April 11

Today was our last day of in-class discussion on "The Great Gatsby" and "Death of a Salesman." First, we discussed Willy's work ethic. Some people thought that Willy didn't have any desire to work and he was stuck in the past much like Gatsby was stuck in the past with his feelings for Daisy. Others thought that Willy was stuck in the past, but he was still successful because he was able to pay off his mortgage.

Then we discussed the topic of infidelity in both stories. Donna felt that Tom's affair was an example of the moral degredation of the '20s. Since he was rich and lived a fast life he thought it was normal to have a wife and a mistress. Willy, on the other hand, felt guilty because of what he had done. Perhaps because of the different decades they lived in and their different views of life makes the difference in their reactions.

We ended class on the topic of business ethics. We contemplated whether or not it was fair for Willy to be fired from his job since he had become less productive. It was decided that since a company's goal is to make money, it was fair to fire Willy. He didn't work hard anymore and he wasn't bringing in enough money. Then we discussed whether or not companies, such as Disney, should aim to please their consumers. As long as consumers buy the products, companies will not change their products for the better or to please the costumers. Yes, companies do lie to us, but unless we stop buying into their lies and consuming their products, they won't stop.

Our annotated bibliography is due on Tuesday, but you can always bring it in earlier for help!