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Major Characters in the Book Death of Salesman
Name
Instructor
Subject
Date
Death of a salesman
1. Major Characters in the Book Death of Salesman
These characters include; Willy Loman, Biff Loman, Happy loman, Linda loman, Charley, Benard and Howard Wegner (Miller 6-11).
Willy Loman: He is a self-deluded, an insecure traveling salesman. Willy believes fully in the American dream of easy success and wealth acquisition. He has not changed or grown.
Biff Loman: He led enchanted life in high school as a footballer star full of scholarship chances, flattering female friends alongside good male friends. He failed in math and later never graduated (Miller 20-99). He later changed his life after visiting Belly Oliver’s office that made him break free from lies and decided to begin his life afresh. He later chose living in reality. He, therefore, shown some changes in the play.
Linda Loman: Even though she occasionally shares Willy’s self-delude hopes for future glory and success, more often than not, she seems more realistic and less fragile than Willy. She has tried to nurture her family amidst Willy’s misleading attempts to success. Her stronger emotional strength made her grow and change in the play.
Happy Loman: Although he works as an assistant to an assistant buyer, he always represents himself as supremely important being. He never grew up because he practiced bad business practices and constantly had sex with girlfriends of his seniors.
2. What is revealed about the characters through dialogue?
Miller while writing his book chooses not to rely on spoken images, but rather creates them practically on the stage. Instead of merely leaving a character to tell the story, he decided to show it to readers (Miller 100-115). Dialogue has been significantly used in this book to show the images of characters. Dialogue has clearly shown to readers Willy’s insanity. Without dialogue, the readers would not have seen clearly how Willy’s broken speech and his constant up and down movement indicating how shattered he is.
3. Verbal irony, dramatic irony, how irony has been conveyed in the book and importance of irony.
Yes, the play includes both verbal and dramatic irony. Verbal irony is depicted on Willy’s last name ‘’Loman’’pronounced Low- Man, suggesting his low place in the society even though he insist the opposite.
Dramatic irony comes out clearly in Linder’s line in the play ‘’we’re free’’. It’s ironical because they think that they are finally free to pay off all the debts and any burden, only to find that Willy is taking his life because of the insurance money (Miller 140-142).
4. How irony is conveyed
What seems very ironical in this book is that Willy Loman is a loser in life, but he constantly advises his children on how to become successful in life (Miller 40-45). He was advising his sons how to become success as early as they were in school, and he still continues advising then on how to be success when they reached their thirties. This is happening as Willy is getting old and old and worn out. Willy himself does not know how to succeed in life. In his imaginations, he keeps on asking his brother Ben the secrets of success that give a clear indication that Willy does not know the secrets of success and yet he insists on teaching his sons.
5. What is revealed about characters through their actions?
Willy Loman’s actions reveal that he is a man of big dreams, precisely, American Dream (Miller 20-22). He wants greater things in life and trust that for him to advance great to opportunities and move the ladder of success he must be liked and known by the big and wealthy people in the society.
Linder’s action has portrayed her as loving and devoted wife. She seems to be an easy going woman. She always goes with the flow and always tries to calm Willy whenever he is upset.
Charly’s action has proven that he is a true friend. Despite being mocked by Willy and his sons, Charley still goes ahead to help them in their financial problems.
Bliff: despite too much pressure to bring success home, he repents the reflection of true life as what his father wanted never to come true despite being forced to follow his own dreams in life.
Happy’s characters depict him as a happy man. The fact that Willy does not expect a lot as opposed to his brother Bliff, he lives a free life making him to have ample time to make friendships both with male and females.
Reference
Miller, A. (1994). Death of a salesman. Oxford: Heinemann.
METHODSRESEARCH DESIGN
HDEV 302: Research Methods in Human Development
Dr. Rachael Stryker
METHODS/RESEARCH DESIGN SECTION GUIDELINES
Instructions
The second draft section of your Research Proposal to complete this semester is the Methods/Research Design section. It is due on Sunday, November 13th by 11:55 pm. Please be sure to completely read the Course Skills Notes for Weeks 11 and 12 before you begin this assignment. The Methods/Research Design section for a Research Proposal should be about three to five pages, typed and double-spaced. Please use a 12- point font and provide the assignment with the heading titled, Methods/Research Design.
