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 book was about Willy and his relationship with his family and just as him and his son had started to get along he killed himself. He had ust gone through a tough fight with Biff then at the end Biff finally tries to tell him that he can’t be what Willy wants and we see that Willy is staring to understand him but then he decides it would be a good idea to go kill himself.
The end of the play is a scene at his funeral in which nobody has come to except his family. This was also anticlimactic because throughout the whole play Willy is talking about how much he is liked and his connection and friends. Also about how important it is for Biff to be welled liked in life. 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.
The end of the play is a scene at his funeral in which nobody has come to except his family. This was also anticlimactic because throughout the whole play Willy is talking about how much he is liked and his connection and friends. Also about how important it is for Biff to be welled liked in life. 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, this essay seems a little brief and incomplete. The things you have said are certainly true, but I think you should try relating them to Miller's goals more. For example, the scene of the funeral has nobody but the family shows that Willy has be deluded his whole life about being "liked", and that he actually always been a nobody. Elements like this contribute to what makes the play have a "satisfactory" ending in the sense that it communicates what Miller was trying to say, even though it doesn't have a conclusion in the sense of the plot. You have a good basis here, I think you just need to expand your ideas more, and put in a separate introduction and conclusion paragraph.
ReplyDeleteEmily,
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of Greg's comments to the point where there really isn't much left for me to say. I definitely agree that expanding your ideas would help improve your essay. Elaborating more on how Willy's death as well as his funeral creating a unsatisfactory ending would help. I also agree that your essay is a bit short, and that more organization would help with flow.
Emily, along with what Greg and Caitlyn said, I think that there is a little bit of room for improvement on this essay. The points that you did bring up though are very accurate, so if you made them a little bit longer than it would be pretty good! I also would bring up many points in my essays and I wouldn't go into that much detail about any of the points I brought up, but I realized that it's probably better to only list a couple things and then go into great depth on those few things, but that is just a suggestion!
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