"I don't want a change! I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?"(p. 26)
These two lines are from the conversation between Willy and Linda in the opening scene, where Willy blames Linda for not buying Swiss chesse, what he usually eats.
Although this quote may sound very daily, I think it exactly points out the prblem of Willy and the story: old people do not want to change. Everything was going so well in the 1950s, and Willy has already got his house paid off, and have two handsome sons and an obedient wife. These all should have satisfied Willy, but he is not. He gets irritated because of the change from Swiss to American cheese. He cannot accept that he no longer earns hige profits for his company because of his age. He still misses the old days of driving a brand new Chevy. Willy hates changes, and he does not understnad that changes in society are unavoidable. It seems to me that the only reason of Willy's sufferings is his stubborn attitude. But because I don't want to be stubborn like Willy, thus I want to know what you guys think about the reason of Willy's sufferings.
I agree with your assessment of Willy’s attitude towards change, he is unwilling to change because he is stubborn, he is unwilling to change because he was comfortable. The typical “American Dream” that characterized the ‘50s is what he is stuck in, he wants to stay in the good old days with his American cheese. Even the slightest shift in products scares him, he doesn’t want any change and that is his issue.
ReplyDeleteI liked your assessment of Willy's desire for things to stay the same, however I saw the quote as a representation also of his immaturity, and part of immaturity is inability to adapt, which is what is being expressed in the quote. Willy's negativity toward something simple as the wrong kind of cheese shows his stubborn mind, and poor Linda tries to keep him happy, which proves a difficult job. Linda has devoted he life to making the family happy, and they do not appreciate her. It is quite sad.
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