Category: Death Of A Salesman

Miller’s work on “demise of a salesperson” is an example piece of labor furthering the social protest regarding totalitarianism and the yank Dream. in the course of the piece, Miller makes use of his voice of sense of right and wrong and passion for the reason of disclosing the reality approximately the concepts. the usage of the perspective of Willy, a fictional, operating class citizen, Miller alternatives apart the myth of the yank Dream, exploring subjects including abandonment, betrayal, own family dynamics, and the use of exciting symbolism along the way.

With reckless abandon, Willy believes within the idea of the yank Dream. In truth, it’s a bit of an understatement. Willy is a dreamer, one which keeps following that till it is too past due. In “13th Gen: Abort, Retry, ignore, Fail?”, William Strauss explores and explains the baby boomer generations misunderstanding. for the duration of, he describes the forces that formed it into a reactive era. He evidences the recessions and opportunity of financial ruin of our social protection structures causing a much less than fortunate retirement situation for stated technology, and does so with the traits of the tradition, statistics of sociological studies, and census records. It sincerely lays out a company basis for an understanding of the paradigm that the era went through. it is used well in context with Miller’s dying of a salesperson because of the insight offered related to the political and social economics at the back of the parable of the yank dream. The sort of dream that promises to supply a successful and materialistic lifestyle for those that are difficult-operating, upstanding citizens. searching a little deeper, one may locate it extraordinary to try a fusion of the massively specific standards of Willy’s expectations for existence. His fascination and perhaps obsession with being preferred and being attractive appears a chunk shallow, which competes with the extra meaningful expertise of the yank Dream that puts an emphasis on success being tough paintings without complaining or looking ahead to greater than what’s essential to get through in existence. while push comes to shove, Willy essentially interprets what he needs in the incorrect way, which sooner or later leads to his undoing. His ignorant faith in his own fabricated version of the yank Dream is his downfall when he realizes that his lifestyles does not connect with his version of the yankee Dream.

While abandonment is added into query, it’s far clear to look that Willy’s lifestyles is a set of troubles concerning just that. every case of abandonment in his existence leaves him in extra affliction than ever before. whilst he changed into a child, his father leaves him and his brother, leaving them nothing to do not forget him through, financially, or in any other case. in the end his brother movements to Alaska, injecting the coronary heart of the issue this is his warped version of the american Dream. As a result, Willy is fearful of abandonment, which affects him to elevate his family in a way with a view to fit the mildew of model American residents. but, his try and do so has resonance with the idea that he has misplaced contact with reality. He appears like a failure. Michael Cox and Richard Alm come collectively to debunk many mainstream ideals and myths, displaying that profits is not a dependable degree how dwelling standards should be. negative humans have not in reality gotten poorer. they have simply experienced an boom in expectations of residing more extravagantly. He points out that the majority at or beneath the poverty level are clearly dwelling with extra wealth then ever earlier than. possibly this ties in properly with Miller’s piece, arguing that the reality that the circle of relatives is suffering financially isn’t because of his failure as a provider, but that their expectations are just set too high. when his son, Biff, finds out approximately Willy’s moves that make his marriage much less than trustworthy, he loses all preference to emerge as the son that Willy wanted and estimated him to turn out to be. Biff then grows even farther apart along with his father whilst he finally ends up a failure in his own lifestyles, efficaciously abandoning Willy, causing extra abandonment issues in Willy’s lifestyles. Such is lifestyles inside the household of a own family striving to gain the deluded operating-elegance version of the american Dream. Samuel Bowles, in his ebook “Unequal possibilities: family history and monetary achievement”, explores the idea of own family background playing an essential position in getting in advance in life, financially and in any other case. This e-book enables solution questions treasured to know-how this international locations social, financial, biological, behavioral, and philosophical fitness. it is also an awesome useful resource to apply while considering Miller’s dying of a salesperson due to the insight offered regarding the battle of the protagonist imparting for his own family because of his less than fortunate upbringing. It also goes to reveal that his expectations to have a super, American Dream circle of relatives is impossible with out first knowing that a healthy own family dynamic plays a precious element in getting in advance in existence, financially and in any other case.

With that stated, one would possibly trust that it is going with out being said that feelings of betrayal appear to be inevitable at this point. Sidestepping his initial obsession with the american Dream, Willy units his points of interest on his kids and puts a priority (intentionally or not) on the betrayal of Biff’s lifestyle in evaluation with what he desired to come of it. As his father, Willy feels that he is able to appropriately anticipate his son to satisfy what he needs to satisfy along with his very own lifestyles. whilst Biff rejects his life-style, he takes it personally and considers it a betrayal of kinds. he’s a salesman that can’t promote his very own way of life, and since it possibly displays on his capability to be a salesperson, that is his career and reason in existence, he is disappointed to mention the least. He attempts to sell his model of the yankee Dream, and fails to. In doing so, he feels as although he has failed at life. skilled journalist David Shipler adds a precious perspective along with his e-book The operating bad: Invisible in the usa, describing how operating class people with little economic capital keep to conflict with fulfillment in retention of fitness care and housing. looking at it with a poverty angle, it carouses a number of the primary points that Miller includes in his death of a salesperson piece, which includes dysfunctional parenting and family dynamics, defective economics/economic standing, expectations, and realities while conflicting with the hopes and goals of the people predicted to hold the sanity of the household. A possible assumption is made on Willy’s part though; he assumes that the fact that Biff is aware of approximately his unfaithfulness in marriage set the betrayal into movement. From Linda’s angle, that turned into a betrayal of love in its very own account. From the alternative angle, Biff perhaps feels as though he has been betrayed since his father had been constantly looking to sell him a lifestyle of wish inside the American Dream, simplest to find out that it became all made of lies.

The possibility of the American Dream is genuinely abstract. To a few, it is living in the lap of extravagance in all perspectives. To other people, it is an opportunity at a superior, more splendid open door for themselves or their families. In ‘Death of a Salesman’ by Arthur Miller, the author depicts the promise of the American Dream as the capacity to gain every material solace in American Life, and sacrifices one must make to accomplish it. Through his story, Miller expose the truth about the misconception of the American Dream. In Death of a Salesman, Miller provides a strong understanding of abandonment betrayal and family relationships that lead the main character Willy Loman in achieving his American dream.

Willy Loman, a traveling salesman, has been trying hard to achieve his dream to become a successful salesman. Willy was abandoned by his father and brother at a tender age. Since Willy has no role model to look up to, he is somewhat left to figure things out on his own The absence of his dad led him to develop a false lifestyle that led to self-betrayal. With total abandonment, Willy believes in the wrong concept of the American Dream. Willy is a dreamer, he kept following the wrong idea of the American dream until it was too late. In ‘thirteenth Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?” William Strauss explores and explains the soul generation’s misunderstanding. Throughout, he describes the forces that fashioned it into a reactive generation. He evidences the recessions And likelihood of bankruptcy of our social insurance systems inflicting an unfortunate retirement state of affairs for the identical generation, and can thus with the trends of the culture, statistics of science studies, and census data. It very lays out a firm foundation for a degree understanding of the paradigm that the generation went through. It is used well in context with Miller’s Death of a salesman because of the insight offered involving the political and social economics behind the parable of the dream. The kind of dream that guarantees to deliver a successful and materialistic manner for those that are hard-working citizens. Thinking more profoundly, one might find it strange to have a different concept of Willy’s expectations for life. His interest and maybe obsession on being liked and being attractive, is somehow shallow, which contends with the more significant comprehension of the American Dream that puts an emphasis on success being a diligent work without grumbling or expecting more than what is important to get in life. Willy delude himself by essentially translating things he needs in the wrong context. His delusive faith in his manufactured adaptation of the American Dream ruin his life when he understands that his life doesn’t interface with his concept of the American Dream.

