Death of a Dream: Individualism and Success

In a way, the classic play Death of a Salesman exemplifies the concepts of success, the American Dream, and individualistic qualities that make Americans "Americans". I can remember reading Arthur Miller's Magnum opus my sophomore year of high school and thinking "is this really the bleak portrait we paint ourselves when believing in the American Dream?". My answer to that after enrolling in a couple sociology classes at Lawrence: yes. The so-called plan for success in today's society is the concept of pulling one's self up by the bootstraps, engaging in hard and purposeful work, and living the American Dream by rising through the socioeconomic ranks via individualistic qualities and perseverance. Death of a Salesman, and specific studies such as this published in the Washington Post suggest otherwise.

The individualistic qualities shown by Willy and Biff in Death can be directly attributed to Bellah's idea of individualism in America: they are outgoing, proud of their accomplishments, and wish for a better life by way of providing for their family in order to attain happiness and "make it". Both of these characters, however, fail at their goals due to various circumstances involving their practices used to achieve success. Biff initially steals to make it look as if he has accomplished something, and Willy constantly refers back to a nostalgic period of his life, imagining success but never quite tasting the actual experience. The lives of these two characters resonate in today's society because they share the same belief system of modern Americans: success via individuality. "Making it" in today's society doesn't seem any easier than it was 60+ years ago, and surprisingly, the ideology behind this goal has remained the same. 

Follow-Up Week 2

Posted above are two fan concepts of the soon-to-be unveiled Apple Watch, or iWatch according to the rumors. I was personally interested in some of the designs that the common consumer is able to devise based on the everlasting imprint Steve Jobs has had on society. He preached simplicity and the beauty that lies in intimate objects that rely on our intuitive command. The first image screams his sense of style and taste, however (I'm not a tech guy by any stretch of the imagination) I'm not sure how one could possibly fit all of the components into such a fragile-looking accessory. Safe to say it's anyone's guess regarding the look for new Apple products. Here's to building anticipation and speculation!!

Whole Earth and The Self: Becoming One

Although it is hard to read given the size of the text, a certain product within these pages of a previously-issued Whole Earth Catalog is a book entitled Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. Going along with the notion the Whole Earth Catalog gives it's readers (as well as the product description on amazon.com since my eyes can't read the print), Changing the Earth describes how man has become the dominant species on the planet and has harnessed numerous tools in order to complete his conquest. 

How does the concept of altering nature to how man sees fit, as well as the inevitable consequences, relate to "the self" and the understanding of human nature? I interpret the connection as "knowing the world around you (and ultimately shaping it to your image) will bring you closer to knowing your true self". The Whole Earth Catalog gives one the tools to understanding and becoming intimate with the world around you, similar to how the techniques of Zen taught by Suzuki give one the tools to understand how becomes intimate and understanding one's self in nature, for example the bird. Man sees himself in nature and through certain tools, he can access his "inner self" through multiple ways, in this case either altering his surroundings or enlightening himself with deep thinking. It depends on the tools, but the end goal remains the same: understanding and intimacy. 

Death Dynamics: Steve Jobs and Religion

While reading through the text of Steve Jobs' commencement speech at Stanford University, the idea of death and the religious perception of morality spoken through his third "story" enlightened my perception of the broad picture of life. In simplistic terms, Jobs spoke of the fragility of life and the ironic notion that many people seem to fail to understand that their lives are temporary.
No single person understands the fragile aspect that human life holds until we know of someone who has passed, or in Jobs' case, who has limited time left to live. It's an undeniable fact that our bodies will someday become one with the earth once again, however few manage to acknowledge it in their daily lives. We as a race seem to bypass the notion of "dust to dust" with the everyday challenges of life, no matter how bombarding certain religions seem to be with this concept.
This made me think of the religious aspect of humanity and how death/morality is intertwined with the everyday thought process. In Roman Catholicism for example, the image of Christ dying for people's sins, ensuring a pathway to heaven via confession, and the chance of landing in eternal damnation are prominent reminders of the message death brings to the table. Surely these themes, along with every other portrayal of death as a spiritual path to another place, would give people the perspective of dealing with the uncertainty of morality? Right?
To me, this is not the case. Unfortunately, most people need a wake up call to become intimate with the idea of death. Steve Jobs was diagnosed with cancer, which changed his perception on the fragile-ness of life. I've lost quite a few relatives and numerous pets over the course of my life, each instance begged me to understand the morality of all living things. I'm convinced that it is the circumstances and events in one's life that will provoke the idea of death and bring it to the forefront, rather than the sole abstract themes of modern religion present in today's society. Could there be a happy medium? I suppose (being a good Catholic I should say yes). But as of now I'm sticking with my aforementioned opinion.