Linda Loman and the Cult of Domesticity In Arthur Millers Death of a Essay

Linda Loman and the Cult of Domesticity In Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman - Essay Example Miller's archetypal portrayal of Linda Loman therefore represents both a general example and a figurehead for her social status: lower middle class suburban white domestics. Alienated from her husband Willy, Linda tries to accommodate his role of the head of household, despite the fact that she must see to the actual running and repair of the home. She accepts a subordinate role and lives vicariously through his dreams: as Miller describes her "she admires him his massive dreams and little cruelties (are) reminders of the turbulent longings within him which she shares but lacks the temperament to utter and follow" (Miller 12). With her dreams confined to the house and her life defined by what her husband can provide, it is no surprise that Linda constantly seeks to support Willy self-image and delusions while attempting to create a level of harmony between him and their two children. Paradoxically, these same restraints of patriarchy and cult of domesticity drive Willy's motivations as well, for he is obliged to both be the provider and secure a sheltered reality for Linda safe from the outside world. Thus, Linda's fate is completely entwined with Willy's. She ultimately symbolizes the model of many domestic ideals yet at the same time provides a warning to women everywhere of the dangers inherent in being sheltered from the rest of society. To fully understand the extent with which Linda's psychology has been entrapped, one must first examine both the tenets of the cult of domesticity (COD) and then the methods with which these qualities were reinforced by society. The COD is framed by four main elements: domesticity, submissiveness, purity, and piety. While this last element in not overtly present in the play (given that the general religion of America is regarded as Protestant Christianity), it is present through the concept of faith, through Willy's faith in the Business World, Linda's faith in her husband, and the faith of both in the established order of the family unit. It is the slow erosion of these faiths' that bring about the psychological crises in the plot. Linda is generally regarded by family members as 'pure' in sexual experience and fidelity, as exhibited by the boys using her for a model of their ideal wives and by Willy's concern in providing for her (her faithfulness constantly provoking guilt over h is own infidelity). Likewise, while other female characters in the play are strong and independent depictions, they are suspicious in that they have broken away from the traditional domestic role. As such, they are morally questionable, with an aura of promiscuity about them illustrated all the more by Willy's affair and by the boys frequent conquests. Linda completely fulfills the qualification of submissiveness, through such examples as removing Willy's shoes for him in the very first scene, to pandering to his ego by calling him "the handsomest man in the world.." (Miller 37). The COD has instilled women with the notion that they need a "protector;" it is therefore Linda's role to not only see to her husband's every comfort while at home, but she must also bolster him mentally and emotionally so that he can go out and face the world. As far as domestic rule, Linda is revealed to be in charge of the actual operation

Neurology Clerkship eBook - Introduction Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neurology Clerkship eBook - Introduction - Thesis Example 2. The â€Å"best† instruction for the eBook should be efficient in a way that it demands less time from the learners to allow for achievement of the goals; effective in a way that it facilitates acquisition of identified skill and knowledge by a learner; and appealing in such a way that it interests and motivates the learner, thus promoting participation in the learning task(McGrane & Lofthouse, 2012). 4. The evaluation of the instructional eBook should include evaluation of its instructional effectiveness among the Neurology clerkships and evaluation of the performance of the learners.(McGrane & Lofthouse, 2012) Information concerning evaluation of the instruction is enough for guiding revision of the instruction with the view to making it appealing, efficient, and effective. The process of determining instructional materials’ effectiveness through randomized large-scale experiments is uncommon due to its high expenses and increased time requirements. Various smaller studies have been carried out in the view of examining how effective it is to introduce new packages of instructional approaches in comparison to the existing ill-defined instructional approaches. Most of these studies offer useful information concerning exploitation of alternative instructional methods such as the development of an instructional e-Book for Neurology Clerkship among Medicine students.However, there are various limitations. One of the limitations of this study is the failure of evaluating most of the instructional approaches, especially among studies that offer useful information to practitioners and policymakers (Andrews, 2013). This is a problem that worsens with the exploitation of web-based open-source instructional materials such as the instructional eBooks. Another important issue is the constant nature of the studies even as they remain outdated and unable to suit the constantly updated instructional approaches. As such,