Furthermore abandonment accounts for the major cause that leads to Willy deceiving himself. Every case of abandonment in his life leaves him in more anguish than ever before. Willy’s issues with abandonment started at a youthful age when he was abandoned by his father and his brother. The absence of Willy’s father and brother influences Willy to up bring his family in a manner that will fit the form of model American citizens. Michael Cox and Richard Alm came collectively to shed light on the ideals and myths, illustrating that money is not the way to a happy and respectful life. Lower class have not actually gotten poorer. They have simply developed a skilled to set their expectations high of living more extravagantly. They factor out that most people at or underneath the poverty degree are residing with greater wealth than ever before. Possibly, this ties in properly with Miller’s story, arguing that the fact that family did not have financial privileges is not always because of his failure as a provider, their expectations were just set too high.

Self-betrayal haunts Willy later in life. While he and Linda are having a discussion, Willy states, “I get so lonely especially when business is bad and there’s nobody to talk to ‘(Miller 1570). While saying this to Linda, Willy hears his mistress giggling in his head frequently. This kept on with Willy throughout the play. He is further reminded of it when he saw Linda mending her stocking and Willy overreacted by shouting; “I won’t have you mending stockings in this house! Now throw them out ‘(Miller1571). Willy overreacted because the stockings reminded him of his affair. Willy gave a new stocking to his mistress that Biff claimed were meant for Linda.

As conveyed above, one might conclude that feelings of betrayal are inevitable at this point. Putting his initial obsession with the American Dream aside, Willy sets his priority on his children. The theme of abandonment and betrayal is carried through on to Willy’s children. Biff feels betrayed when he found out that his father was having an extramarital affair. After failing his math test that was required for him to graduate from high school, Biff decided to go see Willy in Boston for assistance. As Biff walks into the room, his attention is drawn to the bathroom where Willy’s mistress was hiding. Heartbroken from the idea of Willy’s betrayal of his family, Biff chooses to give up on his goals and dreams, breaking his “…already fragile sense of identity and sends him out west…” (Ribkoff 2). Biff is no longer interested to be a part of his dad’s fantasies for him. Willy’s life as a salesman and as a family man is all a sham that drove Biff to say ‘You counterfeit! You fake minimal phony’ to his dad (Miller1611). To Biff, Willy’s disloyalty of his partner Linda, is also a personal betrayal.

He betrayed biff by deluding Biff’s lifestyle compared to what he expected out of it. As a father, Willy feels that he can correctly assume his son to meet what he needs to fulfill with his personal life. While Biff rejects his lifestyle, he consider it as living phony. He is a salesperson that cannot sell his personal lifestyle, and since it possibly displays on his ability to be a salesperson, which is his profession and purpose in lifestyles, he is upset to mention the least. He tries to promote his model of the American Dream and fails. In doing so, he feels as though he has failed in life.

However, Willy feels most emphatically betrayed by Biff. In declining to pursue his fantasies for Willy, Biff picks his own way since he feels that if he lets society and his father dictate who he should be, he will end up being ‘phony’ like Willy. Willy accepts that Biff’s betrayal out of his desires is proposed as a recompense for his disloyalty of his family’s trust with his affair. Biff is sure and generally alright with the decision that he picks. Getting away from Willy’s fancies enables him to pursue his own understanding into his own fantasies and objectives. Samuel Bowles, in his book “Unequal chances: own family heritage and financial fulfillment,’ explores the idea of a family background playing a critical role in getting ahead in lifestyles, financially and otherwise. This book provides a more profound information about the nation’s social, monetary, biological, behavioral, and philosophical health. It is also a great useful resource to use when considering Miller’s loss of life of a salesman due to the insight provided related to the struggles of the protagonist providing for his circle of relatives because of being abandoned at a tender age. It also illustrates that his expectations to obtain a perfect American dream are impossible without considering that a healthy family charisma plays a significant part in getting beforehand in life.

As Willy deals with the reality of his life, he submits the last treachery in deserting his family. Leaving his significant other and kids, trying to correct what he has finished with their lives, Willy ends it all. Mill operator demonstrates the annoyance felt after the suicide through Happy, ‘He reserved no privilege to do that… We would’ve helped him’ (Miller 1619). Willy deceives both himself and his family with his demonstration of suicide, surrendering the reality where he would never be effective. He was perpetually discontent with any of the general population in his family, particularly Biff. This is something Biff held against him, expressing at his burial service ‘he had all the wrong dreams’ (Miller 1619). Biff couldn’t pardon his dad for his most prominent disloyalty: not giving his child a possibility. Willy never needed to give Biff a chance to make a sense of what he needed to be. All Willy needed was for Biff to emulate his example, to be a sales rep and turned out to be fruitful. Rather than tending to this disappointment, notwithstanding when his child was grown up and willing to talk, Willy ended his life. He would not consider himself to be a disappointment in his work simply as one with his family.

Skilled journalist, David Shipler provides a precious angle along with his e book, the running poor: Invisible in the United States, describing how running magnificence people with little economic capital retain to conflict with success in retention of health care and housing. Looking at it with a poverty perspective, it portrays some of the main factors that Miller consists of in his death of a salesman story, along with dysfunctional parenting and family dynamics, faulty economics or financial standing, expectations, and realities whilst conflicting with the hopes and goals of the people expected to keep the sanity of the household. A feasible assumption is made on Willy’s element although; he assumes that the truth that Biff knows about his unfaithfulness in marriage set the betrayal into motion. From Linda’s attitude, that became a betrayal of love in its personal account. From the other attitude, Biff perhaps feels as even though he has been betrayed in view that his father has been constantly trying to sell him a lifestyle of wish in the American Dream, simply to discover that it became all made from lies.

Toward the end of the play it becomes clear that it is Willy who betrayed himself. His whole ideology encompassing what it means that to achieve success had a flaw. To Willy, success was regarding being well-liked. This is often why he saw promise in his son, Biff, and solely felt dangerous for the poor, learning physiologist. Even at a young age Biff was stealing things and being too rough with women. Willy was blind to those acts of mischief and did not ask for Biff to correct his flaws in his character. Willy saw the recognition of Biff in high school and thought that he would build an excellent salesperson and was good to follow in his footsteps.

These concepts and dreams betrayed Willy as a result of they might not be become a reality. This was in stark distinction to the current is that the relationship between physiologist, his neighbor’s son, and his father Charley. Charley was an eminent salesperson, the likes of that Willy might solely dream to be. Willy compared physiologist and Biff in their youth and saw that all Bernard did was study. He thought that success couldn’t kick off of this as a result of physiologist wasn’t as well-liked as his son Biff. He was terribly wrong in these assumptions. Physiologist became an eminent attorney and toward the tip of the play was making an attempt to assist the Loman family. Willy ne’er need to see his own betrayal of himself, as a result of he couldn’t endure the truth that simply perhaps he was wrong. His death allowed Associate in nursing shake off the reality of his state of affairs

Arthur Miller’s Death of a salesperson addresses the goals and hopes that are unremarkably related to being eminent in life. Miller then shows an outline of however dreams will change into delusion brought on by betrayal and abandonment. To Willy Loman and his family, betrayal and abandonment become regular themes in their lives. Willy initial experiences it in his youth and so by people who he loves. He then acts out his own betrayals in a very alternating fashion. The Loman family gets therefore bound up in betrayal that it eventually takes someone’s death for the family to finally be ‘free’.

