Category: Death Of A Salesman

Introduction

Millers Death of a Salesman is iconic and representative since it takes place during a time of national catastrophe, the Great Depression. The authors imagination was drawn to the seemingly insignificant lives exemplifying central themes, such as family relationships, financial wellbeing, and the shortcomings of the American dream (Churchwell 48). Willy Loman, Arthur Millers most renowned salesperson in American theatrical history, gets fired from his career of over thirty-five years and abandoned by his two sons in a restaurant restroom (Bishop 402). Willys terrible death, suicide, resulted from the failure to attain his goals. To comprehend the complex characters in this poem, one needs to go further into external influences from the time depicted, such as the perception of the American Dream in the 1950s, consumerism culture, and the impact of progress on peoples lives.

Narratives Reliability

The narratives reliability should be questioned because the characters cannot be trusted. For most of their adult lives, all three Loman males have told lies, large and little, whenever the situation called for it (Thompson 339). Biff confesses at one point, We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house (Miller 138). For instance, Willy Loman does not tolerate reality, and because he is unable to do anything to change it, he continually shifts his thoughts about it (Miller 18). Some of his statements cadences are created by reality as if Willy were having an internal discussion about societys nature. For an illustration, Biff is a lazy bum at one point, but at the next, he is never lazy, and an automobile and a refrigerator are both reliable and problematic (Miller 18). In his perspective, Willy is both a successful salesperson and a failure. It all relies on what story hes presenting himself at the time and what mental need such words are meant to fill.

Aspiration and disillusionment cohabit, and the erratic fluctuation between the two drives Willy insane, demonstrating that he is suffering from a psychological breakdown; he modifies his memories to meet current demands; thus, the rotation of time negatively affects reliability. Willy wants to succeed without compromising the health advantages he connects with an Edenic nature away from the world of wealth (Bishop 407). Nonetheless, Willy is mentally unwell after all the years in the industry. Two psychiatrists studied the script for the plays 1999 staging and decided that Willy is a manic depressive with hallucinating tendencies (Bishop 407). His recollections are neither flashbacks nor genuine recounts of the past but rather constructions (Miller 18). As a result, when he recalls his boys school days, he does so to emphasize his and their accomplishments.

Similarly, his brother, Ben, is less a reality than a symbol of the ruthless ambition and success he lacks in his life and partly feels he should want. In some ways, the stress Willy is experiencing corrodes the line between the actual and the imaginary (Miller 19). Furthermore, his ideas are as much current reality as the individuals he meets but whose lives he does not know. Stubbornly refusing to accept the loss of his expectations or embrace responsibility for mistakes, Willy nurtures illusions and devises tactics to alleviate his disappointment.

The American Dream

Death of a Salesman is commonly read as a broadside against the American dream. Nonetheless, it is realistic because it attacks the dreams devalued version, one that postwar America was responsible for selling itself (Churchwell 49). Miller illustrates condemnation of a societal structure that allowed its ambitious political beliefs to devolve into rationales for egocentric materialism (Churchwell 50). The author explored how the American Dream impacted ones expectations and viewed the Great Depression and the years that followed as a moral disaster.

Lomans neighbors, Charley and his son Bernard embody the American dream in the play; their affluence and stability contrast with Willy Lomans financial and psychological deprivation. Willy is jealous of Charleys prosperity and says, Someday, Ill have my own business, and Ill never have to leave home anymore, to which Happy responds, Like Uncle Charley, heh? (Miller 46). Charley and Bernard exemplify American meritocracy because they are truthful, diligent, and kind. Bernards legal profession embodies their sense of civic duty, representing the democratic principle of justice and equality of opportunity.

Willys sadness is that he has worked extremely hard and cannot comprehend why he has not received any benefits; instead, he has only failed. His occupation as a salesperson is symptomatic of the debased goal this older man pursues: the hollow aspirations of riches and prestige that engrossed mid-century America in every way, transforming it into a country of salespeople promoting tendentious kitsch (Churchwell 50). The plays subject and tone are still relevant because Willy, like so many Americans nowadays who feel left behind, is the archetypal American who cannot quite grasp why the dream has avoided him.

Diamonds as a Motif in the Play

Diamonds, according to Willy, symbolize wealth, the American Dream achievement, and validation of ones existence. Willy Loman describes Ben, his older brother when talking to Happy. Although Ben is a fabrication of Willys recollections and dreams, his image is a motivation to succeed. This man is Willys idol, who realized the American Dream by traveling to Africa and finding it rich in diamonds. Willy characterizes Ben as a brilliant individual who is willing to take chances and work hard towards achieving goals, making him an excellent role model for Willys boys. For instance, Ben says, One must go in to fetch a diamond out (Miller 141). Hence, Willy exhibits cheerful optimism in opportunity, hard effort, and achievement despite his failure because of Bens accomplishment: The jungle is dark but full of diamonds (Miller 141). Significantly, achieving dreams is not easy because a diamond is rough and hard to the touch (Miller 141). Diamonds can be perceived as the American Dream, the storys overall meaning; nonetheless, Willy fails to achieve his goals.

Modernity and Progress

Modernity sets the sad events that would transpire in Lomans life. Progress was a significant factor in exerting pressure on Willy Loman, causing him to commit suicide at the end of the play. The authors purpose in including the tape recorder and the new car is to demonstrate that modern conveniences are central to Willys pursuit of the American Dream, yet they eventually contribute to his demise. Willy is undoubtedly not a casual consumer, with his washing machine, automobile, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, and home all purchased on credit (Bishop 405). He wishes he could afford the wire recorder because his boss Howard says that this is the most fascinating relaxation (Miller, 89). Consumption has become a lifestyle choice for Willy, as it has for many twentieth-century Americans.

Significant postwar improvements in personal and social income, combined with a vast and sparsely inhabited continent, enabled many Americans to get the most recent consumer items. Between 1935 and 1975, over four million farms were abandoned due to increased automation and the centralization of agriculture (Bishop 404). These developments in food production, of course, resulted in an increasing number of Americans, like Willy, living in or near congested cities, far from the industrial farms where their reasonably priced food was produced (Bishop 404). As the tragic situation of Willy demonstrates, the desire for health and wealth likely motivated many middle-class Americans to work harder within a consumer society (Bishop 417). Thus, they could have the fancy new washing machines and refrigerators, vacuums and cars, and the rehabilitative joys of a tightly defined existence. Willy discusses going broke and being unable to afford new goods throughout the play: he tells Linda, that goddam Chevrolet, they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car (Miller 51). He is left behind and cannot survive with the advent of progress and sophistication without money.

Internal and External Conflicts: Willy and Biff

Willys oldest son, Biff, is determined to follow the sirens song of the American West, a fascinating area that has become a poetic, pure, and uncomplicated way of life for him (Thompson 335). In essence, he aspires to be a man like his Uncle Ben. The internal conflict is that the lingering guilt he experiences from his fathers demand for corporate fame and metropolitan money continually draws Biff back to New York City, a place he despises and avoids (Thomson 336). Biff is cheerful for a while out in the West, but suddenly the guilt emerges. Willy, on the other side, promises Linda: Ill get him a job selling, and yet, immersed in corporate glory fantasies for his first-born son, he never bothers to ask Biff what he hopes to accomplish, what brings him happiness, contentment, and peacefulness (Miller 34). Nonetheless, it is always about Willys desires for Biff because he does not care about Biffs actual goals.

The external conflict and the plays climax occur when Biff speaks truthfully and ruins Willys fantasy. The last encounter at the family home, directly after the ill-fated restaurant supper, serves as the climax of this dispute. Happy takes flowers to his mother, which does not get the anticipated emotion. When Willy arrives, all of the disagreements that have plagued this family explodes into an open battle. Biff emphasizes to Willy: Dad, youre never going to see what I am, so whats the use of arguing? (Miller 136). Afterward, he decides to leave the house for good and forge his path in life.

Conclusion

Notably, I was astonished by the realism that permeates the play. As evidenced by Willy and Biff, the characters face real-world issues such as a lack of money and family disputes relating to each protagonists interpretation of success or the American Dream. The plot revolves around an unpredictable and psychologically unstable salesperson who strives to embrace change in himself and society. The author tackles the human condition in the play by portraying his lead character Willy as a man whose dissatisfaction with his existence leads to his disappointing end, namely suicide. Consequently, Death of a Salesman is a social tragedy that illustrates a critique of consumerist culture.

Works Cited

Bishop, Andrew. Health or Wealth? Environmentalism and Consumerism in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. Midwest Quarterly, vol. 60, no. 4, 2019, pp. 402-418. EBSCOhost. Web.

Churchwell, Sarah. Requiem for an American Dream. New Statesman, vol. 148, no. 5460, 2019, pp. 46-50. EBSCOhost. Web.

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Penguin, 1998.

Thompson, Terry W. All I Want Is Out There: The Wild West Subtext in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. Midwest Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 3, 2018, pp. 331-342. EBSCOhost. Web.

