shooting in schools or public places, robbery, and many other crimes that occur. We live in a world that demands morality in society; but, what kind of morality and society that we have now – do we value ourselves better than gay people?

Disaster Preparedness Policies At The United States

A disaster refers to an event or situation that is of greater magnitude than an emergency. A Disaster disrupts essential services such as housing, transportation, communications, sanitation, water, and health care; and that requires the response of people outside the community affected (Gebbie). In a world that anything can happen, you have to be prepared for everything. Over decades, the United States has created disaster preparedness policies to help plan strategies before and after a disaster. The biggest disaster relief agency is FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), there goal is to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and lessen all hazards (FEMA.org). FEMA was discovered in April 1st, 1978 by Jimmy Carter, since then it has taken hit on the most catastrophic natural disasters the United States has ever seen, such as events like Hurricane Katrina and Sandy. Since the policy has been created it has been questioned whether or not if it is a positive asset to the United States. Is it truly helping the people in need or is it actually hurting? Research has shown that as the natural disasters increase, the more corrupt the United States government becomes. Between the years of 1990 and 2002 the United States convicted more than 10,000 public officials in corruption-related crimes (Glasser). A study was done to show the effects of FEMA and it was found that from each additional $100 per capita in FEMA relief increases the average state’s corruptionShow MoreRelatedDisaster Planning And Preparedness For Disasters906 Words   |  4 PagesEvery year in the United States, disasters, whether catastrophes on a national scale such as the 2006 Hurricane Katrina or more localized disasters like the 2013 Northern Colorado floods devastate communities by taking the lives of hundreds of people, and injuring thousands more. In additional to the emotional and mental toll disasters have on communities and individuals, the total cost of disasters is continuously increasing to an extent that the public has a difficulty comprehending. NationwideRead MoreDisaster Preparedness At The Houston Methodist Hospital Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pages DISASTER PREPREDNESS IN HOSPITALS Name Institution Date Disaster Preparedness; Interview and Findings In day to day operations, uncertainties do occur. Henceforth it would be important to have a contingent and well detailed disaster preparedness plan and procedures. Healthcare systems, on a day to day basis, are faced with emergencies in form of disasters. 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Policy development regarding emergency managementRead MoreImproving The Effectiveness Of Public Health Workers Response1357 Words   |  6 PagesAlarming Emergency: Improving the Effectiveness of Public Health Workers Response Humanitarian emergencies affect millions of people annually and they can be in the form of either conflicts or disasters. Since 1990, natural disasters have affected more than 217 million people annually and about 300 million people live in the midst of violence and unsecure environment (Leaning Guha-Sapir, 2013). In mission cases for countries that are experiencing conflict, refugees and internally displaced individuals

America Needs Same-Sex Marriage and Families Essay

In the state of Massachusetts, same sex marriage has been legal since 2004 and thousands of people have had the right to marry their partners. Although it was a long and difficult process, gay and lesbian couples no longer have to face marriage discrimination in Massachusetts due to their sexual orientation. However, many couples are still barred from this process through other individual state amendments. While it has been difficult to research the exact side effects of same sex marriage, a predominant result has arisen: â€Å"there seems to be no appreciable difference between children brought up in stable homosexual homes and those brought up in stable heterosexual ones† (Sullivan 239). The research that has been conducted looks at a wide†¦show more content†¦Through court cases like Eisenstadt v. Baird(1972), the courts have upheld the right to have children and that it is the â€Å"‘right of the individual, married or single, to be free from unwarranted go vernmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear or beget a child’† (Murphy 296). As a legal system, the courts have the responsibility to uphold the law while also taking into consideration the welfare of the child. The justice system would not allow for same sex marriage if it believed that there was any correlation between sexual orientation and unfit parenting. Courts in different states have struck down gay marriage, yet they have upheld the idea that child bearing is an important aspect of marriage. Courts have recently begun to acknowledge gay families by permitting second-parent adoptions (Mohr 60). 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Amazon Forests The Amazon Rainforest - 1577 Words