Death of a Salesman

In his play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller portrays a classic dysfunctional family, characterized by psychological conflicts. Willy Loman is the protagonist of the play, a sixty-year-old salesman who is obsessed with the desire to achieve success as a measure of perfection. Willy suffers intensely from self-delusion, which blurs his perception of a perfect life. His actions hurt his entire family, which further intensifies his self-delusion. Willy’s wife Linda being a housewife is financially dependent on her husband and she serves as a facilitator of his delusions. Linda inspires and also engages in Willy’s delusions. She is a good wife as she is selfless and her entire life revolves around her husband and two sons Happy and Biff. Willy is constantly in search of the American dream which denies him happiness in general and hinders him from appreciating what he has made out of life, particularly a family. Due to a lack of communication, moral values, denial, and respect, the Lomans are a dysfunctional family.

Dysfunction in psychology refers to impaired or disturbed functioning. Lomans are in a state of denial because they do not want to acknowledge their flaws and therefore, are unwilling to confront their challenges as a family. Miller utilizes characterization to criticize the notion of a perfect American family. The situation leads to selfish decisions that change the family for good. Miller relies on the conflict between the protagonist and one of his sons Biff to highlight one of the biggest sources of disruptions in the family, honesty. Loman’s family is founded on secrets and lies as everyone seems to be looking for their own interests over the well-being of the family (Miller 63). Loman struggles to build a relationship with his firstborn son but his perception is overwhelmed by the view that his son is a failure. He is disappointed in him because he has let him down as his father who had imagined that he would be more successful in life. Both Biff and Willy lie constantly as an approach to overcoming hurdles in life. Linda is proud of her hard-working husband to the point that he is blinded by his success and is unable to recognize the psychological struggles that Willy is dealing with in relation to his work. Also, she is not able to spot the lies that are told by her husband who despite appearing as a perfect father and husband is having an affair (Bloom 14). However, Willy knows how to manipulate his family into believing that he is nothing beyond a hard-working family whose main agenda is to provide for his family. His decisions cause harm to the family but his son Biff is also not honest. He constantly lies to his family about not having an address for three months and later confesses that it is because he was in prison for stealing (Miller 104). The family is in a constant fight against one another due to the lack of honesty that is necessary for a family to succeed. The dominant fight between two men in the family, who are obsessed with identifying the failures of each other, becomes the beginning of conflicts in the family. The lack of trust and honesty negatively affects the ability of the family members to interact and bond with each other.

The definition is a perfect suit of the characteristics of Loman’s household. Family bonds and relationships are without a doubt build on constant interactions and communication. However, the lack of effective communication is a challenge that is evident for the family. The family is short of communication as they tend to keep to themselves and when they communicate, they engage in a shouting competition, which further destroys their relations and interactions. Willy has failed to bond with his sons because they do not communicate, meaning that they are unable to understand and recognize the needs held by each other, and this causes tension in their relationship. Willy’s communication skills especially when it comes to listening are extremely poor, which affects his ability to connect with his family. He wants this to go his way and this is how he structures his communication. For example, when Willy visits Howard to talk about securing a working opportunity in New York, he talks over Howard, whenever something is said that he is not willing to hear because it goes against his views. The actions push Howard to his limits forcing him to leave Loman in the office simply because they cannot understand each other. Willy admitted his mistake by stating ‘’ what the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I?’’ (Miller 1285). The event shows Willy’s weaknesses in communication, which affects his relationships at home and work. It is undeniable that children learn from their immediate environment and a parent’s behavior is likely to influence the responsiveness of a child. Therefore, it is rather evident that the poor communication skills possessed by Biff stem from his household as depicted by both parents, particularly Willy.

Most of the family conflicts in the play emerge from the unstable relationships between Biff and Willy. Both of the characters are characterized by poor communication skills, and this is further fuelled by Willy’s obsession with living a perfect life depicted by the American dream (Marino 18). Willy has high hopes for Biff, but his son similar to his father is not willing to settle for anything that is below perfect. Biff despite being 34 years has not had a stable job and he has hopped from one job to the next for example he has worked as a shipping clerk, businessman, and salesman but he has not yet found a job that satisfies him. The relationship between the two of them is unhealthy because they are not willing to compromise the weaknesses held by each other. Every time that either of them makes a statement the other one is willing to fire an opposing argument. Willy disagrees with Biff’s incapability to retain a job and proclaims that his inability to find himself even though he is 34 is dishonor and this creates conflict between Loman and his son (Baker and Baker 175). Willy’s problems begin because he is not able to get everything that he desires and he, therefore, starts to make decisions based on his abrupt feelings. In addition, his behavior is dictated by the jealousy he gets based on the fortune and fame that is experienced by those around him, particularly his brother. Willy, therefore, allows his disappointment to blur his overall judgment, which becomes damaging in the long run to the family. Miller relies on Biff and Willy’s poor communication abilities to demonstrate that the inability to communicate leads to a tragic end for the family.

Poor communication is a dominant problem for the family which leads to a major breakdown. Loman is not the only individual in the family with communication issues. Every member of the family tends to interrupt others as they talk. The behavior is demonstrated when Linda and Biff are talking about the accident encountered by Willy’s car. For them, the type of communication is normal in the household and they do not seem, to be paying attention to what others are saying as they are mainly focused on conveying their ideas. Linda constantly interrupts Biff to the point that he yells ‘’ will you let me talk? ‘’ (Miller 1276). The lack of reliable communication builds a dysfunctional atmosphere where the family is unable to bond due to tension leading to misunderstandings and constant conflicts.

Loman’s family is in denial since they are not able to recognize that their flaws are responsible for the challenges they are facing in general. The situation leads to increased tension, particularly between Biff and Willy. Willy believes that Biff is a disgrace for not getting a stable job and to him, this is the only thing that matters in determining success. He refers to Biff as a Lazy-Bum but later makes a contradictory statement noting that Biff is not lazy (Meyer 1339). In this context, he is in denial because he is shifting his expectations of a perfect life to his family. He, therefore, relies on his son’s weaknesses to express his feeling about a, particularly disappointing life. Willy proves to be very wavering about everything in his life. Rather than letting his sons experience life differently, Willy allows his ambition to block the path of Biff’s goals. He transfers his problems to his family and blames Biff for being a failure and a disgrace while he is far from perfect himself.

Willy is in denial of the things he has accomplished as a salesman and he transfers his dissatisfaction to his family. Even though Willy believes in his sales skills and Linda sees him as successful, his boss views him differently. Based on Miller, Willy states that he earned an average of 170 dollars every week in form of a commission, but his boss disagrees stating, that it is obvious he did not earn that much considering that his family is struggling (62). The illustration helps demonstrate Willy’s struggle with denial. Willy believes that he is worth more when dead than alive which triggers him to decide on killing himself in the hope of providing his sons with a deserving future from his life’s insurance. Miller utilizes, the actions of the family to echo the consequences of denial in a family.

