Whatever the format you choose, you must draw upon the key concepts for Whose Reality:
Views and values:
People often have different views and values and interpretations of the truth. These differences are influenced by our position in the family, our experiences, our values, our role models and our level of understanding/perception/sincerity. (“We told the truth/we never told the truth”)
Intuition and confidence:
Some people have the confidence to be more honest and sincere than others (hence more “true” to reality).
Individuals often have an intuitive sense of what makes them happy, and how they wish to shape their personal realities. (Biff: shirt off his back)
Sometimes, people seek to be true to themselves. In doing so, they may need to reject a more dominant or controlling reality. (Biff rejects Willy)
Other times, people prefer to cling to unrealistic illusions, memories and ideals.
Internal influences
Often our reality is influenced by (shaped by) our past experiences and how we remember them – sometimes more emotionally than others. (Miller’s stage symbolism to show that we often walk in and out of the past according to our emotional state and our memories – which influence our present realities)
We often remember selectively in order to favour ourselves and put ourselves in a good position. Often our emotions during these experiences will colour our perception. (Willy
External influences
Also our parents influence our dreams and goals and shape our path in life. (Happy and Biff)
Our idols, mentors or role models have a strong influence on our goals and expectations. Often we seek to refashion our realities to reflect or mirror the values and goals of our idols. (Dave Singleman/Ben)
Others shape our realities
Individuals are often conditioned by the social context in which they live. Individuals build dreams, have expectations and develop values and goals based on their historical, social and cultural context in which they live. ( ie American Dream, Australian Dream) (Dave Singleman/Ben and his suitcase of cash)
Individuals often conform to the dominant social views and values of the time.
Illusions and escaping reality
Often people seek to evade reality, because they are not coping or because they have delusions/illusions about who they want to be. (The car crash symbolises Willy’s unstable frame of mind)
Often the more illusory or delusional our goals, then the more we tend to set ourselves up for failure and disappointment. (Willy and the car crash – and the piece of fruit reference)
The more we try to escape reality or escape into a fictional past (cling to distorted memories) the more we set ourselves up for failure.
Other times, people prefer to cling to unrealistic illusions, memories and ideals.
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