One of the largest forests in the world, passing nine nations and over 1.4 billion acres, the Amazon rainforest stands as an amazing wonder in the world. The majority of the Amazon rainforest lies in Brazil, but also is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, and Guiana. Covering such a vast amount of land makes this region one of the most diverse ecological habitats in the word, but, while recognized as a priceless jewel of nature and a key factor in the global climate control, greed and selfishness are quickly destroying the Amazon Rainforest. Just as full and deep as its densest jungle the Amazon Rainforest’s history reveals secrets to the development of a unique ecosystem. This region†¦show more content†¦Even today, modern governments seek to make profit off of the Amazon. For instance, Brazil gives incentives to people to migrate to the forest in hopes of building new cities and to develop this last great frontier. The sad thing about this migration of people into the rainforest pertains to the affects they have on the region. Over the last fifty years, nearly 15% of the Amazon has been destroyed, with most of the destruction attributed to burning. With destructive forces pillaging the rain forest, many plants and animals face an uncertain future. The flora and fauna of the Amazon houses rare varieties of species that can only live in such an environment. The destruction of the rainforest is directly affecting the lives of the plants and animals of the region. Because this is the only area where they can survive, once their home is destroyed they will become extinct. Some specific flora found in the Amazon include the kapok tree, the water lily, and orchids. The kapok tree is the biggest tree of the Amazon rainforest, as it can grow to 200 feet tall with a trunk about 10 or 11 feet in diameter. This big tree is usually the home of many other species, from insects to frogs to birds, while also providin g support for tree climbers and bromeliads. Another common visitor of the Kapok trees comprises bats attracted by the trees flower smell. While one of the largest plants of the Amazon it does not

