Death of a Salesman Pre-Reading part 2

1. It is better to live a poor life but live your dreams.

I agree with this statement because living a life that you enjoy even if you are poor is better than living a life that you do not enjoy. A person who is poor is still able to live out his or her dreams, whereas a person who is rich may not have the same drive to do so. For instance, if you are rich, but you are not living out your dreams and are not enjoying life, then it is not worth it. I would rather be poor and live out my dreams because it is more important to be happy than to be rich.

2. Lying is ok when trying to keep a good reputation.

I disagree with this statement. Lying is never ok in any situation. If you lie to try to keep a good reputation, you are just hurting yourself even more. You are lying to yourself and those around you, and you will most likely be hurting yourself rather than helping yourself. Usually people who lie to keep a good reputation are insecure about themselves, which explains why they lie to cover up the truth.

3. Disillusionment can lead to distrust.

I agree with this statement. Disillusionment often leads to distrust because if someone became disappointed from something that wasn’t as good as it was believed to be, distrust is probably the reason why the disillusionment even happened. If you distrust a friend because of something they did, then you are most likely disappointed about that situation. Distrust is usually a result of disappointment, or disillusionment in most situations.

4. Flashbacks are a way to relive the past.

I agree with this statement because there are not many ways to relive the past. Flashbacks are one way to relive the past because you can practically see everything right before your eyes without even going back to that particular place or event. Flashbacks allow you to go back to certain times in your life that you cherished and relive them all over again. There are not many opportunities to physically relive your past, simply because it is impossible. However, with flashbacks, you can do so emotionally, which can be just as satisfying.

5. Forgiveness leads to peacefulness.

I agree with this statement. When two people are in a fight, there is obviously no peace between them. However, once there is an apology and forgiveness, the relationship is built up again, often leading to peacefulness. Forgiveness allows a relationship to re-build and bring back the peace that was once present.

6. It is better to ignore something unpleasant than to face reality.

I disagree with this statement. I think that it is better to face reality than to ignore something unpleasant. Facing reality is more realistic and basically shows you truth to everything. If you ignore something unpleasant, you are shying away from something that you could potentially fix and change to be better. That is an opportunity face the reality of life and realize that not everything is going to go the way you want it to.

7. Happiness consists of having financial stability.

I disagree with this statement. Happiness comes through all walks of life, not just financial stability. If someone is not financially stable, obviously they won’t be happy about it, but that does not mean that they are not happy in other parts of their life. Also, even if someone is financially stable, it does not mean that they are happy. You could be the richest person in the world and still be unhappy with yourself or your life.

8. The life of a salesman leads one to be financially stable.

I disagree with this statement. Not every salesman is successful, which also means that not every salesman is financially stable. A salesman can be successful one day, and not successful the next day. The financial aspect of life of a salesman depends on the products that the customers purchase and whether or not they are able to persuade people to buy the products. It is false to say that the life of a salesman leads one to be financially stable because it is not true in every situation.

9. Determination always leads an individual to live his/her dreams.

I agree with this statement. Determination is a key way for an individual to live out his or her dreams. If someone is determined, they will do anything to get what they want. If someone is not determined, then there is no way that they will live out their dreams because they are not going after anything. An individual that is determined will almost always be able to live out his or her dreams because of their drive and passion to do so.