Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Analysis and performance for football Essays

Analysis and performance for football Essays Analysis and performance for football Essay Analysis and performance for football Essay I feel that Fernando Torres is one of the best strikers currently playing, so I have decided to base my analysis of performance on him. One of the reasons why Torres is an extremely strong player is because he has very good agility. He is able to change direction and speed very quickly, enabling him to dodge players and get past them. Weaker players are not able to do this because they don’t have good enough agility. An interval or fartlek training session would be appropriate to help weaker players improve at changing speeds. Torres also is good at all aspects of the game and can show a variety of techniques; for example dribbling, passing, turning with the ball, tackling and shooting. He is at the autonomous stage of learning a skill, therefore performing the skill becomes natural and involves very little thought, unlike the stage intermediates would be at which is associative. Intermediates would need feedback to progress and to get to the autonomous stage, which only the best get to. Torres also shows he has motor skills by moving and controlling muscles effectively in order to sprint and get the ball. This is related to co-ordination – as soon as players with good motor skills see the ball, their body automatically repositions themselves to be in the right place. He shows he has cognitive skills by thinking about where other players are positioned in relation to him and deciding what to do with the ball. It also helps him to use space effectively, by running off the ball to create space and then to move into space later on. Torres has gross motor abilities of speed, stamina and explosive strength. Speed is important so he can beat players to the ball and then keep it. Someone playing in a less advanced team would not have a high enough level of skill to be able to dribble with the ball at speed and keeping it under control. A good practice session for this is to use a rope ladder, and to get the players to step both feet in and out of each section as quickly as possible. His stamina (including muscular and cardiovascular endurance) enables him to keep performing to the highest standard for the full 90 minutes. I think this is a weak aspect of my own game. To improve, I could go for regular long low intensity runs to improve my cardiovascular endurance. Finally, his explosive strength helps him to make sudden sprints for the ball. This also requires good fitness, and intermediate players may not have the required endurance to be able to do this for the full 90 minutes. A good practice to improve explosive strength in football is to use fartlek training, where you do a low intensity jog and then a short sprint continuously. Torres’ recovery time is also very important, as it must be quick so he is able to use his explosive strength to the highest level all the time. Psychomotor abilities are also very important for Torres, especially reaction time (in order to respond quickly to intercept the ball) and aiming (so the player can pass and shoot accurately). A good practice drill to improve reaction time is where two players stand by cones a few metres away from each other. The ball is placed in the middle, and when they hear the whistle they have to run towards the ball and the first person to get to it has to get past the other player. This not only improves reaction time, but also the first touch on the ball and explosive strength. Unlike intermediate players, Torres has the ability to make the skill he is performing more self-paced, which is something I am unable to do. For example, when trying to get past a defender, he can decide when to complete the skill because he has great control over the ball. For learners or intermediates, then the skill will be more externally paced, because they are not completely in control. Football includes lots of open skills. For example, before performing the skill, you have to take into consideration where the other players are positioned, what the surface you’re playing on is like and what is happening at the time, for example, if you’re in the attacking half or the defending half. You constantly need to adapt what you’re doing to suit the changing environment. It is best to learn these skills in a closed environment in order to get the basics right, then move onto an open environment so you can improve and get ready for a game situation. Football also involves interactive skills because you are constantly interacting and having contact with other players, and you need to work as a team in order to win the game.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Being and Nothingness according to Jean-Paul Sartre Essay

Being and Nothingness according to Jean-Paul Sartre - Essay Example Sartre explains that our perception of the external world is absolute and pure. He also suggests that our perception of objects is of finite nature, and our self perceives them with the help of the senses. He is of the idea that what we see in the outside world is what we know and what we get. In his philosophical theory argues that the being – in –itself and being- for- itself are distinct aspects of this real world. Here being – in –itself are the unconscious beings and being- for -itself is the conscious being. As per Jean-Paul Sartre, being –in -itself is stable and isn’t aware of its existence, whereas being – for- itself is aware of its own consciousness. These both beings are distinct from each other and constitute the existence of the universe.Being – in– itself cannot change its form with its own will as it does not have will or consciousness. However being – for – itself has free will, awareness an d chooses to act right or wrong. Anyway, Jean-Paul Sartre sees the being – for –itself as incomplete and indefinite, as it can go to any limit with its dynamic consciousness. This is what makes a man undetermined, indefinable and conscious creature. Since for – itself or a man in other terms is absent of a predetermined essence, it is intimidated or forced to create itself from nothingness or voidness. According to Sartre voidness or nothingness is the very explainable characteristic of a human being.For example, a rock is a rock and can do nothing to change its shape or form. But in case of being – for – itself can change its shape, form and even decide what he wants to do or not do. A man has the power to act in this world, and also can interact with physical objects which are being – in – itself. We can see that a man is not simply being here in this world, but also is actuating himself with the power of consciousness and awareness . A man or a self can create a whole dynamic world of himself by perceiving the objects of the universe. His consciousness is of infinite power and this gives him the ability to perceive being – in – itself in a dynamic way.

