Dave Singleman, like Willy, is a salesman in this play. However, unlike Willy, Dave Singleman is a very successful salesman who could make living just by calling buyers and selling products. At first, the name appeared to be ironic, because his last name is Singleman, and I thought it represents loneliness and isolation. Considering that Dave Singleman is such a great salesman, I realize that the last name “Singleman” actually was supposed to represent the fact that Dave Singleman was a remarkably influential salesman who could sell products with his own power (single man’s power).
As mentioned above, Dave Singleman is a successful salesman, unlike Willy. As a salesman, Willy knows well about Dave Singleman and admires him. The reason why Willy admires Dave Singleman is that Singleman is well-liked. Throughout the play, Willy frequently emphasizes the importance of being well-liked to his sons, Biff and Happy. Even though Willy is not a very well-liked salesman, he wants his sons to be well-liked, but the sons are not well-liked, either.
This is why Willy admires Dave Singleman, being well-liked. Willy went to Dave Singleman’s funeral and actually saw how well-liked he was. In Dave Singleman’s funeral, there were thousands of other salesman and buyers. Willy was strongly impressed by this funeral and highly admires Dave Singleman, for his being well-liked.
Apparently, as a salesman, being admired by other salesmen and being well-liked by buyers are great honors. While Willy is the case of achieving neither of the honors, Dave Singleman is the one who actually achieved both, so Willy finds Dave Singleman especially admirable, regarding salesman profession. However, just because Willy admires Dave Singleman and thinks that’s the way salesman could honorably die, it doesn’t mean Willy is only pursuing a way of dying. Of course, Willy hopes to be admired after his death, but his motivation for salesmanship also has to do with a way of living, rather than a way of dying, because he wants to be well-liked and wants to sell products well in his career.
2 comments:
I think that your interpretation of the name "Singleman" is surprising, because I did not even see that during my reading. Yet, I don't exactly agree with your idea that it means "single man's power." I still think that it represents the loneliness and separation that captivated Dave Singleman during his career. Despite Dave's success, I think he would feel very lonely. Superficial relationships come along with the great amount of money. Therefore, even if he was so successful, I don't think he would have had a life with profound relationships with others.
Another thing that I disagree about is Dave Singleman's death and Willy's reaction toward it. To me it seems as if Willy admired Dave Singleman, because of his grand funeral. Willy's tone describing Dave's funeral was full of admiration, but if you think about it, funeral has a negative connotation. It means death, the ultimate end, which usually doesn’t provoke any sense of admiration.
In addition to that, the way author portrays the opposite outcome of Dave and Willy is even ironic. Two men who did the similar things, but the results is the extremely different from each other. It almost seems as if the author is mocking Willy for believing in the impossible dream.
Other than those, I think you did a good job with interpretation. I enjoyed reading your passage, nice work.
Yes, though David Singleman, Willy can't get off the fact that in order to be successful, you need to be "well-liked". However, is that really the only possible way out of encountering failure in life? What do we have to do in order to be well-liked? The world hates fake and superficial people, yet we're all so masked in some kind of hypocritical skin.
I have pondered alot about this question while reading this play. Is it really better to be overrated by people that underrated?
Post a Comment