independent study (death of a salesman)

In relation to my big question, Death of a Salesman strongly highlights the effects of chronological age on one's perspective towards their livelihood.  The Loman family is a keen example of one's distorted idea of age in relation to their actions and reality.

Because Willy Loman spends the majority of his life promoting salesmanship and the American Dream, he is oblivious to the increase in financial pressures and his failed occupation. With disregard of his degenerated age, Willy still believes he is a youthful salesman that customers still love. He acts as though he has much more time to become successful thus reciprocating such desires in his daydreams. Within his daydreams, Will revealed a happier time when his sons still loved him. He allows the lines between reality and the past to blur because he is nostalgic of the past. In contrast to acting his chronological age and perhaps saving for retirement or planning for the future, Willy is trapped in his youthful mentality because he believes it promises greater chances for success.

Furthermore, the illusion of the relationship between age and success is created by Willy's older brother, Ben. In contrast to Willy's financial situation, Ben gained riches at a young age. Because of how highly Willy regarded Ben, he places pressures on his sons to achieve wealth thus attempting to live vicariously through the entrepreneurship of Biff and Happy. Despite Willy's actual age, he continues to believe and strive to act as though he still has time to change his financial situation. Although this acts simply as an escape from reality, his perception is rooted in his inability to admit failure at his old age because he always thought he would have more time.

In Death of a Salesman, the idea that age is inevitable regardless of ones mental state is illuminated though Willy Loman's failed ambitions. His failure allows him to be a tragic hero because his poor choices force him to deny the facts reality and his looming death.

henry iv, part i

The Shakespearean play Henry IV, Part I, illuminates the coming of age tale of the heir to the throne. Age plays an interesting role as a catalyst for the vital relationships within this story. Although Falstaff and King Henry are of the same age, their relationships towards Hal appear very different. King Henry is technically Hal's father, yet Falstaff, a man of equivalent age behaves rather immaturely and childlike in the presence of Hal.

In this situation, King Henry utilizes his chronological age to reveal his feeling of authoritative entitlement and control over his son. Henry creates a facade for the public where he is waging war in order to elucidate the throne for his son. His actions force him to believe that he is invincible when ironically, Hal is left to save the King's life in battle. The appearance of the monarchy in the King's mind is strictly held by age, where the King reigns power over his heir, when in actuality Prince Hal had an opposing ideal of rebellion against his father. Perhaps Prince Hal played a political ploy by carousing himself with common criminals, while in the face of the throne he transforms into the leader the people desire thus eliminating all other preconceptions.

In contrast, Falstaff is rather ignorant of his age in relation to other characters. Falstaff is chronologically old enough to be Hal's father, but he chooses  to behave as though he and Hal are equals. Simply based off his horatian satire and comfort with the heir to the thrown, one might conclude that they are of similar age. In battle, Falstaff reveals that he is the antithesis of honor when he plays dead and stabs unnecessarily stabs the death Hotspur. But, through it all, Falstaff is strangely fatherly in his tough loving ways of caring for Hal. Although their bond is built off criminal lies, Falstaff finds a way to mentor and aid Hal in his way to the throne. Maybe this is Falstaff's reveal of his chronological age.

Throughout this play, the characters predetermined age lends perspective into their past, present, and future. Chronological age changes how characters approach not only one another, but the situations that surround them.