In 1949, the pinnacle of contemporary American playwright, Arthur Miller, published his works “Death of a Salesman”. After the advent of this play, not only caused a sensation in the theaters in the United States, but also became the Western model of modern tragedy as one of the most important drama after America's World War II. Miller was twice won the “New York Drama Critics Award” and also awarded the “Pulitzer Prize.”[
See “Death of Salesman” introduction of Arthur Miller.] In“Death of a Salesman,” Miller used a short period of time of main character’s life to reflect his whole tragedy life. He borrowed some expressionist approach, broke the imagination and reality, past and present boundaries, and reflected the broad social life through these characters’ mental activity. For many years, those comments about the play mostly stay in the story’s twists and turns, the tragic fate of the male characters, the cold reality of society, especially the hard-working of the Willy's "American dream" had shattered. However, the image of the female character, Willy’s wife-- Linda, failed to do a more in-depth research. Even with about Linda's research, mostly viewer were held the attitude of perspective of feminism to blame Linda’s fault instead of sympathy for her. In this paper, it is going to start with female trauma perspective, with the "American Dream" as the background, to do the interpretation of the tragic fate of the female character Linda in the play to show why she is the most tragedy character than Willy.
From the cultural identity of the female character Linda in “Death of a Salesman,” we will see how the dramatist Arthur Miller successfully puts the Linda under the context of the patriarchal society, introduces Linda’s...
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...pursue their American Dreams, what she can do is to support them and comfort them. She just wants to keep whole family together. However, after Willy died, the family split. Death of a Salesman is not only Willy’s personal tragedy, family tragedy, and a social tragedy, but the real tragedy of Linda. As Robert said,
“The tragedy inherent in Death of Salesman is no longer only an American tragedy. It is part of the universal tragedy of love, grief, despair, and betrayal that today characterizes life in most countries of the world.(11)”
The tragedy of love, grief, despair, and betrayal created this significant play. As you can see from this paper, read the play with female trauma perspective, with the "American Dream" as the background, we realized the tragic fate of the female character Linda in the play is the most tragedy character than male character Willy.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 8th ed.Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford, 2008. 1908-1972. Print.
Arthur Miller tells the tragedy of Willy Loman, a salesman who spends his days driving on the roads and lives in the illusion of an American Dream that he couldn’t reach. In fact, he lost his job and has a lot of debts to payback. The one who perfectly fitted in the capitalist society, which values are based on competitiveness and success, founds him self disappointed, hopeless and overtaken by events. His wife, Linda is described as the common American housewife, very faithful and shows a full support to her husband. Thanks to her devotion to him, Willy unveils his weaknesses but she is also his scapegoat whenever he releases his accumulated anger and frustration. And contrarily to what we might think their relation is the same as a master and his slave, they are complementary but not equal. This play exposes consequently the inferior role that women have in the American culture. In this play, two women play a significant role. How are women portrayed? According to Willy, Linda can’t handle big responsibilities and thinks that her capabilities are limited to taking care of the house, their
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
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
Parker, Brian. A. Point of View in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. University of Toronto Quarterly 35 (1966): 144-47. Rpt. in the Koon.
Despite Arthur Miller’s portrayal of Linda Loman as adapting to her societal niche as a housewife and mother, she is unable to assist her family in achieving happiness. According to critic Julius Novick, Linda “has found her identity and moral compass in preserving protecting, and defending her husband” (Novick 102). Linda even defends Willy’s integrity to her own son Biff when she says “he’s the dearest man in the world to me, and I won’t have anyone making him feel unwanted and low and blue” (Miller 55). The play Death of a Salesman takes place in the 1950’s, a time where marriage meant a woman had to sacrifice her personal identity and interests in order to nurture a family. Arthur Miller reveals little about Linda’s life before marriage because he wants to
The play, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller follows the Loman family and the conflict that leads up to their father, Willy’s, eventual suicide. There is a sense of a distorted reality that is prompted by Miller’s expressionist impressions. These impressions are supported by the use of the flute, set descriptions of where the Lomans live, and complex dialogue. All of these components combined not only fuse together the somber and dream-like tone and the theme of abandonment of but also the distorted reality that Willy and his family live in. Miller’s descriptive and almost interactive form of writing builds up to create a play full of flashbacks and delusion.
Murray, Edward. “The Thematic Structure in Death of a Salesman.” Readings on Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 1999.
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.
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.
In the original 1949 play of Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller was the American playwright. Death of a Salesman was a tragic play that presents a story about a salesman named Willy who believes that personality and being “well-liked” will achieve his American Dream. The play premiered on February 10, 1949 at the Morosco Theatre in Manhattan, New York (Avery). Miller’s play reflected on his relationship with uncle, Manny Newman who was also a salesman like the protagonist of the story and two sons who he took great pride on (Tierney). Through his characterization of Willy and Biff Loman, Miller presents contrasting (or surprising similar) illustra...
Miller, Arthur. “Death of a Salesman.” The Norton Introduction to Literature 10. New York: W. W.
Miller, Arthur “Death of a Salesman” Literature: Craft and Voice. Ed. Nicholas Delbanco and Alan Cheuse. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. 205-13. Print.
Field, B.S. "Death of a Salesman" Twentieth Century Literature. January, 1972. 19-24. Rpt. in World Literary Criticism. Ed. Frank Magill. "Arthur Miller" Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. 2366-2368.
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller highlights the result of an unfulfilling life through Willy Loman’s pursuit of an unrealistic American Dream and the effects it creates on himself as well as his family. This story has many strong examples which prove the psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud and his concept of the human