Friday, November 1, 2019

How does Social learning theory positively impact the training program Literature review

How does Social learning theory positively impact the training program - Literature review Example In resolving the main research problem, the following objectives will be addressed as a guideline: 1. The definition and distinctiveness of adult learning theory. 2. An assessment of Adult learning processes and systems in educational institutions. 3. An evaluation of organizational learning in relation to adult learning. Definition & Differentiation of Adult Learning â€Å"Adult Learning Theory often known as Andragogy is distinct from teacher-led or content-led systems of traditional learning, which is known as Pedagogy† (Yaafi, 2012 p1). Scholars in most educational fields prefer to examine the concept of adult learning in relation to the traditional method of teaching and learning, which is the classroom type of learning whereby the teacher leads students through a given course. Beich describes some important components of pedagogy or child learning (2011 p26). First of all, the instructor is viewed as an expert. This is because there is often a huge noticeable gap between the experience and skills of the instructor and the students. Secondly, the instructor is responsible for the learning process. In other words, the instructor is in the centre of affairs and s/he takes charge of the activities within the classroom. Thirdly, the learning content is structured. There is a clearly defined goal and a logical sequence. Fourthly, the motivation in a pedagogic learning environment is external. Students sit in class because they have to move on to the next level, pass exams or graduate. Knowles identifies some important components of adult learning that makes such learners distinct (1973). They include: 1. Adults need to know why they should learn before investing time to learn. 2. Adults enter learning situations with self directing motives. The trainers just guide. 3. Adults come into the learning environment with a wealth of experience. 4. Adults have a readiness to learn things that help them to cope with their daily lives. 5. Adults devote more energy to learn things that help them to perform a task or solve problems. 6. Adults are more responsive to internal motivation like self esteem rather than extrinsic motivators like promotion and the like. Beich (2011) goes on to draw a distinction between the two concepts. This is tabulated below: Andragogy Pedagogy Learners are called 'participants' or 'learners' Learners are called 'students' Independent learning style Dependent learning style Objectives are flexible Objectives are predetermined It is assumed that learners are experienced Learners are often inexperienced Active training methods are used Passive training methods are employed Learners influence training pace Trainers control the learning pace Participants' involvement is vital for success Learning is content centred Learning is real-life and problem centred Learning is theoretical In spite of the relativism in the definition of adult learning or andragogy, there are some absolute definitions which seem to provide an ind ependent view of the concept. According to Isenberg, â€Å"... andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn† (2007 p9). This means that it involves the necessary actions and activities that come together to support the upgrade of knowledge amongst adults. This definition has not been without its criticism. Rachal makes a significant analysis of andragogy and identifies its shortfalls. He stated that â€Å"Due to the elasticity of meaning of andragogy and the consequent variability of

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Production of tpa using eukaryotic n prokaryotic cells Essay - 1

Production of tpa using eukaryotic n prokaryotic cells - Essay Example course of production, safety precautions have to be strictly adhered to, as the drugs are poisons in nature and could cause severe body harm if misused. A method for producing tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in eukaryotic host cells is disclosed. Enhanced levels of t-PA production are obtained by co-amplification of the t-PA gene through treatment of cultures transformed with mutant or wild type DHFR with methotrexate. Â  A cell culture comprising methotrexate (MTX) sensitive recombinant host cells transformed with an expression vector comprising a first DNA sequence encoding a dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) protein with a low binding affinity for MTX, and a second DNA sequence encoding human tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), tPA encoded by said second DNA sequence, and an effective amplifying concentration of MTX. The invention herein relates to the production of human tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in a transformant host cell