Example: I asked Gina to accept my hand in marriage. She then
smiled and as I awaited her response, her face appeared to diffuse just as
leisurely as a dinner candle that is dripping its’ melting wax onto the fibers
of an Egyptian, cotton tablecloth.
The sentence example preceding this paragraph can be perplexing to
any reader when any additional details are not given that describe the
context in which this sentence has been written. Devoid of any transition in
the opening sentence of this paper, the audience may not be able to discern
whether the actions in the sentence are real or part of a dream or some
alternate reality. As any author or playwright attempts to transition his story
from one reality to an alternate reality, it is his responsibility to noticeably
or inconspicuously guide his audience into the next scene or alternate reality
of the story. Not doing so can lead the audience into confusion and
misperception of the intentions of the author. Playwrights Tennessee
Williams and Arthur Miller have both similar and contrasting ways in which
they apply their non-realistic techniques, with the purpose of elucidating
any transitions from the stage or script to the intended audience.
Subsequently I will explain my examination, both comparatively and
contrastively, of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman along with Tennessee
Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and each playwright’s application of non-
realistic technique.
The first major transition in Death of a Salesman transpires as the
main character, Willy Loman, is imagining that his teenage sons, though
now both in their 30’s are washing his fairly new Chevy automobile. The
audience...
... middle of paper ...
...Miller’s non-realistic approach was abstract and metaphoric, while
Williams’ non-realistic approach was conveyed as a memory of certain
times and places with events and actions that did happen. I have a personal
affection and admiration for the abstruse but I’d perhaps better receive the
message in Death of a Salesman by witnessing the story on stage or on film.
I admire the straightforward approach that Tennessee Williams took in
writing The Glass Menagerie. Williams’ approach allowed for easier reading
on paper. My eyes and mind now instinctively move toward the future.
Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. "Death of a Salesman." 1949. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. E. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. Print.
Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New York: New Directions Publishing, 1945.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Seventh Edition. X.J. Kennedy, and Dana Gioia. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1636-1707.
Gioia, Dana, and X.J. Kennedy. "Death of a Salesman" Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, Compact Edition, Interactive Edition. 5th ed. New York: Pearson; Longman Publishing, 2007. 1212-1280. Print.
Murray, Edward. “The Thematic Structure in Death of a Salesman.” Readings on Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 1999.
Bigsby, C. W. E. “Death of a Salesman.” Arthur Miller: A Critical Study. New York: Cambridge UP, 2005. 100-123.
Often society seeks to thwart the desire of certain people to find and/or face the truth. Examples of this are found throughut literature. Two excellent example of this are Biff Loman from 'The Death Of A Salesman' and Tom Wingfield from 'The Glass Menagerie'. At some point, they both have to face and understand the truth about their lives. Biff is faced with the lies and morals of society obsessed with the corrupt version of American Dream, especially his father, and his inability to pursue his own goals and dreams. Tom is faced with the sad reality of life in his family and the desire to escape it.
Eisinger, Chester E. "Critical Readings: Focus on Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: The Wrong Dreams." Critical Insights: Death of a Salesman (2010): 93-105.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman; Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem. New York: Viking, 1949. Print.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 8th ed.Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford, 2008. 1908-1972. Print.
Murphy, Brenda and Susan C. W. Abbotson. Understanding Death of a Salesman: A Student Handbook to Cases, Issues and Historical Documents. The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" series, Claudia Durst Johnson, series editor. Westwood, CT, London: 1999.
Of Mice and Men and the Death of a Salesman have different types of dreams which are incorporated in a variety of different ways. In Death of a Salesman, the dreams held by Willy, Happy and Biff have the same traditional American dream where you can become a wealthy, powerful and respected American. Willy is committed to his dream, as Happy Loman states “it’s the only dream you can have” and to be the “number one man”. In contrast, the characters’ dreams in Of Mice and Men, are extremely humble as George and Lennie only desire to have a 2 acre plot of land and a small home and “live off the fatta the land”. Whilst Lennie’s ambition is to have some rabbits and alfalfa,
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem. New York: Penguin, 1998. Print.
Miller, Arthur. "Death of a Salesman." Compact Literature. Ed. Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell. 8th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. 1262-331. Print.
In both the short stories “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller and “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams; readers are able to visualize very clearly the similarities between Willy and Amanda’s denial in facing reality.
"SparkNotes: Death of a Salesman: important quotations Explained ." SparkNotes . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .
Eisinger, Chester E. "Focus on Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman': The Wrong Dreams," in American Dreams, American Nightmares,