In all seriousness, drawing one's own lines outside the bounds of decency or societal restraints, otherwise known as abandoning a family, seems a prerequisite for greatness as well as for being true to one's dreams; responsibility seems the path to mediocrity (a house, a paycheck, playing with the kids, etc.). Today a man like Shakespeare who abandons his family for his career would be considered a lowlife. On the other hand, rappers and many others do it all the time and are quite the celebrities. Do our changing standards for mainstream behavior mean that greatness is a thing of the past, except for those willing to sacrifice their children? I think complicating matters is that greatness and happiness are not always synonymous. Is it possible that Willy could have found his bliss in his family instead of his job? I suspect it would have been more satisfying in the long run. I have heard Joseph Campbell say life is about following one's bliss. I still think that is what life is about, but the sentence needs some definitions I think. Andy Amago -----Original Message----- From: William Ball <ballnw@xxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Feb 15, 2005 11:45 AM To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Death of a Thinker We draw no lines. The artist does. Could have been someone like J. J. Rousseau who abandoned his family and wrote "Emile, ou lEducation," then helped launch a literary movement called Romanticism. William Ball Norma Ball=20 > -----Original Message----- > From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas- > bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Andy Amago > Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 10:30 AM > To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Death of a Thinker >=20 > I agree completely. I wonder, though. Shakespeare followed his > dream, as did other writers and people of his day and other days. To do > that he had to abandon his wife and young children and head for > London to be a playwrite. We are richer for his self-centeredness and > abrogation of responsibility, but his children suffered. Where does one > draw the line? >=20 >=20 > Andy Amago >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > -----Original Message----- > From: William Ball <ballnw@xxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Feb 15, 2005 10:02 AM > To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Death of a Thinker >=20 > Willy took the road well worn, not "The Road Not Taken". He chose > the > worn road that leads to nowhere, the road of any salesman, or safe job > in the civil service. He should have gone to Alaska to mine for gold. He > should have made flutes, like the one we hear in the play, he should > have had the courage to follow his dreams. >=20 > Lines: Willy, "The woods are burning I tell you." Willy's wife at > graveside, "Attention must be paid to this man."=3D20 >=20 > See the production with Lee J. Cobb as Willy. It's on tape, I think. > Cobb played it on Broadway in 1949, >=20 > We all have some or all of Willy in us. That's what scares hell out of > us. >=20 > And I tell you right now, the woods are burning. >=20 >=20 > Bill Ball >=20 > P. S. The play has very little to do with communism/capitalism. It's > about all us low men, the tragedy of the common man because he's so > common. ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html