culture. More specifically, the invention relates to vectors, cells, and methods of producing tPA in conjunction with expression of the sequences for coding for dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) protein in such cells. Another example that describes use of CHO cells as host cells, and expression vectors which include the SV40 origin of replication as a promoter. However, it would be well within the skill of the art to use analogous techniques to construct expression vectors for expression of desired protein sequences in alternative eukaryotic host cell cultures. If cells without formidable cell wall barriers are used as host cells, transfection is carried out by the calcium phosphate precipitation method as described by Graham and Van der Eb, Virology, 52:546 (1978). However, other methods for introducing DNA into cells such as by nuclear injection or by protoplast fusion may also be used. Construction of suitable vectors containing the desired coding and control sequences employ standard ligation techniques. Isolated plasmids or

Monday, October 28, 2019

Influence of Advertising Essay Example for Free

Influence of Advertising Essay The Influence of Advertising The Influence of advertising on our lives for both children and adults has been enormous. In today’s society, it stands for communication, motivation, opportunities, information as well as art. However at the end, the purpose of all of these factor is business. Every advertisement has a clear purpose, no companies will put out an ad on tv or radio without a clear purpose because the cost for putting out an ad in today’s society is immense. In today’s society, beauty ads have large party of advertising, beauty ads not only have effects on the older generation, they also have effects on the young generation. For the young generations, beauty ads convey the message of the secrets or methods to stay young, and for the older generations, beauty ads convey the message of how to become and look young again. The beauty ads today are not only advertising their product but advertising the belief they’re trying to sell to the people, mostly females. The companies are trying to make their customer believe that if they use the product they’ll look ten years old younger even though it is not true. For those people who are old â€Å" To age is to learn the feeling of no longer growing, of struggling to do old tasks, to remember familiar actions. As curtin mentioned. However As the belief of beauty product can make people stay young, more and more older generations started to forget their ages because of their temporarily younger appearance . For those people who are young, the companies are trying to sell them the idea of the secret of retaining young. It is a false method to make the young generation to believe they can stay young forever because eventually one day they will wake up and realize all the money they spent on their beauty product was a waste, and there is nothing that can keep them young forever. The negative effect of beauty products that apply to all generations is the obsession of buying these products, and pay too much attention about their physical appearance. This negative effect will create a false sense of needs in people, when in fact they do not really need the items and the products that they are buying. and thanks to advertisements, this illusion is easily perpetrated, The products being offered through advertisements appear to be the tickets to happiness and ageless.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Incompetent Job Performance In Public Service Essay -- Work Employment

Incompetent Job Performance In Public Service Historically public employees have been viewed by the general public as being overpaid, inefficient, ineffective and unresponsive to the needs of the public. The news media’s constant reporting of scandals, financial misappropriations and unethical behavior in the public service further substantiate the growing lack of confidence the public has in the competence of public service organizations. In 1989 the National Commission on the Public Service, the Volcker Commission, reported that the need for competence and trustworthiness in public service was steadily growing not diminishing. (Nigro, 9) The goal of the Volcker Commission was to identify the necessary changes to personnel policies and practices that would counteract the increasing public lack of confidence in the ability of public service organizations to satisfy public demands. Many local governments that experienced the budget cuts, fiscal restraints and organizational turmoil of the 1990’s have determined that to enhance their competence, gain public trust and to avoid future financial difficulties, it is imperative that the staff of public service organizations become more professional, better trained and responsive to public needs. Managers in public