The Jobs Killer Is Coming Driverless Trucks †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: How Driverless Trucks Could Change Australia? Answer: Introduction In early 2016 a futuristic driver-less fleet of trucks drove from Sweden to the Netherlands across Europe, heralding a new dawn in which trucks will run autonomously, driven by computers and satellite routing technology and replacing human drivers. It is no doubt exciting that after just over a century of drivers requiring driving licenses and training to drive trucks; soon computers will be doing the driving; able to operate for 24 hours, not requiring any sleep or rest, and not suffering any form of fatigue. For the business community, it will mean faster transport of goods, reduced costs, and possibly, enhanced transport efficiency (mapping technologies deciding the shortest and least congested routes). While the technology is exciting, the prospects for Australia could be devastating; lost jobs for drivers, lost side businesses associated with driving (motels, pump stations), loss of rights for workers, and possible increases in dangers (fatalities) as technology is infallible. T he Australian economy largely depends on her $ 200 billion transport business, on which the economy is highly dependent. This dependency is confirmed by the fact that growth in the countrys GDP always closely mirrors the growth of the transport sector (Reynolds, 2016). This paper discusses this idea in the setting of various ethical theories and draws conclusions at the end. Utilitarianism theory The normative ethical theory of utilitarianism, posits that the perception between what is wrong and what is right depends entirely on the repercussion of choosing one policy/ action over other alternate ones (Shafer-Landau, 2013). Benthams utility principle recognizes the fundamental role that pleasure and pain plays in human life; an action is validated or invalidated based on the discomfort or delight it brings about. Evil is equates with pain while good is equated with pleasure; the principle asserts that pleasure and pain can be quantitatively ,measured (Parekh, 2006). As such, this theory goes beyond the scope of an individuals interest and takes cognizance of other peoples interests. Based on this theory, the author in the article is right; while autonomous self-driving vehicles are an exciting new technology with some benefits, including increased speed and efficiency in transport, it has far bigger ramifications for the Australian society and economy. Jobs will be lost, life time benefits and rights, and other businesses that rely on trucking (by humans) such as eateries, pump stations, and hotels will die down, affecting possibly millions and adversely affecting the entire Australian economy. In this context, the idea of driver-less cars in Australia is bad and a no-no. Deontology Theory Deontology is a concept in normative ethics that bases its judgment of actions based on rules; this theory is a duty/ rule based form of ethics since people are bound to their duty by rules. This theory argues that the single feature that confers moral worth to an action is not the outcome that the action achieves but the motive behind that action (Darwall, 2007). The right thing must always be done, even if the outcomes are bad, as it is a duty to do the right thing. Knowing what is right requires rules to be put in place (Tavani, 2016); for instance, in the driver-less car case, is it wrong to stop the utilization of self-driving cars on account that its outcome will render millions jobless to introduce new and exciting technologies that lower the costs of doing business? Based on the case and the Deontology theory; it is wrong not to enjoy the benefits of such an exciting technology such as high efficiencies, speed, and lower operating costs because such actions will render driver s, their families and other businesses that depend on the transport ecosystem jobless and with a bleak future for the purposes of enjoying higher efficiencies and reduced costs as well as having exciting new technology. Based on this, the driverless trucks should be introduced. Virtue Theory The virtue theory of ethics posits that the central element in ethical thinking is the individuals character, instead of the rules regarding the actions themselves or the repercussions of such actions (Beycioglu, 2013). The ethical theory of virtue holds that the right goal of human life is happiness and wellbeing and that these goals can be achieved over a lifetime by people practicing acts of virtue in their everyday activities, subject to exercising practical wisdom to resolve any dilemmas or problems that may arise (Poel Royakkers, 2011). Local and foreign automakers and/ or their local billionaire backers that do not see the sense of abrogating such an exciting technology and its promising benefits in order to keep drivers employed will front the autonomous/ self-driving cars. The virtue theory requires that self-sacrifice and activities that carry a personal cost be should be objected to, and instead, the interests of the family/ community be given greater consideration. With this in mind, the interests of the Australian drivers and other sub sectors that depend on them, starting from their families to roadside motels and pump stations should be given precedence over technology that has its outlined benefits. Contract Theory This is an econometrics theory that evaluates how legal agreements are developed and how decisions are made by different parties to create a contract having certain specific terms in the vent some uncertain conditions are realized. The theory investigates how entities make decisions for contracts when there is information imbalance. In the self-driving cars case, the contract theory is analyzed in the setting of adverse selection and moral hazard (Smith, 2007). When two parties have different information (information asymmetry), so that those with better information selectively vouch for a specific product, at the cost of the party with less information who is worried an unfair engagement. Moral hazard occurs when a party that is insured takes more risks because the costs of the risks are borne by another party (Green, Miozzo Dewick, 2005). In this context, the self-driving cars developers and billionaire investors (and businessmen) in Australia and from overseas take more risks by launching self-driving transport, knowing that the costs of lost jobs and attendant businesses will be borne by other parties covering the risk; that is the general public, truck drivers, and roadside business owners. In this aspect, it is still unethical and morally wrong for the self-driving cars proponents such as its makers, investors, and local agents to introduce the cars that pose risks in two ways; they are machines that cannot be perfect and can result in fatalities. Further, drivers will lose jobs and the economy will be affected; but investors in the self-driving cars, their agents, and the billionaires stakeholders will not be affected by these. Consequently, the proposition of self-driving cars based on the contract theory is a moral hazard for Australians as they (drivers and employees and owners of attendant businesses and the trucks) will bear the ultimate cost of the autonomous, self-driving vehicles, while proponents of the self-driving vehicles will only make more profit and enhance efficiency. Conclusion In conclusion, the idea of autonomous cars in Australia will have adverse consequences to the Australian drivers, attendant businesses, their families, and the general economy due to loss of jobs, as the utilitarianism theory alludes to. Rules should determine actions, and not the outcomes of those actions; the motive behind actions is what confers an action moral worth and not the outcome, based on the deontology theory so that the benefits of the self-driving cars must be given greater weight than the outcomes of that action, such as lost jobs. The virtue theory also states that the goal of human life is happiness; so the introduction of the autonomous cars is a terrible because many people will lose jobs, a situation that will significantly reduce their happiness. So the autonomous cars are a bad idea. Further, those with knowledge are likely to take increasingly higher risks because they do not bear the cost of their consequences, in which case it becomes a moral hazard. To state the authors opinion, self-driving cars issues will be tackled when a middle ground is obtained; however, the ethical dimensions show it is a bad idea. References Beycioglu, K. (2013). Ethical technology use, policy, and reactions in educational settings. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference IGI. Darwall, S. (2007). Deontology. Malden, Mass: Blackwel. Green, K., Miozzo, M., Dewick, P. (2005). Technology, knowledge and the firm: Implications for strategy and industrial change. Cheltenham: Elgar. Parekh, B. (2006). Jeremy Bentham: Critical assessments. London: Routledge. Poel, I. ., Royakkers, L. M. M. (2011). Ethics, Technology, and Engineering: An Introduction. Malden, Mass: Wiley-Blackwell. Reynolds, E. (2016). The jobs killer is coming. NewsComAu. Retrieved 12 September 2017, from https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/travel/the-jobs-killer-is-coming-how-driverless-trucks-could-change-australia/news story/4f5b8a42b0452703d62e00f3e7644d7b Shafer-Landau, R. (2013). Ethical theory: An anthology. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley- Blackwell. Smith, S. A. (2007). Contract theory. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Tavani, H. T. (2016). Ethics and technology: Controversies, questions, and strategies for ethical computing. Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley Sons, Inc.

