Death of a Salesman In Your Pants (gross)

"First time in thirty-five years we were just about free and clear. He only needed a little salary. He was even finished with the dentist" (Death of a Salesman, 1629).

I didn't know you could use the word "requiem" in this kind of context. It makes me think of that "Pie Jesu" song that everybody sings everywhere all the time if you're Catholic. I think of a "requiem" as a song for the dead, so it's a cool way to title the little epilogue.

The principle irony I found in the Requiem was that Laura paid off the house right around the same time that Willy died. Had he not committed suicide, their monthly payments would have decreased, and he would not have needed to provide as much money as before. Seriously -- way to choose an optimal time to die, Willy.

And then we have Biff and Happy still arguing over their father's grave. Biff says, "[Willy] had all the wrong dreams," while Happy argues, "He had a good dream. It's the only dream you can have -- to come out number-one man. He fought it out here and this is where I'm gonna win it for him" (1629-30). Biff's attitude is pretty harsh -- especially when they're talking in front of Willy's tombstone. However, Biff seems to have a better understanding of Willy's unrealistic ideals than Happy does. This indicates to me that Biff is a more dynamic character than Happy -- Biff catches on to the idea that perhaps the Lomans are not meant to be salesman after all.

Google Autocomplete: Always Proving That People Are Weird

"'Why does she come here at all -- who wants her? Why doesn't she keep her silly old mug at home?'

'It's her fu-fur which is so funny,' giggled the girl. 'It's exactly like a fried whiting'" ("Miss Brill," 13-14).

This post is dedicated to my small group. Think of this as a position blog -- I'm here to prove you wrong. (That sounds like a good, Christian life motto for me!) My position: Miss Brill is a dynamic character.

"Every Sunday," Miss Brill spent her afternoon eavesdropping on the lives of other people, and she never failed to show up to "her part" as "an actress" (9). Additionally, "she usually bought a slice of honeycake at the bakers" afterward (17). As usual, Miss Brill showed up for the "play" on this Sunday; however, she "passed the baker's by" this time (18). Something about what the boy and girl said to Miss Brill caused a change in her character.

That final paragraph goes on to describe how she entered her little "cupboard" of a room, quickly put away her fur, and "thought she heard something crying." What could possibly have been crying in her bedroom? No, Jimmy -- not a cat, not Miss Brill's ghost, and not the ghost of Miss Brill who was actually a cat the whole time (though that would be an excellent plot twist). I think it was Miss Brill who was crying.

Maybe she was still suppressing part of the truth of her depressing lifestyle, but she could no longer suppress it entirely. She has a life with no real communication, and no real friends; during the story, she came to some sort of realization, so she is dynamic. Therefore:

Yes, yes, dynamic, yes, no, yes, that's not a question, yes, and that's also not a question.

An "Aha Moment"

"I did something I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap. Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open" ("Everyday Use," 76).

Mrs. Johnson's unprecedented words and actions with Dee illustrate a major change in character -- the narrator is a dynamic character. Both Mrs. Johnson's motivation and foreshadowing throughout the story make this a fitting shift in character.

I would describe both the narrator and Maggie as "simple." Mrs. Johnson is a rough, hardworking mother, and Maggie lacks "good looks," "money," and "quickness," much like her mother (13). While Mrs. Johnson and Maggie share this special connection, Dee has developed a different "style," which the narrator passively resented (12). "No" was a word Mrs. Johnson has rarely spoken to her eldest daughter (2). That's the before situation -- there is a conflict between Dee and her mother, and I knew it would be resolved, probably by her mother finally saying that word, "no."

Several plot elements probably drove the mother to refuse to let Dee have her mother's quilts. Dee detached herself from her "oppressive" family by changing her name to "Wangero" (25). Then, she took the family's churn top, a tool both beautiful and useful to Mrs. Johnson (54). Then, when the narrator suddenly refused to allow Dee to take the quilts, Dee accused her of not understanding her heritage (81).

I attribute the narrator's sudden shift to an epiphany, and I believe that this change in character is permanent -- it fits perfectly. The narrator made a promise to Maggie (64) -- or at least said she did -- because she is legitimately closer to Maggie. Additionally, Dee's actions were inconsistent; she abandoned her family name, yet accused Mrs. Johnson of not understanding her heritage. Go, Mrs. Johnson!

Also, Big Dee (in video game form -- 0:33):

Mm, cheese . . .

"'And do you suppose' -- I said this gently, without a hint of sarcasm -- 'if we're driving all that way, we should think about calling in on Tommy? Seeing his centre's just down the road from where this boat's meant to be?'" (Never Let Me Go, 216).

Kathy's discussion with Ruth in chapter eighteen revealed her to be a dynamic character. When she was a teenager, she was very sarcastic (as I quoted in an earlier post):

"'It didn't hurt, did it? When I hit you?' 

'Sure. Fractured skull. Concussion, the lot. Even Crow Face might notice it. That's if I ever get up there'" (Never Let Me Go, 14).

Additionally, the two of them were able to talk without any quarreling. The mature conversation effectively demonstrates that the characters are no longer children or teenagers but adults. Even Ruth, now, is comfortable reflecting on the past without trying to pretend it didn't happen.

I also want to point out another euphemism in the book: Kathy said that donors "complete" rather than die. I feeeeel like that was the exact same word used in Brave New World to describe death, but I might be wrong about that.

Speaking of being comfortable reflecting on the past, there's one thing I forgot to include in an earlier blog. One of the veterans talked about how "eating cheese late at night always disturbed your sleep" (189); it reminded Kathy of Hailsham, but it reminded me of how I always eat cheese late at night. The word "always" in that sentence was not a hyperbole.

Bokanovskified Zippicamiknicks

"'Oh, for Ford's sake,' said Lenina, breaking her stubborn silence, 'shut up!'" (Brave New World, 187).

Lenina and Fanny have had arguments in the book, but the whole silent treatment followed by "shut up" was new. This quote kind of made me want to take back what I said about Lenina earlier. Sorry, Lenina, you're not a total dope. You're only a little bit dopey because society forced it upon you.

I suppose we could call Lenina a dynamic character at this point. She, like few others in the civilized world, fell in love with one person. The connection between Lenina and John lacks what I would call a reasonable foundation, but it makes her stand out among her peers.

Also, I really liked when John thought to himself, "The murkiest den, the most opportune place, the strongest suggestion our worser genius can, shall never melt mine honour into lust" (192). It's hard to explain why I like that quote so much. Overall, it's just a very good sentence.

Even though this book can be stressful, I really like the words Huxley invented. So . . . that's the title of this post.