Introduction

The play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller depicts contradiction arisen in the industrial society and personal values shared by a new man. Through the characters of Willy Loman and his sons, Miller criticizes society and its false values, consumerism and mass culture. Stylistic devices and unique vision of economic development help Miller to unveil social changes and new traditions influenced by new culture.

Discussion section

Staging and settings are important for this play because they help to create unique images and atmosphere of the play. Using staging differences, it is possible skillfully portrays his epoch and unveils low traditions and false morals of mass society. Also, Miller uses diction and syntax to create emotional tension and tragic tone. The hero suffers internally with a show of strength to the world and the effects that this has upon him. Rhetorical questions are another remarkable feature of his writing style: And what goes through a mans mind, driving seven hundred miles home without having earned a cent (Miller 1999, p. 61). The very act of outward strength and happiness is in reality an appeal for help from the world. For instance, if the setting of play is changed to later historical period, it would loose its originality and unique appeal. Also, Miller unmasks consumerism using settings of a big house and sale company. If these settings are changes, the audience would not understand the meaning and importance of sales and consumer culture (Bloom 1988).

Miller makes a unique combination of characters, setting/staging, plot, structure, style and imagery. Miller criticizes society and mass production. He underlines that the America became standardized relying on mass production and consumption patterns. New production methods and automation resulted in the first fully operational economy of scale, producing low cost, high volume standardized commodities (Ardolino, 2004). This impact is evident, because consumer culture and high social position replaces code of social values and does not allow the Lomans to distinguish what is good and what is bad, what is moral or immoral, etc. Happy says: its what I always wanted. My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women (Miller 1999, p. 56). For the Lomans, new culture represents universal order which has a direct impact on the self. Mass production was characterized by the rational deployment of a largely semi-skilled workforce operating special purpose designed to handle standardized production. 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 and you will never want (Miller 1999, p. 59). All of these features came together in the new practice which replaced the older, relatively inefficient, method of consumption. Conformism is depicted as the substantial changes wrought by the economic reorganization on the conditions in which and from which ordinary people like the Lomans established their daily living routines thus begs the inevitable and far more problematic question of the impact of capitalism upon everyday culture. Miller vividly portrays that the establishment of hegemony over aesthetic practices during the period in question also suggests the existence of a similar cultural consensus over the issues of language, symbolic form and social meaning generally. New culture grew and involved millions of people unsatisfied with their social position. Thus, new culture did not bring happiness and moral vision limited by personal gain and false social values (Bloom 1988).

Conclusion

In sum, this critical approach vividly portrays that different lens (including sport) can be a good source to study social changes and aspiration of people at the definite period of time. Miller uses the concept of self as a part of self-understanding and identification with the American nation and famous American dream.

References

Ardolino, F. (2004). Like Father, like Sons: Millers Negative Use of Sports Imagery in Death of a Salesman. Journal article by Frank; Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 25 (1): 32-35.

Bloom, H. (1988). Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. Chelsea House.

Miller, A. (1999). Death of a Salesman: 50th Anniversary Edition, Penguin Books; 50th Annni edition.

Introduction

The play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller depicts life and destiny of an American family which dreams about prosperity and high social position in society. in this play, Miller tries to escape social contradictions and economic situation in society but portrays psychological difficulties experienced by the family. Fundamental in this play is the fact that Miller does not mask the analysis of social values and low morals. The play vividly portrays that the past is no longer forced into open conversation by a dramatic conflict; the main character of Willy Loman is no longer portrayed as master of the past to satisfy a formal code when in fact he is its helpless victim. Psychological problems and communication difficulties prevent the Lomans from happy life and lead to breakdown of values, personal principles and family life.

Main body

Miller portrays Willy as authoritarian head of the family who leaves no freedom for his wife and children. The play reflects ideas and feelings of the family members and allows readers to understand opinion differences and worldviews of Linda, Biff and Happy. Willy replies to Linda [wildly enthused, to Linda]: Stop interrupting! [To biff] But dont wear sport jacket and slacks when you see Oliver (Miller 47). The psychoanalytic book states that He gives, in effect, only flawed ideas and desires to his sons. In Millers world, what is unspoken but assumed and hinted at is a morality that holds that there can be no such thing as happiness, no such thing as love, without honesty (Bloom 49). Bloom deceits that the past achieves representation in the same way that it appears in life itself. Thus, for all characters the past remains a painful experience and can create no deceptive bridges between the family members and Willy whom the analysis brings together the family members whom it had left in lifelong separation. Therefore, instead of an interpersonal action that would call forth representation of the past, the present conversation generated by the family members overpowered by memory (Felman 11).

Miller portrays that the family has recently begun to notice that Willy has psychological and emotions problems but do not take any action to help him in this situation. In fact, Willy is actually talking to them, not in the real present but in the past Willy remembers, which no longer leaves him alone. Willy says: Ive always made a point of not wasting my life, and every time I come back here I know that all Ive done is to waste my life (Miller 89). The self analysis is more emotional and moving as it reflects real life feelings of the three characters. These scenes in turn create a means of introducing the past into the space beyond conversation. The psychoanalysis would say that Willy never really shows any evidence of self-knowledge or awareness of the reality of the situation in which he is involved. His dreams, described by Miller as massive, are in reality petty and sustained by sacrificing not only himself but those around him (Bloom 125). The scene shifts constantly towards negative representation of Biff and Happy. Remembrance in the play occurs without being spoken ofthat is, completely on the level of form. The Linda regards herself in the past and, as self-remembering I, is fascinated into the formal prejudice. Even when Linda tells Willy that this is not the case he is skeptical because, from where he stands after years of daydreaming, her ideas look like a spur-of-the-moment notion. Had Willy been listening to what she was saying all along, he could have saved her years of false dreams and, what is more, could now be sharing, as an involved and confirming husband, in Lindas life. The play depicts that marriage require constant attention if wife and husband are to continue to provide for the developing needs of each other. This is especially true if both wife and husband are attempting to live a definitely eccentric life style paying no attention to world and events around them (Felman 12).

The feeling of frustration dominates in the play and helps readers to grasp the main idea and emotional tension created by the lost dreams. Miller presents only the object of this crusade, the salesman in the past, his relations with the members of his family. The latter are no longer free characters; they emerge as references to the central role of the past, in the same manner as do the character reflections in dramaturgy. One can readily grasp the dramatic nature of this scene in the play of memory, which presents the imagined ideals ad values in order to impress the audience. Biff comments He thinks Ive been spiting him all these years and its eating him uppointedly economicalWeve been talking in a dream for fifteen years (Miller 55). The episode constitutes a closed field that leaves the world of action intact. Because this play is a thematic work that does not need to mask the fact of its performance, the time and place of the play are not in conflict the dramatic unities and the absoluteness of the actions are maintained by emotional and impressive play of the main characters. The psychoanalysis would say that ambiguity, irony, and tension occur in the action and stage pictures, not in the wording where they might, more conventionally, be expected. It is a metaphor in time (Bloom 30). In the play, emotional tension is not played as a thematic element; the plot development and its action constantly overflow into the play. No troupe of actors enters; without saying a word, the main actors can become actors enacting themselves because the alternation between personal and non-personal events anchored in the principle of form operative. In the play, the sense: memory determines the structure and development of the emotional base and psychological state of the characters.

The theme of American dream signifies not only a multiplicity of times and places but also the loss of characters future. Taking into account the social environment, the temporal-spatial hopes are not simply depicted in terms of other events. So, there is no real change in the play setting, and, at the same time, it is continually transformed. The salesmans house remains the main setting, but in the scenes remembered, its walls are of no concernas is the case with future hopes and past troubles, which have no temporal or spatial limits. This relativity of the hopes and ideals shared by Willy and Linda becomes clear in transitional scenes that belong to the outer as well as the inner setting. Willy Loman says nothing that indicates he accepts his sons and his wife. Happy says: its what I always wanted. My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women (Miller 56). The play vividly portrays that Willys appearance is a hallucination, but only within dramatic shape, which by definition excludes the inner world. Yet, in the play, future hopes and the past achieve simultaneous representation. Their synchronized representation sets in motion the new standard of form: when all characters are appeared on the scene simultaneously. The supporting theme in the play is symbolic and remains vague. The psychoanalysis would say that that happiness comes not in the fulfilling of dream but in ever believing in it and reaching for it (Bloom 56). This situation introduces the possibility of mutual misunderstanding, but it, moreover, hides the real source of this conflictthe Willys preoccupation with himself and with a remembered past. In the play, this scene remains a permanent and heavily guarded by all characters. In the play, this scene plays a significant role as it helps readers to understand the conflict, struggle and problems faced by family members (Felman 23).