The Flashback Scene Essay Example

The Flashback Scene Paper Is it Impossible for a Director of The Flashback Scene in The Restaurant, pages 73-93 of Death of a Salesman to Show Willy as a Tragic Hero? Discuss. In Your Answer You Must Discuss how the Scene Could be Played and Base Your Answer on Textual Analysis of Character, Plot and Stage Direction Commenting on The Context of The Play. The play Death of a Salesman was written in 1949 by Arthur Miller and is one of his most successful plays. At Millers time, America was deemed to be a land of opportunity and all Americans had the right to be successful. However his fathers prosperous living as a clothing manufacturer had been ruined by the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The play examines the cost of blind faith in the American Dream, closely related with the theme of manifest destiny. There was much belief in the American Dream, and this would be achieved through hard work, courage and determination by every American. Death of a Salesman is based around the main protagonist, Willy Loman an elderly man. He is an insecure, self deluding travelling salesman. Mr Loman is past sixty years of age and dressed quietly, nonetheless he is a man with massive dreams, a mercurial nature and turbulent longings within him. He never comes to terms with reality for the reason that he is lost in an illusion and false hopes, for example Willy cannot see who he and his sons, Biff and Happy, are and he just believes that they are great men who have what it takes to beat the business world and be successful. However, he is mistaken. In reality, Willy and sons are not, and cannot ever be successful. We will write a custom essay sample on The Flashback Scene specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Flashback Scene specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Flashback Scene specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Mr Loman is unable to see through his own delusions of the American Dream, which he perceives as the ability to become great by obtaining enormous material wealth without any apparent effort, to wander into the jungle and walk out a few years later unspeakably rich. As a result to this, he is trapped in distortion of the American Dream promoted by a capitalist, materialistic modern society. In the play, although Willy does seem to show love and care towards his wife, Linda and two sons, he often becomes confused and angry unnecessarily. He shows trouble distinguishing his past and present, or his ideal life and reality. Due to this, many parts of the play are transcribed to the audience by the insertion of flashbacks, which show us some of the most significant moments in Willys confused life that have happened in his past. These flashbacks, each of which do somehow relate to the present, show an inability for Willy to see his reality. The flashback Willy experiences in the Restaurant scene, which I will be studying, is extremely significant in view of the fact that at this point, the illusions Biff has about Willy and his lies, come to an end. The use of this flashback depicts Willys affair with the Woman and Biff then comes to know about it. By using this scene, this essay will discuss whether Willy is that of a tragic hero or not. In Shakespearean tragedy, tragic heroes will be men of rank, and the calamities that befall them will be unusual and exceptionally disastrous in themselves (taken from http://global. cscc. edu/engl/264/TragedyLex. htm). In other words, Shakespearean tragic heroes should be of noble birth, have a fatal flaw, learn from their mistakes and lastly due to their flaw, this will lead to their downfall. However, the initial idea of the tragic hero had originated in Greek tragedy and it was outlined by Aristotle, who once said a tragic hero must be one of noble character and must fall from power and happiness (taken from http:// www. ccd. rightchoice. org/lit115/poetics. html). In Arthur Millers Tragedy and the Common Man, Miller argues that the common man could also be regarded to that as a very highly placed king and noble man. If this is the case and that the common man could be a tragic hero, I should be able to answer a simple question: Can Willy Loman be considered to be a tragic hero or not? To begin the first part of this essay, it is impossible to represent Willy as a tragic hero in the traditional sense. As I mentioned above, there are patterns into which Shakespearean or Aristotelian tragic heroes should fit into, and clearly Willy does not fit into these principles in one important way- he is not of noble birth or aristocracy. Willy is just a common man. According to the Collins English Dictionary, the word noble has three meanings: 1showing or having high moral qualities, 2impressive and magnificent, and 3member of the nobility (which again, according to the Collins English Dictionary, means either 1quality of being noble or 2a class of people holding titles and high social rank). Oedipus Rex, a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles, and The Oresteia, a trilogy of tragedies written by Aeschylus, both contain protagonists whom are of aristocracy and nobility. This too follows in Shakespearean tragedies. In Romeo and Juliet both protagonists originate from high, aristocratic upper class families, as do the protagonists in Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard II and King Lear. As an audience, from the flashback Willy undergoes in the Restaurant, we learn that he is having an affair with The Woman in the Boston hotel room and therefore he is cheating on his wife, Linda. Come on inside, drummer boy. Its silly to be dressing in the middle of the night. (Act Two. Page 88. The Woman) Then once knocking is heard, Willy orders The Woman to stay in the bathroom as he thinks theres a law in Massachusetts about it (it being adultery) and he finds Biff standing at the door. Biff has come to tell his dad that he flunked math and does not have enough credits to graduate. Just as Willy promises his son that he will speak to Birnbaum, and Biff is about to leave the Hotel room, he discovers The Woman and knows instantly that Willy has been having an affair. Biff becomes increasingly more saddened knowing that Willy has given The Woman Mamas stockings! Wheres my stockings? You promised me stockings, Willy! (Act Two. Page 90. The Woman) It is at this point that Willys mercurial nature becomes evident. He threatens to abuse his son if he does not follow his orders to apologise, before Biff refers to his father as a fake, a phoney little fake! However it is not only just at this moment in the scene where Willy does not coincide to being that of a tragic hero by abusing his son. In reality, when Willy and his sons are in the Restaurant talking about Biffs meeting with Bill Oliver, Willy presumes that Biff spites him, so he then strikes him and carries on downgrading his son by calling him a rotten little louse!