Besides, the lack of respect for each other is an aspect that portrays Lomans as a dysfunctional family. Willy is disrespectful to his wife despite her selflessness and undying support for him and their two sons. During his work trips, he cheats on her and does not seem to feel remorse for it. When he got caught by his son, he defends his actions as a result of loneliness. Instead of showing remorse, he tells his son that he will understand such things when he is grown and must therefore not emphasize such matters (Miller 1306). In his statement, it is clear that he never believed that he did something wrong. Due to the tension in the family, Happy and Biff argue in a restaurant about Happy’s disrespect for their father. Happy does not seem to respect his father and when he is asked about his father by a woman that he leaves the restaurant with he replies that, Willy is not his father ‘’ He is just some guy’’ (Miller 1303). In this case, this demonstrates total disrespect by Happy about his father’s welfare because he chooses to leave when he was experiencing a delusional episode. The lack of respect among them breeds a dysfunctional environment for the family.

While the characters try to overcome these conflicts by acknowledging their contributions, they are unsuccessful since the family is built in an unstable environment. Willy decides to resolve the conflicts in the family by committing suicide. He believes that it is only through death that his family can enjoy a life that he never gave them. The family is, however, unable to resolve their issues as they seem overwhelmed with their self-desires and this affects their ability to get close to one another. While Biff tries to open up about his secrets the damage has already become very expensive as Willy chooses to die rather than continue causing pain to his own family.

In conclusion, Loman’s family is unsuccessful in resolving their psychological conflicts as they fail to communicate. The family is portrayed as a dysfunctional one due to the dominance of denial, lack of communication, and respect. Willy’s tragic death would have been avoided if the family created an attentive and nurturing environment for everyone. Sadly, the family was obsessed with the desire to achieve perfection as depicted by the American dream and this resulted in the loss of touch with reality in general.

Both hope and fear with an interconnected relationship they have being that Hope creates space in the mind while Fear restricts it. Fear is a deep, primal emotion that is integral to our survival in times of danger. On the other hand, hope has the capacity to allow great feats to be accomplished. An individual’s interactions with emotions that are seemingly collectively understood, whether they are questioned or internalized, invariably lead to a transformation of the individual. These ideas are brought up in Anthony Doerr’s novel All the Light We Cannot See in which two children hope for a better future and fear the current circumstances as they navigate World War Two, and Arthur Miller’s tragedy Death of a Salesman where Willy Loman is simultaneously fearful and hopeful for his circumstances as he fails to live up to his expectations of the American Dream.

Fear can push individuals to behave and act in ways that are uncharacteristic of their usual self, in ways either courageous or cowardly.

Werner is one of the main protagonists in Doerr’s novel and is characterized by his intelligence and strong will, who is driven to become an engineer throughout the novel. Werner’s morals are constantly compromised during his time at the Nazi Institute and in the German Army. Werner’s fear of the mines, the grave of his father before him, is the driving force behind his decision to become an engineer, an initially courageous and well-meaning choice. However, this same fear often paralyzes him into cowardly inaction. Werner’s fear is first established in the constant iterations of his nightmare: “He walks the tunnels of the mines. The ceiling is smooth and black; slabs of it descend over him as he treads. The walls splinter; he stoops and crawls. Soon he cannot raise his head, move his arms.” Werner’s fear of the mines is established with the degradation of the language in the quote from detailed descriptions of the mine to simple actions, this evokes the distress Werner feels being stuck in the mines. The claustrophobic, “black” mines suggest that Werner is helpless to the future that Nazi Germany had been laid before him, forcing Werner to either escape or face his greatest fear. Werner is able to escape his fate in the mines by joining the Nazi Institute, a selective boarding school for the best minds in Germany, despite escaping his fate in the mines, he is faced with great hardship at the school being the tremendous strain it places on Werner’s morals with incidences such as torturing prisoners of war: “When his turn arrives, Werner throws the water like all the others and the splash hits the prisoner in the chest and a perfunctory cheer rises.” Here, the mob mentality exerted by the Nazi Institution forces, the “perfunctory cheer” indicates the social norms being cemented at the school, with their lives being molded by Nazi Germany. Werner is unable to confront the brutality of his peer’s rejection as he is forced to endure horrors to maintain his dream of becoming an engineer, at any cost necessary.

Similarly, in Death of a Salesman, fear is a central driver of the protagonist’s behavior. Fear has the capacity to crush a person’s will and cause people to disillusion themselves with loved ones and themselves. The collective understanding of the ‘American Dream’ in society is the belief that each person’s own internalization of the dream should create a feeling of hope and joy, however, this hope can lead to disillusionment with a person’s dream. Willy Loman is a salesman who struggles to pay bills, and provide for his family and is failing to live up to his idea of the ‘American Dream’ throughout his life as a salesman: “ ’Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to… be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?” Here, Willy expresses his desire to live the “satisfying” life of a salesman, which encompasses his dream to fulfill the ‘American Dream’, this is seen through the longing diction of “satisfying”, “remembered” and “loved”. This gives the audience a glimpse into Willy’s flawed view of the American dream as Willy’s mental state deteriorates, with the whole concept of the ‘American Dream’ being the belief that any person from any background is able to find success being questioned through Willy’s tragic attempt to live to his dream.

Hope compels individuals to endure hardships in the face of adversity, and create a belief in a brighter future, however unrealistic it may seem.

Throughout the course of the novel, Werner is faced with great adversity to achieve his goal of becoming an engineer, even forfeiting his morals to achieve his goals, displayed by his friendship with Frederick. Frederick is portrayed as a shy, intelligent, and a patriotic boy who is willing to give up on his own desires for others, however, he is the only German character to actively disobey orders: “Frederick… Who has not been cheering when each bucketful of water hits its mark … The upperclassmen hand him a bucket and Frederick pours it out on the ground.” Normally obedient, Frederick defies the orders from officials, “pour[ing]” the water onto the ground, as he recognizes the despicable actions of his peers while making a statement of rebellion against the Nazi brainwashing. Here, Frederick symbolizes the capacity each person possesses for compassion in the face of adversity is the Nazi brainwashing normalizing the torture of those deemed not ‘pure’. Seen as a cowardly action by most, Frederick’s actions challenge Werner’s integrity as he fights an internal battle between what is right and what the Nazis want. Frederick is able to confront the mindless mob mentality that has caused others to commit atrocities. Near the end of the novel, Werner encounters the other main protagonist, Marie-Laure LeBlanc. Even though their encounter is brief, it has a significant impact on Werner, as Marie-Laure questions Werner if he has truly lived a life of his own: “Not in years. But Today. Today maybe I did.” Werner’s omission of his deception through the negative diction of ‘Not’ gives the audience the true scale of how far the Nazi propaganda was able to brainwash its citizens, with few people having the ability to see through the lies and even fewer being able to break free from it. Marie-Laure and Werner contrast each other with how they have lived their lives, Marie-Laure’s life can be seen as full of freedom with her actions, and Werner’s life can only be seen with irony, as wherever he has gone, he has never had full control over his life due to the Nazi regime ultimately dictating it, however, in talking to Marie-Laure he is rebelling against the Nazis and truly able to take control of his life. By revolting against the Nazi regime, Werner is able to achieve superficial freedom before his death.

