To achieve a fulfilling life you need to stray from the expectations of the world. The one common struggle of the characters in the poems/novels was to separate themselves from the shadows of others. It took the characters time and struggles to stumble upon their personal identity. Through the hardships and failures, the characters learned life lessons. They learned to appreciate what they had and find happiness with the minimum
             In the play Death of a Salesman, Biff Loman struggles to fulfill his father Willy's expectations of becoming something "important" in life. Biff went through life doing whatever he had to do to get by. Willy once told Biff, "The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates a personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked an you'll never want" (21; Act 1). Biff's father didn't support his actions and wanted Biff to become a successful businessman. It took Biff thirty-three years and standing up for himself against his father to realize his own dreams and expectations of life. Biff finally admits to his father and himself "Why am I trying to become what I don't want to be? . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am" (105; Act 2) Biff finally realizes that he does not need to be the most popular or rich person to live a fulfilling life.
             John proctor was falsely accused of committing witchcraft in the play The Crucible. The town of Salem was surrounded by accusations of citizens committing a serious crime, known as witchcraft. No one was safe from these accusations, no matter how pure of god and heart. John Proctor one of the respected members of the community was sent to jail along with with fellow citizens. The citizens were given a choice to plead guilty to a crime they did not commit or to be hung. The majority of the charged pleaded guilty and took the easy way out. John pro
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