Rubric
The assignment must include the following four subsections (and content within each subsection) to be considered for full credit:
1. Variables and Data [suggested length: approx. one to one-and-a-half pages] In this subsection, please be sure that you do the following: Clearly state once more, your proposed research question, and, if you have one, your hypothesis for the proposed study. And please restate what each of your variables are in the study. Then provide details about how you might propose to operationalize [define in a way that is measurable] each of your variables. Again, what this usually means is, how do you propose to measure each variable (for example, stress can be measured by taking someone’s blood pressure, and so one can thus define “stress” as blood pressure; or one can ask participants to self-report about stress or rank their stress level, and so one can simply define stress as self-report measurements). Please also provide details about the kind(s) of data [N, O, I, and/or R] that each operationalization will produce. You can name and briefly discuss more than one type of data in this paragraph. Also, please remember, if you are going to propose to try to examine or prove a relationship between variables for your proposed study, then you will, in fact, have both independent variables (factors that you think influence the other factors in the study] and dependent variables [factors that you think may be influenced by the independent variable(s)] in the project]. If this is the case for you, then please state which variables in your proposed project are independent [the one that is influential] and dependent [the one that is likely to be influenced] and why. If you will not propose to have independent/dependent variables in your study, then please clearly state the reasons why you do not have these types of variables in the study and what outcomes you hope to achieve instead in terms of intellectual pursuit.
2. Subjects/Sampling: [suggested length: approx. one to one-and-a-half-pages] In this subsection, please be sure that you answer the following questions: What are you proposing your subject criteria be (in other words, who, exactly, is allowed in your study [are you soliciting by gender, age, religion, student status, etc)? From what specific sampling frame do you propose to try to draw all of your subjects from, and why? What sample size (sample size is represented by N, as in, N=10 if you will have ten participants) will you propose, and why? And are you proposing to conduct probability or non-probability sampling for the study, and why?
3. Instruments and Procedures: [suggested length: approx. half to one page] In this subsection, please be sure that you answer the following questions: Are you conducting an experiment? If not, what type of the other common types of research designs that we’ve covered this term are you proposing to conduct – qualitative and/or descriptive (quantitative), and why? How do you propose to administer it? Where would you administer it? If yes, why do you feel this is the best type of research design to propose? What is your test group? What is your control group? What is your intervention (the independent variable)? How will you administer it? Where will you administer it? Then please provide details about whether you will be collecting your data using any of the following common instruments and why: via a pre-existing data set; via survey or questionnaire; via interviews; via observation. If you are not using any of these instruments, what others (for example, participant journals, social media content, or something else) are you proposing to use and why? And if you are using surveys/questionnaires, will you use any scales? Why or why not? Finally, please explain what the term “least harm” means [this is from the Week 13 course materials]. What is an example of “harm”, if any, that could come to your participants during your particular proposed research, and what are two ways that you might attempt to do “least harm” to your participants while administering this instrument? Even if you are not working directly with human subjects in your proposed research, you do need to discuss any ethical issues that can come up in your proposed research project.
4. Validity [suggested length: approx. half to one page] In this subsection, please be sure that you answer the following questions: What is the validity of a study? What is internal validity? Please list two types, and briefly discuss at least two ways that you would propose to attempt to achieve it in your research project. What is external validity? Please introduce two types and briefly discuss two ways that you would attempt to achieve it in your research project. Finally, please be sure to define what a confound is, and name and define two kinds of confounds that may be associated with your specific proposed project. Then speculate how you, as a researcher, might be able to plan your research in such a way as to prevent them from influencing the outcomes of your proposed research.
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Please remember: You can always post questions about this assignment to the “Questions for the Professor” thread on our Blackboard course Discussion Board or email the professor at: rachael.stryker@csueastbay.edu Also, please be sure to be reading the professor’s feedback on your RCR for Weeks 10 through 12 assignments, as there will be helpful feedback and clarifications there that will help you draft this section of your Research Proposal.