Hope – Flawed hope

Hope can be the catalyst for achieving great feats. Throughout Miller’s tragedy, hope is portrayed through the idea of the ‘American Dream’,. Willy Loman is a salesman who is struggling to pay bills, provide for his family, and is failing to live up to his idea of the ‘American Dream’, pushing Willy to contemplate suicide: “That funeral will be massive!. . He’ll see what I am, Ben! He’s in for a shock, that boy!” Here, Willy is experiencing a hallucination, speaking about his ‘massive’ funeral with enthusiasm, heightening the tragedy of Willy’s eventual death. Willy’s mental degradation through the play is on full display as Willy’s fear of inadequacy causes him to become disillusioned with his dream due to his inability to accomplish his ambitions

Death of a Salesman is regarded as one of the three most remarkable tragedies in America. The author, Arthur Miller, emphasized that the drama should not only express characters’ psychological and subjective world but also convey the real complex social situation. It has successfully characterized the tragedy of a common salesman in America. It is significant to analyze why Willy committed suicide. This paper managed to analyze the causes of Willy Loman’s death, namely, mainly from three perspectives: a personal tragedy, a family tragedy, and a social tragedy. In fact, the society Willy lived in was familiar with in our present era, people are also facing similar problems Willy had at that time. Hence, through analyzing Willy’s death, we could discover that his life revealed some social problems behind the personal and family tragedy in current society, arousing our reflection on ethical and moral standards in a money-oriented society. And the most important thing is to know ourselves.

Along with Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill, Miller was one of the best-known American playwrights after the Second World War. Among his works, Death of a Salesman made a sensation since it was performed in 1949, which secured his reputation as one of the nation’s foremost playwrights.

Set in New York and Boston in the late 1940s, this play describes the tragedy of Willy Loman, an average traveling salesman, in his sixties, who could never familiarize himself with the “American Dream”, nor could he realize the brutal commercial world, always dreaming of the impractical future for his two children. His love for his two sons with incorrect approaches ruined their life. His final suicide, is a sacrifice for his family, especially for the future of his elder son, Biff, however, he could not fully convey his love for his family members.

Scholars abroad and at home have done much research about the Death of a Salesman, from various perspectives. Many of them focused on the study or critics of the tragedy of the family, the father-son conflicts. Ke Jianhua pointed out that Willy Loman’s tragedy is caused by the conflicts between the ethical dream (American dream) and commercial jungle law (morality alienation). [1] It was from the macro level, but the tragedy was not that simple. Through analyzing the realistic features in literature, character, stage design, and language, Wang Qian argued that Death of a Salesman is a play in which realism is perfectly used.[2] It mainly analyzed the realism, language features, and stage design, not focusing on the protagonist’s death.

Therefore, this paper explores more detailed causes; Willy Loman’s death, we think, was not merely his personal tragedy, but also the family tragedy and the social tragedy, as well.

Dishonest and Hypocritical. As a common person, Willy Loman longed for gaining others’ respect, including his family, his neighbors, and his brother. However, there was no need for him to utilize lies to conceal his failure. Dishonesty was the flaw of his personality. He told lies about how popular and respected he was in the town, and how important he was to New England, wanting to be adored and admired by his sons. In fact, he was not that popular.

In the given passage from Miller’s play, Death of A Salesman, Biff confronts Willy about his decision to leave the family. An argument ensues between the two of them after this revelation.

This extract of Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller from Act 2 describes the events that occur after Happy and Biff are confronted by Linda for abandoning Willy at the restaurant. Willy has been contemplating committing suicide in order for his family to receive a 20 000 dollar payout after having a discussion with his late brother, Ben. Billy now informs his father of his decision to leave, his feelings toward his family, and his feelings about himself. After this encounter, Wily’s family retires to bed while Willy again speaks to his late brother. Thereafter, Willy takes the car and ends his own life.

In Bigsby’s words, Willy believes that “things will change”. He is optimistic about his son’s prospects in the world and sees his son as his vehicle to success. In this act, he tells Biff that “the door of [his] life is wide open”. This image of an open door reveals how endless he believes his son’s possibilities for success are. However, unlike Willy, Biff is pessimistic about his prospects and sees his father as a “flawed model” whose “hunger for success and popularity” consumes him to his detriment (Bigsby, 1998). He describes his father as a “hard-working drummer” who “landed in the ash”. This image of landing in dirty ash shows how futile he views his father’s efforts to attain success. It shows how he sees Willy’s dream as corrupted and worthless.

Evidently, Biff is disillusioned with the American Dream that his father has tried to teach him about. Despite being taught that hard work, perseverance and sacrifice can lead to upward mobility in America, Biff perceives his hard work to have led to poverty, a life of crime, and unfulfillment. For this reason, he refers to himself and his father as being “a dime a dozen” and “nothing”. He does this to convey they are not valuable or important members of society. This offends Willy as he is still an avid believer in the American Dream and his potential to become successful and well-known. He declares that “[He] is Willy Loman” and that his son is “Biff Loman” in his attempt to assert his belief in the potential for the Loman name to become well known in society. Willy’s focus on his individual experience juxtaposes Biff’s ability to position his experiences realistically in relation to that of others. This makes Biff the most introspective character as he clearly has spent much time thinking about more than himself and his desires but also his role in society. He escapes the subjectivism his father has tried to indoctrinate him with (Nöffke, 2020).

Happy also plays an integral role in the story, serving as Biff’s foil. Happy is characterized as dishonest and deceptive. He is unable to accept simple truths and is obsessed with status which is clear when Biff exposes him for inflating his position at his workplace in the passage. After this event, he still attempts to say that he is, in his words, “practically” the assistant buyer when he is actually the assistant’s assistant. This shows how in denial he is and his obsession with power. Contrary to his brother, Biff is able to accept the truth about his position in society. He voluntarily exposes that he was a thief who served jail time in this passage. This shows how honest and accountable he is and exposes their difference in integrity more.

Unfortunately, Linda is the most overlooked and ignored character. Throughout Death of A Salesman, Linda remains a character who, in the words of Bigbsy, maintains a “supporting role”. During this passage, Linda barely says a word except for the words “Don’t Biff” in order to calm him down. Even these words that she says show how all her verbal expression is focused on supporting others in dealing with their emotions and anger as opposed to expressing her own thoughts. She is constrained by the patriarchy to this role. When she does express her emotions through crying in this passage, Biff dismisses her feelings by saying “Stop crying. I’m through with it”. This dismissal depicts how insignificant she is seen to be as a woman in the family. She is a “committed observer” (Bigsby, 1998) who does not and cannot actively assert herself, despite her efforts.

Ultimately, Willy Loman can be classified as a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition. His hamartia is his obsession with the American dream and immense pride. This can be seen in how he arrogantly denies that he is not “a dime a dozen” even though he lost his job earlier on in the play. This inability to accept his poverty and failed attempt at achieving the American dream portrays his obsessive and prideful nature. This pride is similar to that of Ancient Greek tragic heroes. To add, he, like most Ancient Greek heroes, has a peripeteia. It is the poverty he experiences despite his “preoccupation with urban life” (Nöffke, 2020). This makes him somewhat different from Ancient Greek tragic heroes who have a downfall from greatness because he never becomes wealthy. Lastly, like the Ancient Greek tragic heroes, Willy Loman experiences a tragic death when he commits suicide.

In conclusion, the passage illustrates the final conflict in the play. It reveals the differences between Biff, Happy, and Willy Loman while failing to elevate Linda’s past to more than just a supporting role. Biff exposes his true emotions whilst his father and brother remain in denial.