service organizations have a vitally important role in the effort to create competence and gain public trust. Traditionally, the job of a manager has been defined as one who keeps things going in an organization. Generally the focus of a manager is on monitoring, directing and refining the current performance of the organization. (Whetten, 14) A manager gets things done through people. Leaders are those who establish the vision and set the direction of t... ...ers, Inc., 1996 5. Nigro, Lloyd G., Felix A. Nigro. The New Public Personnel Administration. Itasca, Illinois: F. E. Peacock Publishers, Inc., 1994 6. Scott, Michael P. â€Å"7 PITFALLS for MANAGERS WHEN HANDLING POOR PERFORMERS and HOW TO OVERCOME THEM† February 2000 Online. Available: http://web5.infotrac-college.com/wadsworth 7. Segal, Jonathan A. â€Å"Performance Management For Jekyll and Hyde† February 1999 Published in HR Magazine, Legal Trends. Online. Available: http://www.wolfblock.com 8. Vaughan, Susan. â€Å"Rethinking Employee Evaluations† Los Angeles Times, 8 April 2001 Work Place, Part W, Page 1 9. Whetten, David A., Kim S. Cameron. Developing Management Skills, 4th ed. New York: Addison-Wesley Inc., 1998

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman Essay

Willy Loman is often recognised as the tragic hero of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman but arguments can be made against Biff being the contemporary hero and thus the true hero of the play. The purpose of a tragedy is to create pity and fear in the audience. A traditional tragedy consists of the central character, the tragic hero, creating chaos in the community he lives in. The hero becomes tempted by something, leading to the exposure of the character’s fatal flaw. The fatal flaw becomes the dominant characteristic of the hero and ultimately leads to the hero’s downfall and demise. After the hero’s death, at the end of the tragedy, order is restored, leaving the audience with a sense of catharsis. Miller creates an American tragedy, as opposed to a Greek or Shakespearean. America has never had a king or nobility who could represent a tragic hero in a traditional tragedy and Miller wanted to give a voice to the ordinary working class man, showing their lives can also be tragic. He once stated â€Å"I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for a tragedy as kings are† (New York Times. 27th Feb 1949). Despite critics arguing against it being a tragedy Linda declaring â€Å"attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person† (Page 44) recognises the tragic status of the play. She also highlights the importance of the ordinary working class, who too can be tragic heroes. The tragic hero is seen to be punished out of proportion for one fatal mistake they make. Willy’s mistake is his belief in the American Dream which he continues to chase relentlessly. His fatal flaw -his hamartia – is his insecurity, which leads him to suffer throughout the play. Willy is an unsuccessful salesman, living in the city, struggling to face reality and re-living memories which he had reinterpreted to fit his dreams (Page. 2003. Page 62). Willy has bought into the American Dream, chasing it relentlessly throughout his life, but his dreams are unrealistic. Dave Singleman, an eighty-four year old salesman, became his inspiration and role model, after he â€Å"realized selling was the greatest career a man could want† (Page 63). Willy saw Singleman as loved and adored by everybody and so his insecurity led him to follow the same career path, in the hope he would lead the life that Willy saw Singleman as living. â€Å"Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four†¦ and be remembered and loved and helped by so many people?† (Page 63). Willy’s perception of Singleman is a warped perception. Just like his perception of the American Dream, it is just an illusion. Willy fails to realise this and gain a grasp of reality, leading to his death and making him a tragic hero. Willy has lived the wrong dream; he should be out in the countryside with his family, working in a job making use of his hands. He put his own ceiling in his living room and is oblivious to the amount of skill it takes to do such a job. Charley: â€Å"Yeah. That’s a piece of work. To put up a ceiling is a mystery to me. How do you do it?† Willy: â€Å"What’s the difference?† (Page 34). Biff recognizes Willy â€Å"had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong.† (Page 110). However, Willy always worked hard for his family, showing courage and determination. Willy wants success to be able to spend more time with his wife and family but is often dismissive of them, even berating Linda for buying the wrong cheese. â€Å"Why do you get American when I like Swiss?† (Page 12). Willy is incapable of relinquishing his dream and another character flaw, his pride, stands in the way of him accepting a job from Charley. â€Å"What the hell are you offering me a job for?