MethodsResearch Design (2)
Methods/Research Design
Natalie Rivero
Research Methods in HDEV 311
Rachel Stryker
11/13/2023
Methods/Research Design
Variables and Data
My proposed study will use qualitative data to address the research question, How does narcissism contribute to antisocial behavior in men? So far, scholars have established that there is a significant positive relationship between narcissism and antisocial behaviors (Alexander et al., 2021; Jones et al., 2017; March et al., 2020). This study will further these researches by exploring different qualities of narcissistic personality which lead men to become antisocial. The variables of this study will include narcissism and antisocial behaviors. In the proposed study, narcissism will be measured in terms of the four renowned qualities of a narcissistic personality: an individual’s inability to handle criticism, excessive need for admiration, sense of entitlement, and disregard for other people’s feelings.
Antisocial behavior is an action that violates societal norms and other people’s rights (Mezquita et al., 2021). Therefore, since antisocial behavior will be one of the variables in the study, it will be defined in terms of the signs of antisocial personality disorder (APD), including disregard for wrong and right, persistent deceit to exploit others, being cynical, callous, and disrespectful to others, repeatedly violating other people’s rights through dishonesty and manipulation, abusive relationships, arrogance, increased problem with the law, and lack of empathy for other people (Howard & Duggan, 2022).
I will conduct semi-structured interviews to explore how narcissism contributes to antisocial behaviors. Interview questions will be self-constructed to ensure sufficient data is collected to address the research questions. Research subjects will be required to explain how various qualities of narcissism contribute to any of the signs mentioned above of APD. For instance, one of the interview questions will seek to determine how disregard for other people’s feelings leads to the violation of other people’s rights. The interview responses will produce nominal data.
Subjects/Sampling
The target population for my proposed study will be male students in a US-based public university who are above the age of 18 years. These subjects will be considered because the study aims to uncover how narcissism contributes to antisocial behavior in men. The sample frame I will select these subjects from will be a public university in the US. I have chosen this sample frame because I am a student from the same public university that I intend to use. Therefore, this will make it easy for me to identify potential participants in the study. The sample size for my proposed study will be 15 respondents (n=15). Vasileiou et al. (2018) urge that a minimum of 12 respondents are required for a qualitative study to achieve data saturation. Based on this recommendation, 15 respondents will be deemed sufficient for this study.
I will use a non-probability sampling technique for the proposed study. Specifically, purposive sampling will be utilized. Usually, the purposive sampling technique necessitates that researchers select a sample size based on their judgment and keeping in mind the goals and objectives of the research (Etikan et al., 2016). For this study, purposeful sampling will be preferred for several reasons. First and foremost, it will be suitable for the proposed study since it will allow me to select available, willing, and knowledgeable participants to inform the study. According to Etikan et al. (2016), respondents are selected for purposive sampling based on their ability to offer the pertinent information needed to answer the research questions. I will also consider using purposive sampling for my proposed study because it has been shown to be both simple and cost-saving by other researchers (Alvi, 2016). Also, since public universities have more male and female students, as well as male students below the age of 18 who might be willing to participate in this study, using purposive sampling will eliminate the chances of selecting these subjects.
Instrument and Procedures
This study will adopt a qualitative research design. According to Leppink (2017), a qualitative method is an exploratory approach that aids in examining a research problem through the opinions, perceptions, and lived experiences of those who are knowledgeable about or impacted by it. Therefore, I have chosen this research design because I believe it will be appropriate to explore the issue of narcissism and antisocial behaviors from the views, opinions, and lived experiences of knowledgeable participants about this problem. I will utilize semi-structured interviews to collect data for my proposed study. Since I will recruit respondents from the same school where I study, I will perform face-to-face interviews. I will interview one respondent at a time, and each session will take about 30-45 minutes. Interview sessions will be recorded using a mobile phone. Interviews will be conducted from the school compound. I believe conducting the interviews from the school compound will allow respondents to be more comfortable during the interview session. Consequently, this will allow them to provide detailed information to inform my study.