Imagine a child living only under his father’s obscurity, his ideologies, believes, traits, all but the same, a very depressing way of life isn’t it? In the death of a salesman, it describes just that. A grievous play that revolves around an old man rotting in his ideologies, Willy Loman. A man that believed being well-liked is the means to success. There are lots of recurring themes throughout Death of a Salesman but most notably the theme of Father and Son. Willy and Biff, Willy and Happy, and Charley and Bernard are some of the most notable examples of the theme. One thing that is easily noticeable is that the child dependably mirrors their dad. Moreover, Miller’s personal experience is also a critical player in the making of the theme. In the play, Miller’s involvement with the great depression reflects upon all the father figures throughout the play, and in Death of a salesman, the father’s actions, personality, and traits are reflected upon their children.

The interactions between Willy Loman and his sons represent the epitome of an absent father. Their relationship is considered dysfunctional due to their lack of respect for one another. In more ways than one, they act more like rivals, instead of understanding each other, they went head-on in arguments. Biff embodies this with pure hatred. Willy’s effect on Biff was never good; it never was. Ever since his teenage years, his father always taught him that being well-liked, and having a good personality is the path to success. At one point Biff believes that he had talent, and is worth something. Willy’s effect on him made him realize the flaws in his own life and his fathers. While it is one of the redeeming points, it was already too late for Biff to turn back.

“WILLY: You shoulda seen the lumber they brought home last week. At least a dozen six-by-tens worth all kinds a money.” Pg. 28

The quote above describes Willy’s effect on his sons, rather than reprimanding Biff for stealing; Willy encourages him. The act of stealing was also seen numerous times, until the point that Biff got caught stealing a suit, which got him jailed for three months.

“BIFF: You know why I had no address for three months? I stole a suit in Kansas City and I was in jail.

WILLY: I suppose that’s my fault!

BIFF: I stole myself out of every good job since high school!

WILLY: And whose fault is that?” Pg. 79-80

Hypocrite that’s what Willy is, on page 79-80 Willy stated that Biff’s actions are his own, but clearly, Biff stealing is due to Willy’s incompetence of being a father. Although Willy will never admit it, Biff being a failure is always due to Willy’s evil influence.

While the interactions between Willy and Happy is not far off from Biff’s, the lingering effects that Willy have on Happy differs. Ever since he was a teen Happy always yearn for his father’s attention, which never resulted in anything good. However, similar to Biff, Willy casts in his pursuit of illusory dreams and unrealistic expectations onto Happy. Eventually, Happy’s own astray ideologies gave a path for him to follow Willy’s beliefs.

“HAPPY: I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It’s the only dream you can have — to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I’m gonna win it for him.” Pg. 85

Unlike Biff who starts to take reality seriously, after Willy’s death, Happy cannot seem to shake off Willy’s influence even after his demise. On page 85, Happy describes just how far he is willing to go to be acknowledged by his father. However, even if Happy continues Willy’s dream becoming successful as a salesman, it would have never worked out; in more than one situation it was shown that Happy is better to work off as a laborer rather than as a salesman. Which acquires the inquiry, how far is Happy willing to go before he realizes his father’s’ imperfections? Clouded by his father’s dreams, Happy is not “Happy.” Which brings in irony into play, since parents are bestowed upon the right to name their children, Willy named his son in another display of his foolish delusions. Similar to the saddest part of Willy’s suicide is his firm belief in his ideology of success, the saddest part of Happy is that he still believe that is father’s ideal is a good one. Still driven by conviction on being the number-one man, he sticks to Willy’s dreams to the bitter end.

Another fact that could have impacted Willy’s demeanor towards his sons was Willy’s absence of a father figure when he was a baby. It was mentioned on page 26 that Willy’s father abandoned him when he was four years old.

“BEN: Well, I don’t know how much you remember.

WILLY: Well, I was just a baby, of course, only three or four years old…” Pg. 26

Due to his dad abandoning him at a young age it may have impacted on how Willy treats his children. Willy’s dilemma towards his child is that he is an awful father, but his lack of father figure might have kept him from realizing the proper behavior of a dad. Instead of showing his children good morals and proper etiquette, Willy nourishes them with delusions and misbeliefs. Likewise, as opposed to giving them encouraging words to support them, he scrutinizes them when they are unsuccessful. Due to this tension is created between Willy and Biff. While Happy is still ignored, Willy still recognizes him as a failure.

If Willy is the devil, then Charley is an angel. Both of these fathers are similar yet different in many ways. Similar since they both love their sons, different because of their teachings. Interestingly, Biff and Bernard’s relationship parallels Willy and Charley’s relationship. Bernard being a good friend helps Biff academically, and Charley helps Willy financially. However, one thing in common is that they are both trying to help Biff and Willy understand reality. In contrast to Willy grieving over his misfortune, Charley never dwells on it; he is a very down-to-earth man, very realistic and practical, which made him into a good role model for Bernard.

“CHARLEY: My salvation is that I never took any interest in anything.” Pg. 57

On page 57 it was stated by Charley that he owes his success to reality, he was never a dreamer, which is one of the positive traits that he passed down to Bernard, leading to his success. Although both of them had tried to implement their ways of success to Biff and Willy, it is only Biff who at the end of the play is forced to face reality.

In the end, all the fathers are influenced by their writer, Arthur Miller. It was also due to the great depression which brought downfall to his father’s company, that inspired him to write Death of a Salesman. Eventually, in his autobiography, he admitted that the story was inspired by the life of his uncle, Manny Newman. Miller describes him as ʺa competitor at all times, in all things, and at every, moment. ʺ He said that his uncle saw ʺmy brother and I running neck and neck with his two sons [Buddy and Abby] in some horse race [for success] that never stopped in his mind. ʺ Which is very similar to Willy, who thought that Biff must always be better than Bernard in terms of success. Another thing in common is that both of them are living under an illusion. They are both considered to be failures of a father, which brought downfall towards their children. Since similar to Biff, Manny’s son failed to study in high school.

While fathers are a significant player in real life, in Death of a salesman that is just not the case, the term “like father like son” can be seen in the play, even from Arthur Miller’s inspiration. Since fathers are essential figures throughout their children’s lives, some children tend to reflect their father’s beliefs or traits, whether it be good or bad. In Death of a Salesman, Biff, Happy, Willy, Bernard and even Miller’s cousin are prime examples of this. Each reflecting their father, some in a good way, some in the wrong way. Biff, a son that realized his father’s flaws but is still affected by him. Happy, a son blinded by his father’s ideology. Willy, a son to a father he never had. Bernard, a son that is realistic and practical. Miller’s cousin not so far off from Biff. In the end, father’s are significant in their children’s lives if they are morally correct, if not then they will be their downfall.

Bibliography:

1. https://educheer.com/essays/american-dream-willy-life-willys/
2. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-willys-afect-linda-biff-happy-charlie-death-461238
3. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-does-relationship-between-charley-bernards-222619
4. http://www.cje.ids.czest.pl/biblioteka/Death%20of%20Salesman%20-%20about.pdf

Shame is dependent on the expectation of the self, and society, with tragedy lying in the character’s ability to never accomplish their desires. Tess in Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Willy in Miller’s Death of a Salesman can never transcend their shame, not because a prejudiced society limits them, but because they internalise such prejudice that confines them to their tragedy, evoking a sense of shame in failing to reach their expectation. Tragedy lies within the downfall of the common man which, as Miller described, was the belief that “the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy as kings are.”

