Death of a Salesman UNDERSTANDING A STUDENT CASEBOOK TO ISSUES, SOURCES, AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS. Brenda Murphy and Susan C. W.

Transcription

1 UNDERSTANDING Death of a Salesman A STUDENT CASEBOOK TO ISSUES, SOURCES, AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS Brenda Murphy and Susan C. W. Abbotson The Qreenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series Claudia Durst Johnson, Series Editor QREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut London

2 Contents Introduction xiii 1. The Significance of Death of a Salesman 1 2. Cultural Myths and Values 13 Benjamin Franklin, "Preface" to Poor Richard Improved (1758) 17 Horatio Alger Jr., Bound to Rise: The Story of a Country Boy (1873) 19 Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) 21 Advice from Elbert Hubbard (1911?) 23 M. T. Horwich, "Success Is Easy and Sure If You Know the Simple Rules for Achieving It" (1929) 24 - Theodore Roosevelt, "The Conditions of Success" (1919) 26 Albert W. Atwood, "What Are the Chances of Success Today?" (1920) 28

3 viii Contents Frederick Jackson Turner, "The Problem of the West," in The Frontier in American History (1920) 34 Edward Townsend Booth, "The Wild West" (1920) 36 Lewis Mumford, "The City" (1922) 38 Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt (1922) 39 Lewis Mumford, "The Paper Dream City," in The. Culture of Cities (1938) 40 David M. Potter, "Abundance, Mobility, and Status," in People of Plenty (1954) 42 Ashley Montagu, "The Cult of Youthfulness," in The American Way of Life (1967) 45 J. R. Sprague, "The Dangerous Age" (1921) Economic Interests and Forces 55 Henry David Thoreau, "Life Without Principle" (1863) 58 Alexis de Tocqueville, "Of Honor in the United States," in Democracy in America (1838) 60 Max Lerner, "The Reach of the Business Spirit," in America as a Civilization (1957) 62 Henry Adams, "The Dynamo and the Virgin," in The Education of Henry Adams (1907; 1918) 67 Frederick L. Allen, "Faster, Faster," in The Big Change (1952) 67 Joseph A. Schumpeter, "Crumbling Walls," in Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy (1947) 68 Melvin Rader, "Technology and Community: The Mandates of Survival" (1948) 70 Max Lerner, "The Culture of Science and the Machine," in America as a Civilization (1957) 72 Alexis de Tocqueville, "Why the Americans Are So Restless in the Midst of Prosperity," in Democracy in America (1838) 77

4 Contents ix Thorstein Veblen, "Conspicuous Consumption," in The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) 79 Vance Packard, "Selling Symbols to Upward Strivers," in The Hidden Persuaders (1957) 80 Advertising Copy for the American Face Brick Association (1920) American Business Culture 87 O. R. Geyer, "The Oldest Traveling Salesman" (1916) 93 Merle Crowell, "What Makes a Good Salesman?" (1916) 94 J. Annan, "From the Diary of a Traveling Salesman" (1919) 96 John G. Jones, Salesmanship and Sales Management (1919) 98 "Facts That Beat Eloquence in Salesmanship" (1920) 101 George W. Hopkins, "The Real 'Star Salesman' in Modern Business" (1922) 103 "Wanted: Salesmen" (1932) 106 Joseph Starobin, "Born to Be a Salesman" (1936) 107 George Edward Breen et al., "Selling as a Career," in Effective Selling (1950) 113 Harry Simmons, How to Sell Like a Star Salesman (1953) Family and Gender Expectations 125 Alexis de Tocqueville, "Influence of Democracy on the Family," in Democracy in America (1838) 127 Andrew G. Truxal and Francis E. Merrill, "Social Conflicts in the Family," in The Family in American Culture (1947) 129 Max Lerner, "Growing Up in America," in America as a Civilization (1957) 130

5 x Contents "The Greatest American Invention" (1919) 134 Marion Chase Baker, "Mothercraft" (1921) 135 Amey Eaton Watson, "Standards in Parenthood" (1919) 136 Clifford Olcott, "For Fathers Only" (1945) 137 Ashley Montagu, "The American Father," in The American Way of Life (1967) 144 Advertising Copy for Cutler Desks (1920) 145 Frederick Jackson Turner, "Pioneers' Ideals and the State University" (1910) 146 John A. Lomax, ed., Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads (1922) 147 Barrett Wendell, "Collector's Note," in Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads (1922) 150 Waverly Root, "Sex and the Double Standard" (1947) 151 Ashley Montagu, "Sex and Sex Education," in The American Way of Life (1967) 153 Ethel Wadsworth Cartland, "Wanted: Motives for Motherhood" (1921) 157 Sheila Kaye-Smith, "The New Woman" (1921) 159 Advertisement for Congoleum Rugs (1920) Sports and American Life 165 Front cover illustration from St. Nicholas for Boys and Girls Magazine (1920) 171 Burt L. Standish, Frank Merriwell's Schooldays (1901) 172 F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise (1920) 174 Walter Camp, "Address to the NCAA Annual Convention" (1921) 175 George Garrett, "Locker Room Talk: Notes on the Social History of Football," in Sports in America (1992) 177

6 Contents xi Georges Lechartier, "Americans and Sport" (1921) 181 Allan Harding, "How to 'Play Your Game' Whatever It Is" (1922) 183 Stephen Hardy, "Albert Goodwill Spalding ( )," in Essays on Sport History and Sport Mythology (1990) 184 Michael Novak, "The Third Seal: Bond of Brothers," in The Joy of Sports (1976) Death of a Salesman's Impact on American Culture 197 "New Breed of Salesman, Not like Willy" (1964) 203 Morry Roth, "Un-do Death of a Salesman: Vince Lombardi vs. Willy Loman" (1969) 207 Martha Farnesworth Riche, "Willy Loman Rides Again" (1988) 208 Jeff Faux, "What Now, Willy Loman?" (1983) 212 Keith D. Mano, "Deaths of a Salesman" (1977) 214 "Death of a Salesman," Obituary for Jerry Rubin (1994) 216 Index 221