In sum, the superficial shape of the play, the way it blends the workings of Willys mind with truth, demonstrates that Willy has no control over his mind. Willy is, merely, a man breaking down. In addition lacking mental ability, Willy also does not possess moral values. Careful psychological analysis and elements of social behavior patterns create vivid emotional representation of the characters and their actions. The conclusion of this analysis is that Willys lack of control over his world and dreams, his lack of moral strength, his victimization, his faith in what is for him a misguided definition of wealth and the American dream, his ensuing lying and self-delusion is that Willy is pathetic. The play shows that Linda and the sons somehow have the stature of a hero. However, though they are movingly humans, but remain pathetic. Besides an admission of family failure, this act is yet another sign that the family is breaking down. Miller dramatizes the conflict and differences between Linda, the bots and wily and criticizes principles of the Loman family and the setting that, in boxing them in, seems to assist their crusade. The scene under analysis shows Linda asserting too lateand not intentionally but impulsivelythat possible true self who is good with her hands, who might have been a good wife. The failure of the Lomans is a result of contradictory elements in their lives, mixed motivations, and the varied structure of emotions and feelings.

Works Cited

Bloom, H. Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. Chelsea House, 1988.

Felman, S. Literature and Psychoanalysis: The Question of Reading: Otherwise. The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1 edition, 2002.

Miller, A. Death of a Salesman: 50th Anniversary Edition, Penguin Books; 50th Annni edition, 1999.

A radical innovative strategy in the literary analysis of a text in the modern literary learning and appreciation has been that of the literary experience which insists on the appreciating of a literary work as it is experienced by the reader and the elimination of the intimidating elements of literary analysis and appreciation including the specialized terminology and the categorization. A literary analysis of Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, one of the most celebrated plays in American literature, as to draw out its theme, plot, structure, character, and setting proves that the literary merit of the play is astonishingly great. This kind of analysis is often counted in an understanding of the ideas and messages conveyed by the novel and the identification of the literary tools used by the writer in order to gain the expected literary effect will assist in such an analysis. Therefore, this literary analysis has been of supreme literary value as it helps one in a better understanding and greater appreciation of the Death of a Salesman. In a very remarkable analysis of the play, the Death of a Salesman may be well viewed as a social commentary, a Freudian analysis of family structure, an anti-establishment portrait of capitalism and religion, a documentary on sales. But, according to Arthur Miller, its origin and meaning are of much simpler stuff. The play grew from observations of ordinary life, a simple frame house surrounded by others almost identical to it, a house filled with children who will grow and leave a house that will one day be full of strangers. It is a play about the fabric of family life; the day-to-day banter among family members, as well as the moments of intense joy and sorrow. It is a play about agony, about a boys belief in his father, and a fathers dreams for his sons and himself. Although the play deals with failure and disillusionment, it also celebrates humanity and the love between a father and a son (Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman: Meaning & Art). The article analyses the celebrated play in order to contribute to a deep understanding of the real meaning, idea, theme, plot, structure, and true merit of the work.

As we have seen, the play was an instant success in the literary circles as well as in the stages and there are various elements that explain the glorious success of the play. This literary analysis, through an investigative examination of the play, aims at bringing out the elements that went into the success of the play. Therefore, it is important to begin this analysis of the play with a short investigation of the plot followed by a serious explication of the supreme themes of the play. Basically, the play is concerned with the life and death of a salesman who lived in a world of dreams and completely avoided the thoughts of reality. Death of a Salesman needs to be addressed on the basis of this ultimate fact of the play. This best-known work by Miller treats the ending hours in the life of Willy Loman, an old salesman. On a specific day, Loman quarrels constantly with Biff, his older son, who has come back home after spending time out West. He is also rebuked by his company after more than 30 years of strenuous sweat for it. He continues to scrounge money from one of his previous friends to conceal the fact that he has not been earning anything from his sales work. He conjures up the presence of his dead brother and other memories of a happier past; recalls as well the traumatic moment when Biff, a teenager, discovered him in a hotel room with another woman; and, finally, because he is worth more dead than alive (thanks to an insurance policy), kills himself at the wheel of his automobile (Walsh). Thus, the play culminates in the death of the salesman. There are important questions regarding his suicide that have been faced by the reader. However, the epilogue of the play has been of significant consideration in an understanding of the meaning of the play. Thus, we find that in the epilogue Willys neighbor defends his memory, Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory. (Miller).

The theme of the literary work has been one prominent element of literary analysis and this discussion on the play Death of a Salesman needs to include an investigation of the major themes underlining the work. Therefore, it is significant to mention that a primary reading or analysis of the play can be instrumental in an understanding of the key themes that run through the play. Thus, in this literary analysis, we may understand the most prominent themes of the play as the American dream, abandonment, betrayal, and the like. The effect of each of these themes on the main characters is worth analyzing. To explicate on these basic themes, we can very well understand that Willy sincerely believes in the promise of the American Dreamthat a well-liked and personally attractive man in business will absolutely and deservedly obtain the material comforts that the modern American life offers. Strangely, his obsession with the outward qualities of attractiveness and likeability is contrary to a more coarse, more rewarding understanding of the American Dream that identifies hard work without grievance as the means to triumph. Willys blind faith in his stunted version of the American Dream leads to his rapid psychological decline when he is unable to accept the disparity between the Dream and his own life& Willys life charts a course from abandonment to the next, leaving him in greater despair each time& Willys primary obsession throughout the play is what he considers to be Biffs betrayal of his ambitions for him (Death of a Salesman: Study Guide: Themes). Our understanding of these primary themes of the play is augmented by the critical analysis of the play that has been available. When the play is treated as an important commentary upon the society of the time, it is significant to see Willy, representing a normal American, is completely dedicated to a life according to the American Dream which runs through the play as a significant theme.

A prominently notable element of the Death of a Salesman by Miller is that the play has been of great contribution to the literary tradition of America. When the dominant themes in the drama of twentieth-century literature are investigated, perhaps the prominent among them seems to be an attempt to recuperate or restate tragic anxiety about the human state. Thus, we find that a persistent apprehension about the decisive meaning of human suffering has been reflected, in one way or another, in the works of all of the major twentieth-century playwrights. The contribution of the American drama in this regard is worth mentionable as a particular concern of this literature has been to deal with the modern face of suffering. Arthur Miller is perhaps the most successful dramatist in the American group in terms of his ability to formulate coherent mythic patterns. Miller demonstrates his superiority to other American dramatists in the symbolic interpretation of universal dimensions of collective experience through Death of a Salesman. The play becomes conceivably the most nearly mature myth about human torment in an industrial age. Miller has formulated, in the play, a declaration about the nature of humanitarian crises in the modern era which seems, evermore, to be valid to the entire structure of civilized experience. The superiority of Death of a Salesman over the other worthy American dramas&is the sensitivity of its myth: the critical relationship of its central symbolthe Salesmanto the interpretation of the whole of contemporary life. (Jackson 7-8). Thus, the play has got great relevance in the American literary tradition as it contributes to the general themes of American literature and the literature of the twentieth century in general.

Another of the dominant themes of the play has been the inability of the chief characters to differentiate meaningfully between reality and illusion and this becomes especially important as the general mood of the play tends to move in this direction and the total experience of the different characters is based on this essential nature of the play. All through the play, we find that the Romans in general and Willy, in particular, cannot discriminate between reality and illusion. This becomes one of the major themes and sources of conflict in the play. Willy is not able to identify who he and his sons are. He conceives that they are great men who have every potential to be victorious in the business world. Regrettably, the notion proves itself to be wrong as they cannot, in reality, be successful. This reality versus illusion problem eventually brings about Willys downfall. In the end, Willy believes that a man can be worth more dead than alive. Charlie, always the voice of reality tells Willy, A man isnt worth anything dead. Willy is also unable to see change. He is a man lost in the modern era of technology. (Theme). Now, to discuss the structure of the play by Miller, it is evidently a play in three parts, two Acts and the Requiem. The play is structured to include three different days in three sections and the first two sections deal with the main themes and elements of the play through the reflections of Willy with the use of flashbacks which form a central element in the overall structure of the play. The play beginning in the present moves back into the past through flashbacks. And, this forms a significant tool for the author. The events that took place in the past expose for the reader the situations that have led up to the present-day boiling point in the Loman household. (Structure). This clearly reveals the structure of the play and this structure can very well be rated as the dramatists essential way of dealing with the themes of the play most effectively.

It is also essential to have a clear idea about the characters of Death of a Salesman and their specific importance in an overall analysis of the play. Thus, we can see that Willy Loman, the protagonist of the play, is an unconfident, self-deluded salesman. Most essentially, he is a strong believer in the concept of the American Dream which, as he thinks, would make him a successful person. In fact, he never achieves success in life. When his sons also fail to achieve this same success that he hoped for, Willy becomes a terribly disappointed person which turns him go mentally disabled. The overpowering and irresistible apprehension which the character feels due to the actual difference between what he hoped for and what he gained along with other powerful elements in his character such as the social elements contribute to the wider appeal of the play. The other main characters include the two sons of Willy, Biff, and Happy, Linda the wife of Willy, Charley, Bernard, Ben, and the unnamed woman. All these characters have an important contribution to make, in one way or other, towards the success of the play.