The equivalent level of tragedy connoted in the two texts would debatably not be present if it wasn’t dependent on cultural and gender expectations and Tess remains a victim to the shame projected upon her by the patriarchy. She endures the abuse inflicted on her throughout the novel by a society that doesn’t allow her to baptise her child, allow her to live without discrimination and escape male desires, but the tragedy occurs when Tess accepts and internalizes the misogyny projected onto her: “I shall not live for you to despise me… I am ready”. At first, Tess isn’t shamed by her appearance, as she values more than just her body as a tool for “happiness.” When she “mercilessly nipped her eyebrows off”, she wasn’t nervous of losing her beauty, but exploited what defined her in the eyes of men, and inverted it, contrasting Hardy’s narrative that identified her as “a lesser creature” physically diminished by his language. Tess acquired pride in her appearance throughout the novel, utilizing her beauty for the aid of her family and manipulating male fantasy – she “was the only one who could boast” of the red ribbon in her hair, not being shamed by male sexualisation, but employing it for her advantage as a sign of proto-feminist power. Likewise, despite Tess’s pride originating in her difference (the red ribbon), her pride becomes a symbol of shame, reflected through her development from a “simple girl to complex woman” that delivers “a note of tragedy at times into her voice.” Her shame is thus founded in her womanhood, which transforms her from a “lesser creature” into a being that threatens patriarchal systems. Her body gains sexuality, and therefore power, meaning it can now be feared – it is no longer conducted by masculine rule. Victorian 19th-century society failed to comprehend how Tess could remain a heterogeneous figure, fitting the dichotomy of both whore and virgin. From a modern perspective, whilst audiences may appreciate Hardy’s demonstration of women wronged by society, he validated this through sexual assault, raising questions over whether Tess would still be considered the same if she chose to engage in sexual action as if it devalues her character. She remains punished by lack of choice, invoking shame upon her victimhood.

Tess’s shame in womanhood becomes more pronounced through Hardy’s biblical symbolism. Despite the author’s agnosticism and dislike of the religious institution, he depicts Alec as a Satan-like figure, and Tess, too, through the depiction of her arm “coiling up” as she yawned alluding to the serpent imagery of Genesis. The way she is coiling up and opening her mouth is similar to snake’s behaviour prior to catching prey; she is the ultimate temptation to Angel, the scene’s victim. The similarities continue through Tess being fed strawberries “in a half-pleased, half-reluctant state” by Alec, reminiscent of the snake persuading Eve to eat the Garden of Eden’s fruit, inspiring Original Sin and disgracing humanity. By Tess being represented as Eve, the protagonist thus becomes a pinnacle of feminine shame and dishonour.

Gender relation is inherent in Death of a Salesman through Miller’s symbolism of Linda’s stocking as an emblem of self-indulgence and household labour. This simplifies Linda’s love for Willy into a domestic, objectifying item, also demonstrating the assumed similarity between all women and their desires. Shame is detected in an object typical of femininity, Tess’s red ribbon, or even Sorrow, a material burden and embodiment of her shame. Just as Tess finds disgrace in her appearance, inspiring her to create an altered version of herself, Willy projects memories onto the present, creating an alternate and more palatable reality. Shame is thus at the heart of the tragic experience for the ordinary person, as Willy and Tess can never surpass their shame. It defines them until their deaths, which are caused by society’s inability to process actions deemed “shameful” despite modern audiences understanding the gendered victim-blaming of Tess’ arrest and Willy’s descent into mental illness.

Alternatively, there is tragedy in shamelessness. Happy experiences no shame in Willy’s actions throughout the play, even professing to “win [the dream] for him!” in the Requiem as dramatic irony and engaging in the same sexist behaviour throughout the play, referring to seducing women being like “bowling”. Likewise, while Alec repents for his “sins”, he never learns from his intended sexual abuse and twists Hardy’s natural presentation of Tess: her “dressing-gown of grey-white in… “half-mourning tints” shows a hyphen separation of words that mirror Tess’s blurring of identity, and the description of her “cable” hair “hanging on her shoulder” represents the mechanical nature of her body now that Alec has removed her pastoral nature so often linked with femininity. Alec rarely exhibits any shame, although his behaviour is, to most readers, the most shameful, enforcing the novel’s overwhelming tragedy.

Shame permeates the texts as it is embodied through setting and colour with Tess’s close association with red evidenced through her ribbon during the May Day dance and Prince’s death. Red represents the color of shame, and Tess’ life is tinged with it, as a result she is blood-stained throughout, foreshadowing her tragedy and also demonstrating the visual component of shame. The red that surrounds her through the “red brick” of the D’Urberville house introduces the theme of shame being reflected in the setting, and thus the “overwhelming” emotion being an effect of claustrophobia. This is further developed in Death of a Salesman, where Miller describes the “towering, angular shapes” that box in the Loman household, developing an isolated, separate world – a place for Willy’s imagination to permeate. This is executed in the play where staging is crucial in establishing a sense of disgrace, with various spaces becoming another location through lack of walls, the oppressive apartment buildings crowding the house with Willy’s statement “The way they boxed us in here!” emphasising his fear of encroaching society and its consumerist competition. Some critics would dispute Willy doesn’t even achieve a tragic experience, instead living the life of a “little salesman with a pathetic belief in his worthless son” as professed by J.C. Trewin. However, this criticism only supports Willy’s shameful character as it intrinsically links to the “impersonal and hierarchical” world of capitalism and the unfeeling religion in opposition with the natural world in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, enforcing shame on anyone who cannot fulfil their societal potential and thus binding tragedy with the social process.

To a significant extent, Willy and Tess can never transcend their shame as it is bounded by their unifying hamartia – their hubris. At the heart of tragedy is an intense sense of shame, evidenced in two characters who cannot surpass their inexorable tragic flaw. It is then not how the protagonist is perceived by society, but how they incorporate such prejudice that encloses them to their tragedy which is archetypal of the tragic genre.

Death of a Salesman stage play is set in the late 1940s. This stage play was written by american playwright Arthur Miller. February 10, 1949, was the first performance of the death of a salesman. This play was being staged on Broadway. Miller produces a self-perpetuating loop of denial, contradiction, and order versus chaos through the Loman family – Willy, Biff, Happy, and Linda.

It’s a play about an elderly salesman who has put so much faith in the american dream that failure is considered a mortal sin. The output sharpens the social drama by making the aspirational Lomans a black family. Willy Lomans deteriorating sense of self-worth is compounded by his dependence on Charly his white neighbor, for handouts. Willy Loman is a gung-ho salesman who has been forced to work solely on commission after 34 years with the organization. This situation has left him feeling proudly hurt and humiliated, and he is understandably anxious about his financial future. Willy Loman returns home early from the road due to a lack of sales; he almost crashes the car several times, and mental confusion has become his new normal. His two sons, Biff and Happy are upstairs, smoking cigarettes and contemplating their lives in the darkness of their shared childhood home. But here they are, in Biff’s old bedroom, a pair of something 30-middle-class straight white guys who have the luxury of looking around and scoffing at a world they feel hasn’t provided them with enough opportunities, more specifically, the right kind of opportunities, satisfying opportunities. Willy tries to ask his employer for a salaried role in New York the next day. Willy’s boss fires him for lack of sales the next day.

