1973. An
effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the
view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant
closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not,
however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the
reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay,
discuss the ending of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain
precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the
work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
In the end of the play the Death Of a Salesman the main character, Willy, dies supposedly having killed himself. This I think inappropriately concludes the play. After a long fight with his youngest son Biff they made up and then suddenly he is dead. The end of the play is a scene at his funeral in which nobody has come to except his family. This play a huge part because Willy has been going on throughout the whole book about how well liked he is bet then nobody shows up signaling the reader to the fact that he was not well liked at all and making us realize that is why he was unable to make any money.
Hey Emily, you have some good ideas here! Try to organize the paragraph you have, by breaking it into multiple paragraphs and elaborating more on the claims that you make. This will give your essay more length, and more substance. For example, in one paragraph you can talk about Willy's suicide and the effect of that, and in the other you can talk about the funeral and the lack of people there, and what that signifies.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. The ending of DOS was so abrupt; I was surprised that after all of that, he just killed himself. Like what?
Like Tulsi said though, I think you should elaborate a little more on your ideas in a few more lines.
Some people argue that he was freed after he made up with Biff and so death was representative of his release of all his problems. Do you think Arthur Miller was trying to avoid an ending by just killing Willy because he didn't know what to do with him after they made up?