† – Willy (Page 33). Willy’s relentless pursuit of his dream makes him a tragic hero. Willy was abandoned by his father and brother at a young age. Singleman then became his role model and father figure. Throughout the play Willy struggles with insecurity, a result of being abandoned. During times he relives the past and escapes into old memories he often talks to his older brother Ben. It is not an accurate representation of his real memories of Ben – it is unlikely he ever saw Ben again at all – but Willy uses Ben as a voice to criticise his own life. During Willy’s memories Ben spends a lot of time putting Willy down and trying to leave. â€Å"Haven’t the time, William.† – Ben (Page 66). Although Willy’s main character flaw is his insecurity he has others. Willy is often contradictory, calling Biff a â€Å"lazy bum†, then saying Biff is â€Å"not lazy† (Page 11). Willy fails to berate Biff for stealing a ball, even saying â€Å"Coa ch’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative!† (Page 23). He does not reprimand Biff for his stealing, often encouraging him. Willy is contradictory, telling Biff â€Å"just wanna be careful with those girls†, yet has a mistress himself (Page 21). The introduction of his affair â€Å"[From the darkness is heard a laughter of a woman]† (Page 29) turns Willy’s memories darker, as it was Biff finding out about the affair that caused their relationship to break down. Willy exaggerates his success, telling Linda he did â€Å"five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston† and then changing to â€Å"roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip† (Page 27). He exaggerates to boost his self confidence and fight against his insecurity. Willy has bought into the materialistic concept of the American Dream. His motto is â€Å"be liked and you will never want† (Page 25). . Willy believes to be successful you must be well liked, believing â€Å"a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked† (page 68). He believes he has to be successful for Biff to love him but ironically Biff has loved him all along. Willy is a good man, proving this by showing his happiness for Bernard success – â€Å"Willy: [genuinely shocked, pained and happy]† (Page 75). Despite Willy pursuing the wrong dreams he shows courage, determination and a love for his family, creating pity and sympathy in the audience. However his several flaws, the biggest of which is insecurity, lead to his demise, making him a tragic hero. A contemporary hero has qualities such as strength, honesty, morality, integrity, self-reliance and the courage to face up to reality. At the start of play Biff has not managed to relinquish his father’s dreams completely. He works out on a ranch, a job he loves, but comes back every spring because of his guilt, to try and succeed in sales, a career he hates. â€Å"It’s a measly manner of existence† (Page 16). He realises he would do better in the country and all he truly desires â€Å"is to be outdoors† (Page 16) but he hasn’t been able to abandon his father’s dreams completely. Biff is physically attractive and could have been a top football star but his confidence has diminished. â€Å"Biff Loman is lost† (Page 11.) It is evident from the beginning of the play that Biff is worried about Willy’s struggle with reality and his past. â€Å"Does he know Mom can hear that?† (Page 20). From a young age Willy encouraged the wrong ideals in Biff. Willy often condoned and ignored Biffs tendency to steal, rather than reprimanded. â€Å"Shut up! He’s not stealing anything!† (Page 40). Biff stole after feeling humiliated to regain a sense of power. By the end of the play Biff is honest about his stealing, even admitting he â€Å"stole a suit in Kansas City and was in jail† (Page 104). Stealing a pen from Ben Oliver’s office forces him to realise the things he loves in the world and the stupidity of his stealing. â€Å"What the hell am I grabbing this thing for?† (Page 105). Biff has a moment of self-realization at the end of the play, accepting reality and being honest about his life. He realises they have spent their lives chasing the wrong dreams and his father must abandon the American Dream. â€Å"Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?