There are several ways to analyze the play and various ways of critical approaches contribute to an analysis of the play. One of the most essential types of criticism that can be applied to this play is archetypal criticism and when evaluated from this point, the play is rated very significantly in a way that it represents the culture of a society. This remains one background contributor to the volumes of literature that has been written on the myth of the American Dream. As we have already analyzed, one prominent theme of the play has been that of the American Dream as represented and illustrated through the central characters of the play. Thus, the culture and tradition of an entire generation and a group of people have been very essentially reflected through the masterly play by Miller. It incorporates and reflects fading dreams of a nation as well as the real potency of a myth as the American Dream. It also points to the archetypal myths that have been central to an entire community. The 1930 Depression seemed to smash all the promises America had made to its citizens. The 1929 stock market crash ended a particular version of history that is optimistic and positive. In an overview, it seemed that the American dream faded. However, it was not absolute. Myths as potent as that, illusions with such a purchase on the national psyche, are not so easily denied. In an immigrant society, which has, by definition, chosen to reject the past, faith in the future is not a matter of choice. When today fails to offer the justification for hope, tomorrow becomes the only grail worth pursuing. Arthur Miller knew this. When Charley, Willy Lomans next-door neighbor, says that a salesman is got to dream, he sums up not only Willys life but a central tenet of his culture. (Bigsby vii). Thus, we can very well argue that the play by Miller has been instrumental in keeping the optimistic spirit of the cultural myth of an entire nation. This is the real significance of the play by Arthur Miller.

Another remarkable element in the character of Willy who mythologizes people around is relating to the mythological way of understanding the play. For example, he compares Biff and Happy to the mythic Greek figures Adonis and Hercules as they are identified by him as apexes of personal attractiveness and power through well-liked -ness and notably, to him, they seem the very incarnation of the American Dream. Willys mythologizing proves quite nearsighted, however. Willy fails to realize the hopelessness of Singlemans lonely, on-the-job, on-the-road death&Similarly, neither Biff nor Happy ends up leading an ideal, godlike life; while Happy does believe in the American Dream, it seems likely that he will end up no better off than the decidedly un-godlike Willy (Death of a Salesman: Study Guide: Mythic Figures). Therefore, the use of such mythic figures also needs to be understood on the basis of an archetypal way of dealing with this literary piece.

There have been a large number of critical works that concentrate on the various merits of the play and an overall discussion of what elements go into the making of the play an important achievement in the American literary tradition brings about a number of conclusions. In an ultimate conclusion, it is not possible for a common reader of the play to arrive at all the elementary aspects of this literary achievement. There have been severe criticisms as well about the merit of the play. However, no analysis of the play can conclude without paying attention to the true merits of the play that distinguishes it from the countless volumes of literary pieces in a similar stratum. There are a hundred ways to see the play, as Miller himself knew, bogus ways and true ways. We can smile when Miller tells us that as one audience left the play he heard a man, probably a salesman, tell another that New England always was a lousy territory. But something about the play strikes deep now, and did in 1949, and will. This something is the poetry of the play, not something that can be isolated in particulars, but the way the whole play ranges out from its center which is Willy, the way it echoes far past its own American images, the way it demands a hearing for its own sentimentality and exaggeration. The great issues the play embodies are human issues brought to a focal point on the American continent. (Heyen 48). In an ultimate conclusion to the literary analysis of the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, it can be well established that the merit of the literary piece is far superior and the several awards and the long-lasting recognition it has achieved proves the true class of the play as well as the playwright.

Works Cited

Bigsby, Christopher. Introduction: Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts by Arthur Miller. (n.d). Penguin Classics. 1998. vii.

Themes, Motifs & Symbols. SparkNotes. 2006.

Walsh, David. Arthur Miller, An American Playwright. World Socialist Web Site.org. 2005.

Death of a Salesman: Study Guide: Themes, Motifs & Symbols. SparkNotes. 2006.

Heyen, William. Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman and the American Dream. New York: Chelsea House. 1988. 48.

Jackson, Esther Merle. Death of a Salesman: Tragic Myth in the Modern Theatre. New York: Chelsea House. 1988. 7-8.

Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman: Meaning & Art Yahoo: Geocities. 2008.

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Penguin Classics. 1998.

Theme, Death of a Salesman. Homework Online. 1998-2008. 2008.

Structure, Death of a Salesman. Homework Online. 1998-2008. 2008.

Introduction

The main action of Arthur Millers play Death of a Salesman is focused on the final two days in the life of an ordinary man named Willy Loman. At the opening of the play, it becomes apparent that Willy has been losing his sanity, yet he is still somewhat surprised when he commits suicide at the end. Within these two days, Miller allows his characters failing memory to dominate the tone of the play as he shifts between memory and the present, permitting the audience the opportunity to understand Willys perceptions regarding his relationships.

Main body

Willy Loman is not the usual tragic hero; he is lower middle class and none too clever. The world he inhabits is that of amoral, capitalistic big business rather than one with any clear moral value (Abbotson, 2000, p. 25). The confusion caused by this difference between what Willy believes of the world as compared to the actual world, he is unable to establish any kind of meaningful connection with his family members and they are unable to help him during this time of crisis. According to critic Harold Bloom, Willy Loman has confused himself into the belief that without success he does not deserve to be loved& Loman fails to see that familial love never can be deserved, or undeserved, but only is, or is not. An in-depth look at Willys use of symbolism, irony, and imagery help to reveal his highly sensitive, confused, and desperate nature.

As the play begins, Willy reveals to his wife that his mind just cant stay focused on whats important anymore which forces him to increasingly rely on the symbols hed established as markers of success. For Willy, the symbol of success at home is the existence of a good relationship between father and son. However, because his understanding is based almost exclusively on the workings of the business world, he seems to be under the belief that this relationship should spring up naturally as Biff realizes and appreciates the sacrifices Willy has made for him rather than because of any effort Willy has put into it. Willy Loman & lives by corrupt values because that is all he knows; thus he kills the whole purpose which the family held for him, the love of Biff (Newman, 1958). Because of the concept of his role in the family and his inability to realize that his role has changed over the years, Willy inadvertently installs the roadblocks that prevent him from enjoying a closer relationship with his son.

A conversation between Biff and Willy in Act 2 illustrates how Willy continues to adopt the dominant father role with Biff rather than recognizing that his son is now an adult and has ideas of his own. In this scene, Biff asks his father for a minute to explain what happened during his meeting with Oliver and Willy automatically begins to shape the conversation: Ive been waiting for you to explain since I sat down here! What happened? He took you into his office and what? (Miller, 1999, p. 82). When Biff tries to get a new handle on the conversation, Willy interrupts and brings it back onto the course Willy envisions by again asking a question demanding a specific answer. Although Biff begins to answer out of habit, he suddenly realizes whats happening and his frustration becomes clear: His answer was  He breaks off, suddenly angry. Dad, youre not letting me tell you what I want to tell you! (Miller, 1999, p. 82). Because of his inability to recognize and appreciate the change that has taken place in the relationship as his son grew up, Willy is now forced to realize that he is no longer able to connect with Biff. The symbol of close father/son camaraderie is thus broken and Willy must conclude that he has failed as a father.

Business success is another important symbol of a successful life for Willy, perhaps even more important than success as a father. Willys failure to provide his wife with a secure home, insurance, and pay off the refrigerator sets up a situation providing only one possible winning way out. Willys perspective holds that material success is the only way to purchase his sons devotion and ensure he has provided for his wife. As has been mentioned, to Willy, these aspects of family are the true hallmarks of success and are completely dependent on money. Only once he has achieved this state of comfortable support of the mother and earned the admiration of the sons can Willy relax into his role as family patriarch. Anything less is unacceptable. Willys desperation in this regard is first illustrated through his low pay, which is revealed to be almost nothing as he works on commission and hasnt sold anything in a while. However, within his first business discussion of the play, he is fired from his position and then refuses a position offered to him by Charley. In this scene, Charley demonstrates how not all value can be measured in terms of financial well-being. Although he can offer Willy a job with a casual comment of You want a job? (Miller, 1999, p. 28), he is not able to work out any means of how Willy might have managed to put up the ceiling in the living room. Charley recognizes the value in Willys ability to handle tools, a skill Willy himself also values in that Willy is quick to devalue Charley because he cannot. However, Willy is also quick to dismiss this skill under the weight of material success, as represented by his brother Ben.

Because he is unable to achieve a position of authority within the business world, the Home is the only realm where Willy can be the father, the patriarchal authority, so he invests it with sanctity (Stanton, p. 135). This dollar and cents approach to the family is the only means by which Willy can attain a sense of importance within himself. This is the motivation behind his constant bragging to his sons and his business associates. The realization that he has reached the end of his career without having achieved the proper support for his wife serves to severely threaten Willys patriarchal position while the reopened chasm between himself and Biff drives it home that he has also failed as a father. It is only when Willy understands that Biff loves him, even though both are failures, that he achieves a degree of insight. It is too late to change the course of events, but he goes to his death more nearly at peace than at any time in the play (Brockett, 1969). Willys suicide demonstrates both the incredible love he had for his family as well as his whole-hearted belief in the American ideal system as a system of quantifiable measures that he must provide one way or another.

