Death of a Salesman Group

Question:

jenova7
jenova7
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Happy says several times, "I'm losing weight, you notice, Pop?" Which American myth is he bringing up here?

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Posted by jenova7 on Sunday April 29, 2007 at 8:54 AM and tagged with biff, death of a salesman.

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  1. jamie-wheeler Teacher
    College - Sophomore

    eNotes Editor

    Happy wants to stay young, virile, and fit forever. Our culture values the myth of perpetual youth. Happy knows his glory days are behind him. It is especially hard for poor Happy to let his youth go because his father doesn't want to let them go either.

    Happy looks to his father for confirmation. To me, the repeating of the question "I'm losing weight, you notice, Pop?: is his way to keep the myth alive. To me, it is not much differnt than Santa Claus. "Does Santa really exist?" "Of course, son."

    Because of Willy and Happy's complicit arrangement to stay within myth, it's no wonder that it is Happy at the end who cannot deal with Willy's death. Who will tell him he's still young now?

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/death-salesman

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    Posted by jamie-wheeler on Sunday April 29, 2007 at 11:09 PM