† (Page 106). He tries to force the rest of his family into facing reality, managing to force Willy into face it for a brief moment. Willy refuses to let go, relinquishing the chance to become the true hero, and remaining the tragic hero of Death of a Salesman. Biff had always been conceited, a result of Willy’s constant praise – â€Å"Good work, Biff† (Page 22) – throughout his youth, when they had a great relationship, until Biff found out about Willy’s affair. However, by the end of the play Biff realises he’s â€Å"a dime a dozen† (Page 105), ridding himself of the self-superiority he has spent years carrying around. He understands Willy spent so much time praising him that he became egotistical. â€Å"I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air that I could never stand taking orders from anybody† (Page 104). Biff realises his arrogance, facing up to reality, admitting he is â€Å"not a leader of men† (Page 105). Biff has always felt some reluctance to follow the American Dream. By the end of the play he realises Willy and the Lowman family had always been chasing the wrong dreams and he faces and accepts reality. He accepts he was never anything more than a shipping clerk and realises his family have been living in a fantasy world. â€Å"We’ve been talking in a dream for fifteen years† (Page 82). Biff finds self-assurance, and is comfortable with who he is. â€Å"I know who I am, kid† (Page 111). He matures and faces up to the world of reality. Biff finds his identity, faces reality, is honest about his life and finds a personal, as well as physical strength. He shows a lot of the qualities found in a contemporary hero. Miller uses expressionism and realism in Death of a Salesman. Realism accurately portrays characters and situations through human characteristics and language, costumes, and sets. Expressionism is concerned with portraying the inner emotions and psychology of a character. Dialogue tends to become more poetic and lighting is used to create atmosphere in expressionism. Realism looks at the objective; expressionism looks at the subjective. Miller uses realism in the play through the life-like sets, the realistic American-English language and the typical costumes. Expressionism is used when Willy is re-living the past, reinterpreting memories to suit him; he often lives in this world. He is happier in his past memories, before the affair and before his and Biffs r elationship broke down. Willy often tries to escape to the past and into expressionism. Realism and the present are too painful for Willy as he has to live with his strained relationship with Biff, his failure as a salesman, and his guilt of an affair. Happy has been influenced by Willy to chase the American Dream but does not pursue it to Willy’s extent, ruling him out as the tragic hero. He is not as successful as he would like to be. â€Å"All I can get do is wait for the merchandise manager to die (Page 17). He sleeps with women to avenge men who have surpassed him on the career path; similar to Biff seeking revenge on those who have humiliated him by stealing. Happy lives in the Loman dream world, refusing to face reality. He is happy to allow Willy to live in a dream world, to carry on humoring him. â€Å"Sure, have lunch tomorrow!† (Page 88). Even after Willy’s death Happy is unable to relinquish Willy’s desire to fulfill the American Dream. â€Å"I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Lowman did not die in vain† (Page 111). Happy appears to be jealous of Biff being Willy’s favorite â€Å"How do you like that damned fool! (Page 47). This could be a possible reason why he follows the dream – to seek his father’s approval. Linda regularly defends Willy and excuses his behavior, which only keeps Willy trapped in his destructive dream. Miller’s opening stage directions suggest Willy creates and structures Linda’s ideals for her â€Å"his massive dreams and little cruelties†¦longings which she shares, but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to the end† (Page . Linda is the mediator of the family, often discovering the reasons behind Willy’s cruelties whilst mediating. She adores Willy but kindness such as buying him special cheese is just thrown back in her face, something she accepts without argument. Linda knows Willy has impossible dreams, but unlike Biff she cannot bring herself to acknowledge the fact. Linda will not allow Willy’s dreams to be crushed because he is the â€Å"dearest man in the world† (Page 43) to her and she will not have anyone â€Å"making him feel unwanted and low and blue† (Page 43). What she does not realise is by leaving Willy to continue chasing his dreams, he will become a tragic hero (Page. 2003. Page 71-73). Willy is a tragic hero; he continues to chase his dreams relentlessly failing to recognise he should be in a job making use of his hands, living in the country. Willy only saw a warped perception of Singleman’s life, Willy’s inspiration, role model and father figure, after his father and brother abandoned him. Willy uses Ben’s voice to criticise himself in his reinterpreted memories. His abandonment led to his insecurity, leading to his death. His insecurity led to his affair, which led to the breakdown of the relationship between him and his son, Biff. Despite Willy’s flaws, he loves his family and shows he is a good man, inspiring pity and sympathy in the audience, provoking sadness with his death, making him a tragic hero in the traditional sense, but not the true hero. Biff could have been a top football star and is physically