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Dreaming & Delusion. Seminar Presentation by: Chow Alex, Park Raphael, and Ngo Trevor. Overview. Willy Loman: a salesman, who constantly revisits the past to understand where his life went wrong. Blanche: a southern belle, who is constantly trying to escape the events of the past.
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Dreaming & Delusion Seminar Presentation by: Chow Alex, Park Raphael, and Ngo Trevor
Overview • Willy Loman: a salesman, who constantly revisits the past to understand where his life went wrong. • Blanche: a southern belle, who is constantly trying to escape the events of the past.
Dreams of Willy Loman • American Dream • -To be the most successful salesman on the planet. • “His name was Dave Singleman. And he was eighty-four years old, and he’d drummed merchandise in thirty-one states”(60) • Hope for His Future Kin • -He always encourages Biff to continue on with his activities, and always visions Biff to be successful than the neighbour, in this case Bernard. • “Loman, Loman, Loman! God Almighty, he’ll be great yet. A star like that, magnificent, can never really fade away!”(51)
Delusional Willy Loman • American Dream • -Willy Loman believes that success is acquired only if you are liked by society. • “Charley is not liked. He’s liked but not-well liked.” (18) • Constant Daydreaming • -In the middle of a conversation, he would drift off and dream of past events. It is conclusive that Willy’s daydreaming has driven him to a point of insanity. • Charles: “…Did you call me Ben?”(30)
Dreams of Blanche • Life of luxury • -Dreams of all the luxurious and glamorous life of the rich. • Stanley: “Look at these feathers and furs…A solid gold dress” (35) • Dreams of Young Men • -Blanche seems to constantly eye men and act flirtatiously towards them. • “…I’ve got to be good-and keep my hands off children.”(84)
Delusions of Blanche • Life of Luxury • -With Blanche always acting in her noble fashion, she expects, similar to Willy, how people like Shep Huntleigh to care for her. • “Inviting me on a cruise of the Caribbean!”(124) • Dreams for Young Men • -Allen Gray, Blanche’s lover at 16, destroyed part of Blanche’s sanity when he killed himself. She is now constantly searching and acquiring by any means to fulfill her DESIRES. • “But I was unlucky. Deluded.” (95)
The Importance and Effects of Dreams and Delusions • To both Willy Loman and Blanche Dubois, the dreams are the very elements of their natures that keep them motivated. • This explains why Willy denies the job from Charley and why Blanche begins flirting with the young paper boy. • Key characters which suffer because of Willy’s and Blanche’s self-delusions include Linda and Stella, who are similar in nature…
Questions • 1) Is dreaming and delusion an important element to tragedy? • 2) Because from the start of the play, both Willy and Blanche were deluded. Did this Delusion come into existence over time or is this innately built into them?