Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman took place in the 1940's, a very different time period that I'm accustomed to reading about. Willy (the father) seemed to have some sort of mental illness that his family didn't take very seriously. He had moments that was out of the ordinary. He often had daydreams inside his original daydream which seemed to occur when he was going on a rant. He often had very negative thought toward his son Biff, despite Biff's efforts to make his father happy. Happy seemed to e the preferred son of Willy, his accomplishments were always praised by his father and everything he did was pleasing to Willy.
While trying to find the "American Dream" the sense of a functional family seems to be lost. Each character has a dream of their own, for example Biff and Happy want to move out to a ranch out west. The death of Willy outs an end to that dream when Happy declares he'd stay in New York for a little while longer. The Death of a Salesman was a very confusing book to me. The time changes and unrealistic things that happened throughout the plot just added to my confusion.

The Soloist Chap 23-31

As The Soloist came to an end I could not help the wave of pure joy and relief that washed over me and overwhelmed my very being. Although Nathaniel wasn't cured from his disease it was comforting to know that there is a chance for him. A chance that day by day he can be on a road of recovery and maybe one day he'd be able to face his fears and do his best to help maintain his situation.
I was very pessimistic while anticipating the end of the story, expecting something to go horribly wrong and all the progress of Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers to go down the drain but much to my surprise the end was one of optimism of the future and the wonder of where Nathaniel was now and if his condition had improved by a slight percentage if any at all. Reading this book as really opened me up to the real life situations what happen everyday all under the radar if the average citizen. The pain and suffering that we ignore on the subway or the cries of help we cross the street to avoid.
This book helped me realize that just because people are homeless and may seem to be bumming around, it is not by choice but often because there is no other option. They live in a cold world where all that is needed is a helping hand and a listening ear. I portray the world as a different place because of The Soloist and I have a desire to now make a difference just as Steve Lopez did of Nathaniel Ayers, and Nathaniel Ayers for not only Los Angeles but the world.

Brainstorming The Soloist

Lopez seems not to be writing for himself but for the awareness of others. He wants society to realize the events and situations that occur in front of their eyes on a daily basis. His focus is on the lives of the underprivileged and underestimated, trying to portray the person and not the situation they are in. The genre of the book seems to be more like an editorial. I can easily see this book in a magazine as an important cover story, in some ways it is just that. The process of finding a story on Nathaniel Ayers is the article itself. I often wonder where Nathaniel Ayers is at present day and if he ever got better. An article on the update of Nathaniel would be very interesting. Steve Lopez writes of modern day, real life situations that plagues society today. He writes of the unhidden talents and gifts of the people society would least expect it from. He writes of their accomplishments/goals/aspirations/life. He writes about those motivated to make a change for the better and make a difference. That is what "The Soloist" focuses on, the underestimated shining through.