In constantly working to appear successful to those he loves, Willy prevents his family from truly getting to know the real Willy and thus be able to appreciate his true gifts. Because he must constantly work to uphold this image he has created of himself, he is never permitted to reveal the lonely and frightened man he is inside and thus experience the kind of deep relationship he longs for. Early danger signs of Willys later problems can be found in Willys memories which we can detect the seed of later difficulties as Willy tries to impress his boys by exaggerating the importance and prestige of his job (Bloom, 1996, p. 15). An example of this kind of attempt at impressing others can be found in the first act as Willy, deep into a memory of a time when the boys were much younger, tells them about opening his own business, having coffee with the Mayor of Providence, and why he will someday be a big success: And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England. The finest people. And when I bring you fellas up, therell be open sesame for all of us, cause one thing, boys: I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own (Miller, 1999, p. 18). Through these types of exaggerations, the audience realizes that Willy is not able to find any element of success in his current relationship with his boys as for himself but must instead invent an alternate Willy that has a degree of importance in the outer world. He can find no value in himself and instead defines himself by how highly he is esteemed by those around him. Despite all this, he longs to be loved for himself.

As he is finally brought to the realization that his slipping memory means he cannot work anymore, Willy finds himself grasping for a foundation within his family based on the truth but with no idea how to get there. Although Willy wants nothing more than an escape from the imaginary world that hes created, he rejects every attempt Biff makes to try to pull him out by forcing the truth. The desperate way in which he steers the conversation discussed earlier with Biff regarding Biffs meeting with Oliver is one example of how Willy evades the truth in the present. This same sort of scene takes place at the end of the play as well, only this time Biff is unwilling to back down to keep the family calm. He turns on Happys claims of being practically the assistant buyer at work even though hes only the second assistant to the assistant to the buyer. Youre practically full of it! We all are! And Im through with it & I stole myself out of every good job since high school! & And I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody! (Miller, 1999, p. 101). In his speech to Willy, Biff relates his epiphany experienced after having stolen the fountain pen from Olivers office and the sense of freedom and peace he realized as a result of simply facing the truth: Im just what I am, thats all (Miller, 1999, p. 103).

While Biff can experience freedom in the acceptance of himself just as he is, he simply cannot convince his father that this is enough. Willy tells Biff, correctly, Im not a dime a dozen! Im Willy Loman (Miller, 1999, p. 102). He places value on himself because of who he is, the value of his name. While Biff also has found value in himself just as he is, there is a difference in how the two men perceive this value. Biff understands that it is in simply accepting those things that make one happy and doing those things that one is valuable. Willy doesnt realize that the value of Willy Loman does not lie in the external trappings of material success and high esteem among others, but in simply being himself. Because material success seems so necessary to Willy, he believes that his sons cannot love him if he is not successful. Love becomes an item to be bought rather than something to be freely given (Brockett, 1969). When Biff breaks down in front of him, Willy is suddenly able to see his sons feeling for him clearly: Isnt that  isnt that remarkable? Biff  he likes me! & He cried! Cried to me. [He is choking with his love, and now cries out his promise] That boy  that boy is going to be magnificent! (Miller, 1999, p. 103). While Willy recognizes that true value cannot be measured by dollars and cents, he is nevertheless unable to escape making the connection.

Most of what the world can know about Willy is based upon an image he has of himself. Even when he knows better, Willy continues to present an image to his family and his business associates that are designed to make him seem more important and respected. As has been discussed previously, even when Willy is demonstrated to have had a very close relationship with his boys, watching them clean the car, talking about football, and able to bring home a gift for them that is completely in keeping with what they want, he is insecure in their admiration of him. Instead of simply accepting that his position at work is that of a mere traveling salesman but appreciating the many places he gets to see, Willy embellishes his position to make himself seem more important than he is. He becomes carried away by his visions, such as when he begins planting seeds in his yard near the end of the play even though hes well aware that the buildings now block off too much sunlight for anything to grow: The grass doesnt grow anymore, you cant raise a carrot in the back yard (Miller, 1999, p. 6). Significantly, it is carrots that Willy is attempting to plant in the backyard just before his death.

Throughout the play, there was little option for Willy to do anything other than what he did within the context of his personality and understanding. His absolute belief in the American ideal in which a father lived by certain principles to provide his family with their basic needs was inextricably tied to his ideas of his status within the family unit itself. This perspective is revealed in an examination of the set of symbols by which Willy judges his life. From this perspective, the only way to attain familial success was to first obtain business success. Upon realizing he had not achieved business success, Willy was forced to acknowledge he had not achieved familial success. The irony of his personality is that he had familial success if he would just abandon his symbols and take a look at the truth. The truth held that he wasnt a financial success, but that made his familial success all the more profound because it simply didnt matter to the people that loved him. There is also significant irony in Willys belief that the family would receive the $20,000 life insurance benefit upon his death, thus providing them with the type of success hed dreamed of but that it was not awarded because of his mode of death by suicide. By clearing away the problem of business success through his provision of the insurance money, Willy was finally able to come to the understanding that his son had loved him all along, regardless of whether he had achieved some magic material number of dollars. In realizing this simple truth, Willy can die with a sense of peace.

Works Cited

Abbotson, Susan C. Student Companion to Arthur Miller. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.

Bloom, Harold. Blooms Notes: Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publications, 1996.

Brockett, Oscar G. An Introduction to Death of a Salesman. The Theatre: An Introduction. 2nd Ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969.

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Viking Press, 1949.

Newman, William J. The Role of the Family in Millers Plays. Book Reviews: The Plays of Arthur Miller. Twentieth Century, Vol. 164, N. 981, November 1958.

Stanton, Kay. Women and the American Dream of Death of a Salesman. Feminist Readings of Modern American Drama. Jane Schlueter (Ed.). Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1989.

This scene is at the last of the play, beginning about line 780 in Act II and continuing to the end of the play. Willy and the boys have already had a fight, and the boys left with a couple of local tarts without telling their father they were going. Willy left, dazed, to go buy seeds at the hardware store. His back yard has been totally shut in by tall buildings; no sun even reaches the ground, but he plants a garden anyway. The next scene begins as the boys get home with roses for their mother. This will be from Linda Lomans point of view.

Narrative

I heard them come in; happy first, and Biff was just behind. I had been sitting here waiting, holding Willys jacket. I took it from him when he walked in the door alone. He told me what the boys did, leaving him there at the restaurant, then went to the garage, babbling something about planting the garden. Hes trying to play innocent, and he has flowers as if that will make everything ok. They practically destroyed their father and then took off with a couple of hussies. I left him there. Just left him. After all the sacrifices Willy made for them, and they did this, humiliated him completely.

Whatre you doing up? Happy asked, pretending to be so innocent as if he didnt know.

Where were you? I asked Happily. He made some lame excuse about nice girls and offered me the roses. I slapped them down to Biffs feet.

Happy tried again, Now, what are you do that for? Mom, I want you to have some flowers

Dont you care whether he lives or dies? Happy tried to get Biff to come in. He was always the hard one. He was still angry with his father, not sure why, but probably something to do with how much of a dreamer he is. He sneered at me, really disgusted, saying, What do you mean, lives or dies? Nobody is dying around here, pal.

I ordered him out of the house, out of my sight. He said he wanted to see the boss. Yeah, some boss now. Youre not going near him, I said. I lost it, just started shouting at him. I couldnt understand how they could go to meet their father when he invited them to dinner and then take off with two whores. I called them names, animals, reminded them how nobody ever humiliated their father like that. They tried to say that Willy had a great time with them. I knew better. He came home all wilted, sort of like a balloon thats been blown up a bunch of times and then let go, all limp and sort of misshapen. I mean he looked the same. But he wasnt. I could tell. He said he was tired, but I know tired, and this was a lot more than tired.

You didnt even go in to see if he was all right.

No, didnt, Biff admitted. Didnt do a damn thing. How do you like that, heh? Left him babbling in a toilet.

You louse, you&. I could not think what to say.

Now you hit it on the nose!  Biff threw the roses he had just picked up into the trash as he got up. Scum of the earth, he said, and youre looking at him. Then we argued some more. Biff kept insisting that he had to see the boss, and I kept telling him to get out. Finally Biff hear Willy hammering in the garden stakes outside.

Whats he doing out there? Biff demanded.

Hes planting a garden, I replied.

He got real quiet then, Now? Oh my God!

We stood there and watched Willy from the doorway, measuring off the space, tapping in the stakes. Planting peas and carrots where the sun would never touch them. They would be spindly little yellow things, anemic and worn out without ever having really lived. He babbled to himself as he worked, about the boys, money, $20,000. Kept insisting he wasnt a coward. Biff finally stepped out and they started talking, Willy insisting he had no time, had to plant the garden and Biff trying to tell him to come in and that he was leaving, because every time he came home they fought.