strong. He is courageous; he is the only member of the Loman family at the start of the play to have partly relinquished the American Dream and by the end he has completely relinquished it. He faces reality and attempts to make his family face it to, even managing to make Willy face it for a brief moment. He is finally honest about his life – his career and his stealing. He shows morality and integrity. One of the hardest things to do in life is to face up to reality and Biff alone manages to do this making him the true hero of Death of a Salesman. Is Biff the true hero of death of a salesman The question posed here, â€Å"Is Biff the true hero of death of a salesman† asks the writer to asses’ weather or not Biff is the ‘true’ hero of Death of a salesman as oppose to Willy Lowman’s role given to him by the author A.Miller as being the tragic hero. Miller broke from the norm of traditional characterization when creating the character Willy Lowman, in that the archetypal Tragic hero had to be a descendant of nobility or aristocratic decent, who’s demise affects not just those close to him but a group of people e.g a population, state of notoriety or kingdom. America had never had the Kings and Queens that a traditional tragedy had historically needed, Miller’s intention was to show how the common working class man could be shown to be a tragic hero and an American tragic hero as oppose to a Greek or Shakespearian one. Linda becomes Millers voice in the play â€Å"attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person† (Page 44) showing that in Millers eyes a regular person can and should be seen as a tragic hero. Biff in Death of as salesman must be seen to be the main protagonist due to his ability to see the proverbial holes in the proverbial fabric of not only his, Willys and all the Lowman’s lives but also the holes that people fall through in pursuit of a dream. The dream in this case being Millers idea of the American dream. The idea of the American dream stems from the notion that America is or was the ‘land of opportunity’ a bountiful land of infinite horizons and opportunities waiting to be explored and taken. Miller paints Biff as a character who initially buys into his farther idealistic view that a â€Å"well liked† person will have doors opened for them, in this sense Willy felt that the reputation of a person directly reflected its self in sales figures which translates directly in to wealth which he would use to translate into time spend more time with his family showing that Willy was a good man who’s goal was for the well being of his loved o nes, its just that his dream was wrong, â€Å"all wrong†. This idea of the acquisition of wealth and being well liked (not to suggest that to be well liked should be avoided, but to actively seek it out above all else can bare negative connotations) detracts Willy from the main goal in anyone’s life to be happy and develop a sense of fullness through honest self discovery. Given that at the time of Millers play the idea of the American dream was tarnished only by a few American writers of that the time and was still a prevalent driving force in American society a relatively young society, Miller Gives the reader the sense that this dream or the pursuit of it is not the only dream or even the right dream for all people. In the United States Declaration of Independence listed among the ‘unalienable rights’ is written â€Å"We hold these truths to be self–evident, That all men are created equal, That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness†, This extract from the defining piece of American literary history supports Millers character Biff Lowman’s idea of discovering ones self in America as oppose to simply discovering wealth. Willy’s dream was not him, it was not who he was or what he wanted to do. Willies own American dream was lived through the idea of acquisition of wealth and gaining notoriety as oppose to finding his own dream and perusing it. Biff buying into his fathers dream goes to see Oliver with the intention of getting twenty thousand dollars in-order to set up in business with his brother happy however Biff sitting in Oliver’s office realizes that he never has been a sales man nor was it his intention to be one, â€Å"How the hell did I ever get the idea I was a salesman there?† (Page 82) it was his fathers dream. Bill Oliver doesn’t recognize Biff and in the frustration of the realization he had lied to himself Biff takes Oliver’s pen. The taking of this pen is symbolic in the sense that Biff has always been overly praised by his farther giving him an over inflated ego, he was never told not to steal and Willy often praised him for it â€Å"Shut up! He’s not stealing anything!