Arthur Miller himself once stated that the play is tricky to categorize because none of its characters stand up and make a speech about the great issues which he believes it embodies. This is also a problem for anyone who would attempt to develop a clear idea about what messages Death of a Salesman attempts to deliver and consequently it is often advised that exploring any inconsistencies or complications is more beneficial than trying to explain them. As with any question one of the most important factors is personal interpretation; in this case perhaps rather than try to understand to what extent Arthur Miller wanted to explore American ideals in his play, a student could talk about their own engagement with the text or what has been suggested by critics from various schools of thought in the larger literary world.
Toward the end of the second act, Willy screams ‘the door of your life is wide open’ towards his son, Biff. Ordinarily, these are words of encouragement however in this context they are used as a threat; the ‘American Dream’ of equal opportunity has been twisted by consumerism into a necessity for self-improvement and success. The idea that self-worth can be determined by social standing is one which originated with Protestantism and it could be suggested that Willy lives in a society which embraces this concept and, indeed, that it is perpetrated by individuals such as Willy who cannot conceive of a value system which operates beyond the boundaries of a social matrix.
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Furthermore, the way in which he sells himself to others, (lying to Linda about the amount he earns, calling himself a ‘big shot’ in front of his son, and the insistence that he is not ‘a dime a dozen’), could be interpreted as a criticism on the dehumanizing effect of capitalist society; as Willy himself says ‘a man ends up worth more dead than alive’. When this was mentioned to Arthur Miller he pointed out that Charley, a capitalist, is the most ‘decent’ human being in the play. I do not think that knowing exactly what occurred in the playwright’s mind as he wrote Death of a Salesman is as important as having the ability to explore the material and develop your own understanding.
In this particular case saying that Arthur Miller uses Willy as a mouthpiece for his own ideas about ‘The American Dream’, while a perfectly valid opinion, would miss out on the opportunity to explore the complex nature of the relationship between father and son, the small quotes which demonstrate various aspects of their personalities, the social forces and personal reactions which motivate each member of the Loman family and of course the various possible critical interpretations provided by such details.
A Social Hierarchy In Education
As discussed by Timothy Reagan in Non-Western Educational Traditions “The idea of teachers engaging in a profession with specialized knowledge and expertise not held by others appears to be a western and indeed relatively recent innovation.” (350) Dissimilar from indigenous approaches to education western schooling is typically practiced in formal settings and delivered by teachers who are considered the most knowledgeable for the position. Although understanding teaching as a specialized job has produced many favorable outcomes for some students and society it also shows there are many consequences to this idea. At large the evolution of teachers as a specialized profession has oppressed peoples own values and practices. As a result, the specialization of this profession has contributed to an immense amount of gender inequality in the workplace.
Furthermore, teaching as a specialized job has advocated for many struggling students who lack role models. In western education, teachers are viewed as skillful professionals who possess more prestige and authority over all other members in society. Teachers are classroom managers and possess dominance and control over their students. The authority and power they are expected to have over these kids makes students respect and listen to them more because of their prestige. Most importantly the specialization of teachers has helped many individuals overcome the hardships they face outside of schooling. In reference to the film Teach Us All, Baseline Academy was established as a turnaround school for students who are non-English speaking low income or of color. Many of the students attending Baseline lived-in poverty-stricken areas and lacked support from their families and the resources needed to better themselves.
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The staff at Baseline Academy worked tirelessly within their professions to mentor students who never had good examples growing up. These teachers made sure struggling students knew they were loved believed in and cared for. This specific example showcases how the role of a teacher can have an enormous effect on a student’s self-determination and self-esteem. For these students their families and peers failed to possess the same skills of cooperation strength and encouragement that their teachers did. Without the role of a teacher in these students lives they may have never escaped poverty drugs crime and low self-esteems. Fortunately, this turnaround school and the influential staff was what these students needed to restore their own hope and faith. The specialization of teaching as a profession ensures that students have a place and person to receive guidance and strength from if they cannot access it outside of a formal institution. As a result, teaching as a specialized profession has given struggling students a person to turn to who can advocate for them.
However, recognizing teachers as intelligent individuals that possess specific skills separate from the rest of society also generates many negative consequences. As stated in Non-Western Educational Traditions “Such ways of knowing and acting could constitute so much to the educational experience of all students; but because of the rules of evidence and the dominant epistemologies of western knowledge production such understandings are deemed irrelevant by the academic gatekeepers.” (1) When we refer to teachers as specialized individuals, we are reminding society that our opinions and beliefs aren’t valued if they don’t correspond with an educator. Teachers are trained to follow a set plan in their classrooms and it often fails to benefit everyone. Education should be a place where every student feels they can challenge and create ideas. Since students perceive teachers as the most knowledgeable in a classroom, they routinely feel like objects who know nothing.
This has a huge effect on a student’s self-esteem and confidence. This development has oppressed many child-rearing and educational practices in other regions as well. In regions such as Africa, education is not taught by a specific person who possesses skills over others. It happens much more informally through parents and peers who all possess their own unique skills. Essentially the specialization of teaching as a profession here in the US has deemed that these other regions are doing something wrong. Western education attacks foreign regions for approaching practices much differently. Timothy Reagan states “in American society particular educational instructions are often expected to serve the needs of the economy rather than the needs of the individual.” (350) This is even more apparent and brutalizing to students. How are these students supposed to trust a system that is designed to benefit employers and not foster their own passions and beliefs this is a common theme in American schooling. Teachers knowledge is framed to mold students into what society wants them to become. At large we become aware that this specialization is not universally applicable and disruptive culturally. The development of teachers as specialized individuals has contributed to gender inequality in the workplace.
The structure of teaching as a career continuously reinforces the existing status inequalities between men and women. Teaching as a profession has long been associated with women. Generally, a teacher can be described as someone who exerts compassion intelligence and organization. When comparing women to men women are expected to display more skills of leadership, communication, and patience. This communicates that men dont possess the traits it takes to be educators. Men typically occupy the most hazardous and dangerous occupations therefore they face backlash when trying to pursue careers that are not central to their masculinity. To continue, in the reading entitled Pedagogy of the Oppressed Myra Ramos states “This relationship involves a narrating subject the teacher and patient listening objects the students the contents whether values or empirical dimensions of reality tend in the process of being narrated to become lifeless and petrified. education is suffering from narration sickness.” (71) This reinforces how students are treated as objects and cannot develop their own perspectives when a teacher is forcing them into a certain way of knowing. Western education is no longer a place where students learn freely instead, they are molded into society’s definition of what an educated person is.
In conclusion viewing teachers as specialized individuals who possess expertise over the rest of society produces more negative outcomes than positive ones. This reinforces a social hierarchy in education between intelligence and knowledge. At large this specialization has oppressed the thoughts and practices of many indigenous cultures. Instead of viewing teachers as specialized individuals we need to understand the role each member of society has on a child’s development whether they have specialized knowledge or not.