Willy kept insisting that Biff had a brilliant future, that the boss had put his arm around Biff proved it. Finally Biff just said it out. He sees himself as a failure, because he just cannot live up to Willys expectations. They came in and argued some more in the kitchen. It wasnt any use. They just kept on at each other, tearing each other down.

When Willy brought out the rubber hose, I realized that he had tried to use the car to kill himself. I was frozen, unbelieving. Then Willy swept into his usual tirade about how Biff could be anything he wanted to be. How everyone knew him and everyone knew Willy. Biff couldnt take it any more, and he just started yelling how he was worthless, Pop! Im a dime a dozen, and so are you!

Willy just blew up. I am not a dime a dozen, he insisted, I am Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman! I thought Biff was going to kill him, but Happy stepped in between them. Biff just started to cry, Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens? The boys went to bed, but I couldnt get Willy to come. He said he had to sit and think. He said hed be up in two minutes.

I knew when I heard the car start up and take off I would never see him again. I knew. He left to never come back and he took with him everything I have ever wanted.

Now, Im here in this graveyard, and its getting dark. We buried him today, and nobody came. Nobody at all. I dont understand, He knew all those people, and none of them came. Charlie and the boys and I were all who were there. Not even Willys boss came, that cold fish that took over for his father. They talked, Charlie about how nobody could blame Willy, and Happy about how he would succeed for his father and Biff just about how Willy had the wrong dreams, didnt know who he was. I sent them all away to have a last work with Willy. I blamed him; he took everything from me, all of my dreams are gone.

I cant even cry. I am just so empty, so very alone. He didnt need to do that. I made the last payment on the house today, and therell be nobody home. The boys are leaving, and Willys gone, and here I will be, in the house, closed in by big buildings, never see the sun, alone, all alone. How could he do that to me? I gave him everything, and he just left, left me alone, forever.

Introduction

Death of a Salesman is a stage play that was written in 1949 by Arthur Miller, an American playwright and literary activist who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play is a famous piece of art, which is considered as one of the best theater works of the 20th century (Thompson, The Baggage Handlers 52). The composition is translated into various languages and played in many theatres around the world.

The central theme of the story, which is denial, cracks the myth of the American dream and helps the author to reveal the social values of people in the USA. The unusual theme of the drama ensured its uniqueness and contributed to the popularity of the author. In this paper, the analysis of the Death of a Salesman will be conducted. The work will be divided into three parts and contain the summary of the play, as well as the discussion of the protagonists of the story. In addition, the description of the main themes of the work will be included. At the end of the paper, the conclusion that summarizes the main ideas will be presented.

Summary of the Play

The story narrates about the Loman family, which consists of four members, namely, a middle-aged man, Willy, his wife, Linda, and their two sons, Biff and Happy. Willy has mental health issues related to his inability to recall some events that happened in the past. Sometimes, when his memories are relived, he talks to fake images from his imagination and digs deep into himself. Two brothers, Biff and Happy, have other concerns and difficulties.

They feel unhappy about their careers, as both of them failed to achieve success and become financially stable. In general, the first act of the play is based on the memories of Willy and Linda about the positive and negative moments of their lives. It introduces the lifestyles of the main characters to spectators and provides some essential details about their personalities.

As the narration continues, the audience learns more about the Loman family. Willy, who works as a salesman, goes to his boss to ask him to change his schedule so he could stay in New York instead of traveling to other cities. As a result, he loses his job and continues to lament the inability of his sons to earn more money. He is especially disappointed with his oldest son, Biff, who seems to lose respect for his father. Willy does not remember that his son learned about his affair with another woman and realized that Willy was not a fair and honest person. He was pretending, playing the role of a successful salesman, loving husband, and caring father.

Due to his mental issues, Willy frequently has daydreams where he sees himself, Linda, and his two sons younger and more successful. He imagines that he returns from a profitable sale trip, and his children are wealthier than in reality. He also feels sorry that he did not go to Africa with his relative, Ben, to find a diamond mine to become rich. The wrong dreams of Willy make his family feel unhappy. Thus, his wife is tired of her husbands fantasies and his son Biff thinks that he is not good enough for his father because he was not able to meet his expectations.

At the end of the play, Willy dies, and his family and friends get together to validate his death. They discuss possible reasons for Willys passing away, suggesting that mental issues and failure to become a good salesman became fatal for him.

After the funeral, members of the Loman family start thinking about their future. Thus, Biff is going to leave for the West and invites his younger brother, Happy, to accompany him. Happy, however, decides to stay at home and mourn the loss of his father. Linda has controversial feelings, because, on the one hand, she is grieving for her husband. On the other hand, she feels relief because she realizes that from the moment of the death of Willy, her family is free. There are no strange fantasies and reproaches in her family anymore.

The Protagonists of the Story

The main character of the story is the head of the Loman family, Willy. He is 63 years old, but it does not prevent him from having childish behavior. Even though he is the father of two sons, Willy is not supportive of his children. He needs to be supported because his emotional state is unstable. It seems that he has two different lives traveling between past and present times. Thus, in reality, he is just an old and sick man, who is dissatisfied with his job, family, and financial status. However, in the world of his dreams, he turns into a successful and young merchandizer, who has two rich sons and a young wife. Being reluctant to return to reality, Willy looks for privacy, so no one disturbs him from dreaming.

His wife, Linda, is a lovely woman who tolerates the strange behavior of her husband. She has an entirely different personality compared to Willy, as she takes care of and supports all the members of her family. She is represented as a smart woman who understands the real situation. Nevertheless, she always tries to think positively and calm down her husband when he is annoyed because of the high bills or insolvency of their sons.

It is worth noting that despite Willys poor treatment of his wife, Linda loves him and even encourages Biff and Happy to spend more time with their father. Her life is not simple next to the unstable and poor man, but she never thinks about leaving him and never argues with Willy demonstrating the true nature of loyalty.

Biff Loman, the elder son of Willy and Linda, is shown as a subject of Willys resentment. Biff used to have a lot of potential at high school as he was a promising football player and studied well. However, one day, he saw his father with another woman and, being upset, decided to drop out of school. Willy does not remember this incident and keeps insisting on Biff becoming a businessman. His son, however, wants to be a farmer and live in the West. As a result, he wavers between working as a businessman to please his father and doing what he likes. Eventually, after his fathers death, Biff reunites with his dream and leaves New York.

His brother, Happy, seems to be neglected by his parents. Willy pins all his hopes on Biff and does not have any expectations toward his younger son. Happy is continuously feeling that his parents ignore him and, to attract their attention, lies to them. Thus, one day, he said he was going to get married just because he wanted to get a little bit of attention from his family. The real name of the character is Harold, but everyone calls him Happy. The reason for that is because he always tries to support everyone around him, so people do not argue with each other and feel happy.

All the other characters portrayed in the play aim to show the difference between the Loman family and the people around them. Thus, their neighbors, Charley and his son Bernard are represented as subjects of Willys jealousy because of their success and wealth. Ironically, Willy has a relative, Ben, who achieved the so-called American dream and became fantastically rich. He is shown as a role model for Willy, whose dream about wealth will never come true.

The Main Themes of the Play

The play Death of Salesman is a combination of dreams, memories, and fantasies. The central theme of the play turns out to be denial. The protagonist of the story, Willy Loman, denies the reality where he lives and fails to realize that he is not a successful salesman and his sons are not businessmen. He gets annoyed during the short period of his backslide to the present because everything does not look in the way how he sees it in the dreams. Eventually, he begins to spend more time in his pleasant memories, trying to escape reality.

The life of Willy demonstrates the crackdown of the American dream, which is usually considered as something that can always be achieved through hard work and proper efforts. However, the author shows that despite Willys lifetime efforts, he failed to discover the secret of success and become wealthy (Thompson, Built like Adonises 26). As a result, Willy commits suicide at the end of the play, being unable to bear with a substantial discrepancy between his desires and abilities. The scene of Willys death conveys the idea that people must appreciate their lives even if they are poor and do not have everything they want.

The theme of denial is further developed through the demonstration of relationships between Willy and his elder son, Biff. Willy does not understand why Biff does not adore him anymore as he used to be in the past because he forgot about the incident that happened years ago. It facilitates tension between them, which has already been existed for a long time due to the high expectations of Willy toward his son. Biff, however, runs between his two main dreams, namely, to meet the expectations of his father and do what he likes. At the end of the play, it becomes evident that Biff fails to please Willy. However, the author gives him a chance to change his life and sends him to the West.

Similarly, Willys wife, Linda, denies that her husband needs professional help. Being aware of Willys mental problems, she prefers to ignore them and protect his illusions. She treats his dreams as truth and persuades Biff and Happy to do so as well. By doing so, Linda tried to save the piece in her family and avoid arguments. Therefore, all the members of the Loman family deny the reality of pursuing their desires and dreams.

Also, Miller managed to show the social values of Americans by describing the lives of the protagonists of the story. In other words, the author suggests the spectators a mirror where they can see themselves. He shows the variety of American society and different people that occupy one space. All of the individuals possess divergent traits, preferences, and lifestyles. Thus, Willy believes that the main characteristics that his children should have are likability and initiative. Biff and Happy, however, have different views and do not share the opinion of their father. Showing the relationships between Willy and his son, Miller demonstrates the shift in the values of American society that occurred in the 20th century.

