Comparing The Great Santini and Death of a Salesman :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing The Great Santini and Death of a Salesman Elementary school taught everyone that to compare and contrast two things, the best way to go about doing that is with a Venn diagram. Truthfully, this is an effective method, but it is quite rudimentary under the circumstances. "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy and "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller are two books that can become victims of the dreaded Venn diagram. The two stories are accounts of the lives of two families, each living out its version of the American Dream. The focus of both stories is on the father and how he interacts with everyone and everything around him. Bull Meechum of "The Great Santini" is a marine, raising his children as "hogs" and expecting only the best, if not better, from his brood. Willy Loman of "Death of a Salesman" also expects great things from his children, to the point that he refuses to believe that either of his sons is a failure, even when it is clear that they are. Although the two men themselves have many similarities, there are also other similarities between the two stories. One similarity is the role of the first son in the two anecdotes. Also, there is the role of the second child. Finally, both stories involve characters that are realizing what it means to be a man and what responsibilities come with the title. Bull Meechum is the father of four kids: two boys and two girls. His oldest son is Ben, a senior in high school who is well on his way to a career in basketball. As the son of a marine, Ben has been raised to take orders, no matter what the possible consequences may be. At the beginning of the story, Ben is talking to his father about his future. When Ben vehemently expresses his interest in pursuing basketball, Bull protests and reminds his son that he will serve in the marines for his four years, and then he can do whatever he wants. Unfortunately, Ben's basketball calling is cut short because of his father's hot headed insistence that Ben must take out a player on the other team, resulting in a broken arm and Ben's expulsion from the team.