Willy slips back and forth between present reality and flashback, his mind transporting him to moments of optimism and hope for the future but Willy is also pursued by his infidelity, and he also flashes back to his brother Ben, now deceased, who traveled to Africa and became wealthy as a young man. Ben’s success is a nagging reminder of Willy’s failure. Willy’s decline is explained to Linda’s sons including the fact that he lost his job and that he tried to kill himself in the car. When Biff and Willy get together and celebrate that night, nobody feels successful, Biff and Willy fight, and the sons leave. In the restaurant, Willy. The climax of the scene, which is overshadowed by memories of Biff’s discovery of his adultery, reveals that Biff’s disillusionment stems from the shock of his father’s infidelity. Willy’s perplexity persists at home, as he plants seeds in the backyard during the dropping action. Willy has a hallucinatory conversation with his deceased brother, who tells him of his $20,000 life insurance policy. Willy and Biff have a final confrontation, and Biff, who is in tears, announces that he is leaving the family for good. Moved by his son’s emotion and in the midst of his hallucinatory conversation with Ben, Willy decides to carry out his plan, After everyone else has gone to bed, Willy leaves the house and speeds away the car back to the end, where the family is gathered around a grave.

Willy is not the invisible father, devoted husband, or phenomenally effective salesman that he portrays himself to be. He is unappreciative of his wife. He still refuses to admit that he is only moderately good. Willy fantasizes about missed opportunities for money, fame, and popularity as a result of this. Nonetheless, it would be inaccurate to say that Miller criticizes Willy. Instead, Miller shows how a single person can start a self-replicating loop that spreads to other people. Within the Loman family, this is undeniably true. Willy effectively blocks the affair out of his mind and commits himself to a life of denial until the end of the play.

Linda and Happy are both caught up in the denial loop. Willy’s habit of reconstructing reality is well known to Linda, but she also acknowledges that Willy may be unable to acknowledge reality, as shown by his multiple suicide attempts prior to the start of the play. As a result, Linda decides to treat Willy’s delusions as a reality in order to preserve them.

The play has a big effect because it makes the viewer feel like they’re in it. Willy Loman is everyone’s father, brother, uncle, or friend, and his relatives are our cousins; ‘Death Of A Salesman’ is a historical account of our lives. It is not a realistic portrait; rather, it is a demonstration of the facts as well as their significance. Over the years, we’ve seen many excellent productions of Death of a Salesman. This one captures the duality at the core of Miller’s memory play with remarkable precision, merging the socially real with the dreamily phantasmagoric.

It is said that Death of a Salesman is performed every night somewhere in the world. It has touched the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Although critics argue whether the play is a tragedy, a biting social commentary, an affirmation of the American spirit, or a portrayal of the salesman’s life, the drama’s poignant portrait of ordinary people has moved and questioned people all over the world.

In the play, “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller uses a number of literary devices to convey his overarching messages to the audience. His symbolism in particular allows him to shape the themes of this story by repeatedly emphasizing their importance throughout the duration of the play. In this play, Arthur Miller uses a number of symbols pertaining to Willy, Biff, and others in the story to effectively portray a subliminal and repeated central theme of denial, contradiction, and deterioration that is apparent throughout the play and that resonates within the audience.

There are a number of symbols associated with Willy, the main character and essentially the main focus of this storyline. One symbol, which is where most of the action takes place, is the Loman house. The house, when it was purchased by Willy and Linda, was removed from the city and was a quaint, ideal place to live out a fulfilled life. There was room for expansion and for a garden, which Willy liked. However, over time, apartments invaded the surrounding area and cluttered the once spacious housing unit. This is largely symbolic of Willy’s hopes and overall thoughts, which were originally clear and full of aspiration, but are now doubtful and withering away. This largely relates to the central theme of deterioration. Another symbol that surrounds Willy is the garden, along with the seeds he plants. This garden represents the hopes Willy had of leaving a legacy that would carry on past his death, and the lessons he hoped to plant within his sons. When he tries to plant vegetable seeds, and Linda says, “But not enough sun gets back there. Nothing’ll grow anymore,” it symbolizes that hope is all but lost for Willy and his son’s chances of success. Alongside these main symbols, Howard’s tape recorder is also a major symbol in the play. Howard himself is a symbol of innovation and advancement of business technology, which is in contrast to Willy’s old, traditional business tactics. Thus, Howard’s tape recorder is seen as an innovative business tool and poses a threat to Willy, whose outdated business tactics that he is so forcibly clinging to cannot compete. This overall situation is symbolic in itself: Even Willy’s values are placed in the past, as he always talks about the past, whereas Howard is always looking forward to the future and the progress that will inevitably come with it. This case symbolism feeds into the central theme of denial, which would ultimately be Willy’s undoing. Even Willy’s last name is a symbol of sorts, rooted in the fact that Loman sounds like “low man,” which is somewhat ironic and contradictory to Willy’s high aspirations and dreams for his family’s future. Furthermore, Willy contradicts himself a number of times in the play, one such instance being in the beginning when talking about Biff’s effort. Willy says to Linda, “Biff is a lazy bum!” when they are discussing the situation. However, a few lines later, Willy says the complete opposite, when he says “In the greatest country in the world, a young man with such – personal attractiveness, gets lost. And he’s such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff – he’s not lazy.” This type of contradiction reiterates the theme of the play, especially with it is centered around Willy, who contradicts himself a number of times.

Another person who is the focal point of a number of symbols is Biff, Willy’s thirty-four-year-old son. Biff works manual labor on farms and horse ranches, which his dad is critical of. However, one of the major symbols surrounding Biff is his University of Virginia sneakers. These sneakers are a physical representation of Biff’s hopes and dreams about his football career. Biff apparently had multiple scholarship offers from universities, and his future as an athlete was symbolized by the sneakers when he exclaimed, “Oh pop, you didn’t see my sneakers!” as he was talking to Willy. The fate of these same sneakers illustrates the metaphorical fate of his football career when Howard describes Biff destroying them. “- Remember those sneakers with the University of Virginia printed on them? He was so proud of those and wore them every day. And he took them down in the cellar and burned them up in the furnace.” The destruction of the sneakers after Willy’s affair symbolizes the simultaneous end of Biff’s dream of a promising football career. One other symbol associated with Biff’s character is Oliver Fountain’s pen that he stole. In stealing this pen, Biff almost feels like he has gotten revenge on Oliver, taking from him just as Oliver took Biff’s self-worth. Stealing seems to be a recurring incident with Biff, and it almost appears as if stealing gives him a feeling of control that fills the void of discipline in his life.

There are a few other symbols that contribute to the theme of the play as a whole. The stockings Linda mends are one such example. In catching Willy in the act of an affair, Biff exclaims, “You gave her Mama’s stockings!” which indicates that these stockings are now burned in Biff’s memory as a reminder of the affair. Thus, whenever he sees Linda mending stockings, he says “Will you stop mending stockings? At least while I’m in the house. It gets me nervous. I can’t tell you. Please.” This is reflective of the sense of denial that is repeatedly present throughout the play. Another symbol in this story is the jungle and its diamonds. When Ben says, “The jungle is dark but full of diamonds,” he is referring to risk and reward. The jungle is seen as a risk, physically and morally, and the diamonds are seen as the reward for entering the jungle. The diamonds are also perceived as real, tangible rewards, whereas in sales, Willy has nothing to show for his work. Whenever Willy commits suicide, he sees himself as going into the jungle to get diamonds for his sons.

Arthur Miller’s extensive use of rhetoric in this play gives him the power to invoke strong feelings from the audience. Miller utilizes Willy, Biff, and others by surrounding their characters with meaningful symbols that powerfully convey the overarching theme of denial, deterioration, and contradiction that lies within Death of a Salesman.