Death of a Salesman
Laven, English 11, Journal Entry 1
Method of Connection: Personal Connection
Madeline Willson 05-02-14
In the play “Death of a Salesman,” the main character Willy Loman seems to be suffering from a form of dementia. He is beginning to lose himself in another time in his mind, and talk to people from his past. Family and friends become confused as Willy starts to see things and blur the line between past and present. I have a vague connection to this, in that my Grandma is beginning to show early signs of dementia. She confuses my sister and me with each other and our cousins. This often leads to confusion as names and stories get mixed up. My Grandma has four sons including my Dad. They are very similar looking, and more often than not lately, the names get confused in her mind. Recently, I met her downtown after an exam and she said she was expecting my Dad for coffee in a few minutes. I nodded and went along with it. Later, walking back towards school, I called my Dad to make sure everything was alright. See, my Dad was at work for at least another three hours and I knew he wouldn’t leave the restaurant for anything less than an emergency. As it turns out, Grandma had mistaken Dad for his retired brother. As I talked on the phone with my Dad, we came to the realization that Grandma is in fact losing a bit of her wits. Although not as severe as Willy’s case of dementia, my Grandmother’s memory loss and confusion is definitely comparable to his situation.