Thus, the generation of Willy actively pursued the idea of the American dream that promised everyone to be happy and prosperous. The majority of representatives of the older generation, including Willy, his relative Ben, and neighbor Charley, see wealth and financial stability as the main factor that defines the success of human beings. The Depression of the 1930s, however, broke all the promises that were given to the citizens of the USA, and the American dream faded (Bindas 165).

While it caused disappointment and dissatisfaction of the elderly, young people seemed to react differently due to the transformation of the social values of younger generations. For instance, Biff is a realist, and he does not dream about a luxurious life. Instead, Biff admits that he is a regular man, who wants to settle down somewhere in the West and hold a farm. Similarly, his brother, Happy, does not think about becoming a businessman. He desperately tries to attract the attention of his family as it helps him to feel happy, and it seems like it is everything he needs.

Therefore, the play Death of a Salesman is not a simple story that describes the interaction of a group of people. Instead, it shows a family system, which shapes individuals behaviors and attitudes. Analyzing their behaviors and traits, it is possible to suggest that the theme of denial is a central idea of the story. This opinion is supported by Allan and Nancy Chavkin, who asserts that the theme of rejection is at the heart of Death of Salesman (27). Thus, the once popular idea of pursuing an American dream stopped being attractive for the new generation and was cracked by Miller, which helped him to reveal the social values of Americans.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the play Death of Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, is a truly unique and valuable piece of art. Based on the communication of people within the Loman family, the author managed to raise the importance of rejection in peoples lives. Miller shows that humans must have the ability to appreciate what they have and accept their realities. The suicide of the protagonist of the story at the end of the play highlights that peoples refusal to accept the lives they have leads to negative consequences.

Also, the drama demonstrates the transformation of the social values of Americans, which happened due to the destruction of concepts of the American dream in the first half of the 20th century. Since the play suggests many exciting ideas and thoughts, it can be recommended to become familiar with this composition for both youth and adults.

Works Cited

Bindas, Kenneth. Modernity and the Great Depression: The Transformation of American Society, 19301941. Journal of Interdisciplinary History, vol. 49, no. 1, 2018, pp. 164-165.

Chavkin, Allan, and Nancy Chavkin. Looking at Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman through the Lens of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection Theory and Family Systems Theory. The Arthur Miller Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, 2015, pp. 27-44.

Thompson, Terry. Built like Adonises: Evoking Greek Icons in Death of a Salesman. The Midwest Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 3, 2016, pp. 24-34.

. The Baggage Handlers: Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. The Explicator, vol. 75, no. 1, 2017, pp. 52-54.

Death of a Salesman is a 1949 chef-doeuvre stage play by Arthur Miller, which addresses various issues that were affecting American society at the time. Specifically, the theme of the American dream features prominently in this play. According to Mgamis, historian James Truslow Adams coined the idea of the American dream to mean the pursuit of a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank which is the greatest contribution we have as yet made to the thought and welfare of the world (p. 69). At the time when Miller wrote this play, Americans were eager to renew their lives and establish a promising future especially after the ravaging effects of World War II. However, this quest for betterment, albeit positive in nature, had many loopholes and negative impacts on peoples lives. In the play, Miller uses the protagonist, Willy Loman, and other characters to explore both the positive and negative effects of the American dream. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the theme of the American dream in the play, Death of a Salesman, together with the usage of irony in the same context.

Thematic Analysis

The American dream is multifaceted with both positive and negative effects on citizens lives and wellbeing. On the one hand, some people are willing to work hard and exploit the available opportunities to become successful, especially in terms of wealth accumulation. This is the positive side of the American dream  the idea that a person could become highly successful as long as he or she is willing to pay the cost through diligence. Mgamis argues that American society celebrated people who, with nothing but pluck and ingenuity, created financial empires that towered over the national imagination (p. 69). This was, and still is, the beauty of the most coveted American dream. On the other hand, another group of individuals mistakenly assumes that by virtue of being Americans living in the country, they have the inherent right of becoming successful, even without working hard. This delusional thinking has seen many Americans fail to exploit their full potential because they live under the illusion that they are wired for success. Willy Loman, the protagonist in Death of a Salesman, is such one character representing the delusional side of this dream.

According to Willy, anyone living in America and has good looks, charisma, and a certain level of likeability, he or she is guaranteed success. Consequently, he does not put in the required hard work and strategic execution of goals to become successful. On the contrary, he only dreams of success, and he tells his children, Someday Ill have my own business, and Ill never have to leave home anymore (Miller, p. 18). Willys idea of success lies somewhere in the future, and thus he does not even acknowledge any other form of progress from a pragmatic perspective. Despite the fact that Charley is quite successful, Willy believes that he will be more prosperous because Charley is not  liked. Hes liked, but hes not  well-liked (Miller, p. 18). Willys misconstrued understanding of success under the illusion is so deeply rooted that he does not seem to appreciate the underlying absurdity. Even though he is poor and struggling when offered a job by Charley, he retorts, I got a job, I told you that. What the hell are you offering me a job for? (Miller, p. 29). This assertion is ironic in itself.

The irony lies in the fact that Willy borrows Charley money, while at the same time insisting that he does not need a job because he is good-looking, charismatic, and likable, and thus within no time, he will be successful. Miller also uses irony to criticize the distorted idea of the American dream. For instance, while Willy is convinced that what is needed for success in America is a set of certain attributes, such as likeability, charisma, and good looks, he knows that he lacks the same. He admits, Im fat. Im very  foolish to look at, Linda&they do laugh at me (Miller, p. 24). It is ironic that Willy does not have the very attributes that he claims are associated with success. In other words, he dreams of becoming prosperous using what he does not possess.

Similarly, after realizing the absurdity of his dreams, Willy contemplates suicide as the only way his children and wife could get access to an insurance claim of $20,000. Ironically, while he understands that if the company finds out that he committed suicide it might not compensate the family, he thinks it is the only way out of his failure (Centola, p. 32). Ben reminds him, You dont want to make a fool of yourself. They might not honor the policy (Miller, p. 100). However, Willy is adamantly delusional and he posits, How can they dare refuse? Didnt I work like a coolie to meet every premium on the nose? And now they dont pay off? Impossible (Miller, p. 100). The author uses this irony to highlight the futility of thinking that the American dream is an automatic ticket to success for all Americans residing in the country. Many people, just like Willy who knows that the insurance company might not pay after his death, are aware that success requires dedication and strategic execution of plans, but they fancy the idea of becoming prosperous out of nothing.

However, some individuals, such as Ben, are pragmatic about the American dream, and thus they work hard to attain success and material wealth. Ben tells Willys sons, Boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich (Miller, p. 34). In other words, Ben understands and acknowledges the place of hard work and taking calculated risks in order to realize his dreams. He is not simply a wishful thinker  he acts on his dreams, which is the underlying concept of the American dream. Miller uses the contrasting ideas of Willy and Ben concerning success to educate the audience about the need to be realistic when pursuing the ever-elusive American dream.

Conclusion

In Death of a Salesman, Miller presents a strong case against the illusion of the American dream that many Americans were obsessed with in the post-World War II era. While almost everyone was optimistic about a better future, very few were willing to work hard to realize their dreams. Willys idea of success under the American dream based on good looks, charisma, and likeability was relatable to many Americans at the time. Ironically, while these people knew what was needed to achieve success, they chose to remain delusional, like Willy. Miller was critical to the idea of the American dream as portrayed in the play, Death of a Salesman.

Works Cited

1. Centola, Steven. Family Values in Death of a Salesman. CLA Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, 1993, pp. 29-41.
2. Mgamis, Majid Salem. Death of a Salesman: Critique of the American Dream. International Journal of Language and Literature, vol. 5, no. 1, 2017, pp. 69-71.
3. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Penguin Books, 1998.

Introduction

Within Death of a Salesman, there are three different settings: Boston, Brooklyn, and inside of Willy’s mind. The play starts off in Brooklyn, New York, inside an apartment that is super cramped by other buildings. Willy dislikes his home because of how enclosed and claustrophobic it is. He desperately wants to move to somewhere more open and free, like Texas. In Boston, the Lomans have the conversation at the restaurant; it is also where Biff discovers Willy and the women’s affair that has been going on for so and so years.

Boston is a place of heartbreak and misdirection for the Lomans. The final setting in the play is inside Willy’s head. We see many flashbacks: for instance, times when the boys are in high school, when the Lomans are at Biff’s football games when they are at home just hanging out together, etc. This implies that most of the setting takes place within the mind of Willy Loman. As readers, we can not always trust Willy because he is not a reliable source. The main setting was in the 1940s. The flashbacks are in a time 15-25 years before then; we see a time of relief and prosperity in America before and after World War II.