The term least harm is the minimum injury to the safety, rights, or welfare of research participants that may entail social, physical, financial, psychological, or economic aspects. Usually, it is the role of the researcher to prevent or minimize harm to research subjects. My proposed study does not have any potential harm to the participants. However, as the researcher, I will ensure to uphold ethical standards to protect participants’ dignity, integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Firstly, I will ensure that all respondents sign an informed consent form before taking part in the study. The consent form will outline the research purpose, the duration of research, and what is expected from respondents; a clear statement that respondents will be willing to withdraw from the research at any given time without being asked a brief description of the benefits of taking part in the study, and a detailed description of how participants’ confidentiality will be maintained. To ensure the anonymity and confidentiality of respondents, no identifiable data such as names, addresses, and phone numbers will be recorded during the interviews. Also, pseudonyms will be used to identify participants. Furthermore, I will maintain the three principles of ethical research: justice, respect, and beneficence. Lastly, I will be the only person with access to the collected data.
Validity
Validity refers to the degree to which conclusions drawn from a study accurately reflect the phenomenon being measured. Internal validity examines if the study’s planning, execution, and analysis provide unbiased answers to the research objectives. Two examples of internal validity include content validity and construct validity. Content validity assesses whether a research method is suitable for the study. To achieve this type of validity in my proposed study, I will ensure my supervisor, who is an expert in this field of study, approves the suitability of my research method. On the other hand, construct validity focuses on examining if the test measured what it was intended to measure. To achieve construct validity, I will utilize relevant existing knowledge to develop my interview questions.
External validity assesses whether the study’s findings are generalizable to other contexts. Two examples of external validity include ecological validity and population validity. Population validity examines how best the study findings from the research participants can be generalized to a wider group of people. To ensure this, I will collect data from students in a public university. Usually, students in a university are from diverse backgrounds. Ecological validity entails how well study results can be applied to real-life situations. To ensure the applicability of the study in real-life situations, I will use men as the study’s participants as the study is specific on how narcissism contributes to antisocial behavior in men.
A confounding variable is an unmeasured variable that affects the dependent and independent variables in a study. One example of a confound that may be associated with my proposed study is history confounds. Also, time of study confounds may be associated with my proposed study. I will adhere to the provided time deadlines for the submission of each part of my study to ensure that I do not lose track of time during my study.
References
Alexander, M. B., Gore, J., & Estep, C. (2021). How need for power explains why narcissists are antisocial. Psychological reports, 124(3), 1335-1352.
Alvi, M. (2016). A manual for selecting sampling techniques in research.
Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5, 1-4. doi:10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11
Howard, R., & Duggan, C. (2022). Antisocial Personality: Theory, Research, Treatment. Cambridge University Press.
Jones, B. D., Woodman, T., Barlow, M., & Roberts, R. (2017). The darker side of personality: Narcissism predicts moral disengagement and antisocial behavior in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 31(2), 109-116.
March, E., Grieve, R., Wagstaff, D., & Slocum, A. (2020). Exploring anger as a moderator of narcissism and antisocial behaviour on Tinder. Personality and Individual Differences, 161, 109961.
Maxwell, J. A. (2019). Distinguishing between quantitative and qualitative research: a response to Morgan. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1-6. doi:10.1177/1558689819828255
Mezquita, L., Bravo, A. J., Pilatti, A., Ortet, G., Ibáñez, M. I., & Cross-Cultural Addictions Study Team. (2021). Preliminary validity and reliability evidence of the Brief Antisocial Behavior Scale (B-ABS) in young adults from four countries. PloS one, 16(2), e0247528. https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0247528Vasileiou, K., Barnett, J., Thorpe, S. & Young, T. (2018). Characterizing and justifying sample size sufficiency in interview-based studies: systematic analysis of qualitative health research over a 15-year period. BMC medical research methodology, 18(1), pp.1-18.