† (Page 40) in addition the taking of the pen by Biff at the office of Mr Oliver can also be seen as Biff taking something for himself, something physical, from a life in which he feels he plays no real part, the act of taking the fountain pen, something physical, sees this object become the reparations he seeks from following his farther faulty ideals and beliefs. Towards the end of the play this acceptance of stealing becomes more prevalent when he admits he stole a suit and spent time in prision for the theft. Biff is the only one who voices his opinion that they had been following the wrong dream realizing he was not a leader of men and that he was good, like willy, with his hands and he should be out west being practical bui lding something or working as a farm hand. Willies adoration of Dave Singleman a man he met whilst a traveling salesman is one of a warped view. Singleman becomes a farther figure, role model and source of inspiration for Willy, â€Å"Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four†¦ and be remembered and loved and helped by so many people?† (Page 63). The name Dave Singleman however can be seen to imply Singleman is a ‘single’ man a man who lives out of a suitcase moving from hotel to hotel in solitude and isolation. The characteristics of this interpretation of Singleman Willies role model seem reflect on Willie in his life, adopting the idea of a salesman who is well liked will be a success however once again this is the wrong dream for Willie to be following. At the time Biff catches Willie his farther with another woman he is going to Willie for help, to see if he can speak to his math’s teacher to get him to bump up his mark so that he could graduate and take up his college football scholarship, he goes expecting his farther the â€Å"well liked† salesman with all the charm and charisma in the world to be able to get him out of having to re-sit his exam however he comes to realize Willie is not who he makes himself out to be when he uncovers this deception, â€Å"Biff Don’t touch me you – liar! Willy â€Å"Apologize for that!† Biff â€Å"You fake! You phony little fake! You fake!† from this moment on Biff starts to se Willie for who and what he truly is and most importantly seeing his fathers flaws, this is important because it allows biff later in life to see through the ‘vie en rose’ and deluded image that Willie tries to purvey thus allowing him to start to discover ad pursue hi s own dream. Willie believes he has to be successful for Biff to love him but Biff rather ironically has loved him all along which Willie realizes at the end of the play when Biff breaks down and cries in front of him to which he says â€Å"isn’t that – isn’t that remarkable? Biff – he like me!† (Page 106). This realization however does not detract Willie from his mission to take his own life, shortly after he has another delusion of Ben (the delusion of him being his older and more successful brother although he had not seen his brother since he had left him in thier youth) this shows that Willie has gone too far in his mental degradation when his conversation with Ben even after his realization with Biff spurs him on even more to take his own life. Ben says to Willie that â€Å"the jungle is dark but full of diamonds† (page 106) suggesting that willies death is the dark jungle and that from his death he will receive diamonds, the diamonds in this case being insurance money the family more notably Biff was to receive from his death, money that he would have left to biff to start up a business, once again this shows that Willy still can’t see what Biff was trying to say to him and that he was never going to give up on the pursuit of his dream. Biff up on returning home after he and happy had left Willy in the chop house realises he must be honest with his farther about who he is in order to realise his dreams â€Å"Biff- Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you!, Willy – I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Lowman and you are Biff Lowman!, Biff – I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you.† For Biff it is in renouncing Willy and willies dreams that he becomes free to dictate his own future and it is here that for the first time in his life completely rids himself of the oppressive shackles of willies dreams. This can be interpreted also as the death of Biff as the sales man, the death of his affiliation and obligation to willies ideologies allowing him to be free to start his new life out west, bringing new life withe the death of an old one, the death of a salesman. In conclusion since Biff is the only member of the family to renounce Willys idea of the American dream with the addition of realizing his own dream and what he must do to peruse it, Biff therefor must be seen to be the true hero. It must be added also that the American dream can still apply to Biff’s pursuit only Biff’s pursuit as stated in the American constitution is a pursuit of happiness the happiness Willie never managed to gain for himself or his family by following his own American dream.