Major Symbols, Motifs, Images

Some of the major symbols throughout Death of a Salesman are the seeds, the stockings, and the tennis racket. Willy has a garden, and at the end of the play, when he has no seeds planted in it, he goes nuts. By planting the seeds, he is striving for his legacy to keep “growing” or to be passed on to his children. He does not want to leave the earth without creating a legacy for himself and his kids. The stockings are a reminder to Willy that he has failed at life and show that he can’t provide for his family as he dreams of doing. Bernard’s tennis racket is a symbol of success for him and a symbol of failure for Biff.

It is ironic that Bernard succeeded in life because he was not well-liked like Biff. Willy realizes this and assumes Bernard blames him for the fall of Biff. Some motifs within the play are wealth/debt, Alaska/Africa/American West, diamonds in the jungle, and open/enclosed spaces. The Loman’s wealth and debt fluctuate a lot, but they never seem to be out of debt until the requiem. The burden of debt shows the Loman family’s struggle to secure financial freedom. It also shows that it can tear apart a family who is poor. The motif of Alaska, Africa, and the American West represents Willy’s want for freedom and an escape from the tight, lonely lifestyle he lives.

It gives Willy a false sense of Hope for his kids and himself that they will get out of the economic gutter. In Willy’s flashbacks, Ben talks about diamonds in the jungle a lot. These diamonds represent a high-risk, high-reward outcome. Back then, technology was not very advanced. Diamond diamond mining was a scarce job due to the fear of death in the mine, but those who sought out that job were surprised with riches beyond their wildest dreams.

Significance of the Opening Scene(s)

Miller begins Death of a Salesman with Willy and Linda talking about Willy’s accident with the car; although it does not seem like an accident, Linda supports him through it. Willy talks about not feeling well and having uncontrollable daydreams. This shows Willy’s deception of real life. Miller shows Willy contradicting himself a lot and pressing his hands against his eyes, showing he is depressed. It is shown that the Lomans live in a small apartment in Brooklyn, and compared to the other lots, theirs is just adequate. The Loman’s lack of content shows their societal role within the book as a low-income, middle-class family struggling to achieve the American dream. Miller proves all of these facts through stage directions.

Significance of the Ending/Closing Scene

The closing scene of the play shows Linda, Biff, Charley, and Happy at Willy’s funeral, with many fewer people than expected. While they are reminiscing his memory, Linda can’t seem to understand why. Willy never identified who he truly was, and the dreams he wanted to achieve were misdirected by his family and flashbacks. Linda held him back because she always agreed with his lies and opinions, no matter what they were, because she cherished and admired him. Because Willy did not truly know his goals, this led him to discontent with his life; he was constantly seeking something new or better to do. Biff ultimately disliked Willy for that very reason. It also signifies Happy, who has become complacent with his life even after his father’s death.

Description of Author’s Style

Miller takes on a style of recording Willy’s mental state throughout the play. The protagonist of Death of a Salesman is subject to uncontrollable daydreams/flashbacks of reality. Willy’s Psyche grew extremely “tired” and out of control, which led to him having a hard time coming back to reality by himself; it was always outside forces that brought him back, for instance, a tap recorder playing its recording after he bumped it. Miller’s style is to never let Willy be free from his clouded mind. He, in addition, uses ordinary language commonly used in the 1940s to express the realistic and expressionistic side of the story when he has flashbacks. Miller gives the reader expressionistic and realistic views of Willy’s declining life in his style.

The passage that Demonstrates the Author’s Style

This passage demonstrates Miller’s style because it has the literary technique of ordinary language, realism, and expressionism.
“Howard [getting up]: You’ll have to excuse me, Willy; I gotta see some people. Pull yourself together. [Going out] I’ll be back in a little while. [On HOWARD’S exit, the light on his chair grows very bright and strange.] Willy: Pull myself together! What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I! [WILLY breaks off, staring at the light, which occupies the chair, animating it. He approaches this chair, standing across the desk from it.]

Frank, Frank, don’t you remember what you told me that time? How you put your hand on my shoulder, and Frank… [He leans on the desk, and as he speaks the dead man’s name, he accidentally switches on the recorder, and instantly–] HOWARD’S Son: … of New York is Albany. The capital of Ohio is Cincinnati, the capital of Rhode Island is… [The recitation continues.] Willy [leaping away with fright, shouting]: Ha! Howard! Howard! Howard! HOWARD [rushing in]: What happened? WILLY [pointing at the machine, which continues nasally, childishly, with capital cities]: Shut it off! Shut it off! HOWARD [pulling the plug out]: Look, Willy… WILLY [pressing his hands to his eyes]: I gotta get myself some coffee. I’ll get some coffee…” (Miller, 2.62).

Themes/Universal Truths/Author’s Purpose

Throughout Death of a Salesman, there are many themes portrayed. For instance, the American dream, freedom/hope/plans, and Abandonment.

The American Dream

Willy has always had this fixation on freedom and the right to wealth and success, also known as “the American dream.” He craved it ever since he was a little boy because his dad had achieved it before him, as well as his brother Ben. Willy felt the weight of being the only man in the family who had not amounted to anything particularly amazing in life. This insistent nerve causes Willy to become distraught and conflicted with his daily life. Willy has standards for the American dream. You must be physically representable and well-liked in general. Willy’s death is ultimately because of his misguided faith in that he thinks the American dream is the best and only source of Hope to achieve success.

Freedom/hope/plans for the future

Willy is no doubt a dreamer. He always has these absurd plans to achieve success in some way or another, but he is so infatuated with this concept that he thinks all he has to do to conquer success is to dream and plan for it. While this is definitely a step into material success, Willy loses sight of the idea that he actually needs to execute his plans and dreams for them to pan out. His recurring flashbacks cause him to become mentally blind to the real obstacles in front of him, blocking his path to the American dream. Biff and Happy are similar in the fact that they also have big hopes and dreams, but they never really seem to go through with them. With the exception of Biff moving to Texas.

Conclusion

We see the theme of Abandonment several times in Death of a Salesman. At first, we find out that Willy’s father left him and his brother Ben when they were little kids. This causes the severe depression Willy suffers from throughout the play. On top of his dad leaving, his older brother Ben also leaves to look for their father in Alaska. This forces Willy to fend for himself and become the man of the family. We also see Abandonment through Biff when he leaves to go out west for ten years, comes back, and expects his family to accept him back into the family. His rising fear of Abandonment causes him to have an unhealthy obsession with the American dream and success over happiness.

References

1. “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller
2. “Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman” by Harold Bloom
3. “Understanding Death of a Salesman: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents” by Brenda Murphy

Introduction

How would you characterize Willy Loman? Consider his emotional/mental state, his motivations, his relationships with others (e.g., his wife, Linda; his sons, Biff and Happy), etc.

The Illusion of Success and the American Dream

Willy Loman is clearly the protagonist of Death of a Salesman. This first part of the opening act provides us with exposition through which we learn that Willy is a married salesman in his sixties with two sons. He has been working as a salesman for over thirty years, and it is clear that this life is not what he had hoped for, neither for himself nor for his family. He has worked for the American Dream, and it seems that he has not attained it in the way and to the extent he had hoped for. He is struggling to come to terms with what he perceives as failure and does not want to see his sons, Happy and Biff, live a similar life that does not end with the full realization of their dreams.

All of the action of this piece of the play is performed in Willy’s home; even when we are witnessing flashbacks, there is still a visual of the house as it is today. We find out it used to be surrounded by nature, peace, and quiet, and other homes of the American Dreamers are now surrounded by large, stifling apartment buildings that do not even allow fresh air to reach the Lomans’ home. The house, as the stage directions tell us, has “an air of the dream clinging…” to it (p. 11); it is a metaphor for Willy’s life. He is strangled by the movement of time and progress just as his own house is, too. The juxtaposition of the flashbacks and the house as it is now strengthens the recognition of this oppression.

Willy is unable to deal with reality, and it is clear, from ‘flashbacks’ told through meandering thoughts, that this is something he has been struggling with for quite some time. He is unable to find a way to justify why his life is the way it is and is unwilling to face the fact that this is just the life fate has dealt him. To cover for this and not have to admit he is not the success he longs to be, Willy seems to create alternative scenarios to reality in hopes of providing himself with a way to feel some self-worth. By creating these delusional narratives, he struggles to even keep them straight, as seen when he calls Biff “a lazy bum” (p. 16) and then three lines later says, “There’s one thing about Biff – he’s not lazy”(p. 16). He complains that he is always contradicted, yet it is he who is often contradictory. Even when he claims to love Linda, his wife, he flashes back to a time when he cheated on her. He almost appears to be dropping into madness.

Conclusion

At the start of this act, Willy has been trying to create a reality that he can come to terms with, but it has brought him to a point where he is no longer able to actually recognize real life. He has developed a constant mumbling, often laced with reminiscences of prior times when he might have felt more in control of his life. These mumblings are often focused on his older son, Biff, as he is trying desperately to save Biff from a disappointing future. He does not want his son to suffer in the ways he has.

References

1. “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller
2. “Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem” by Arthur Miller