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Analysis plot drama death of a salesman
The play death of a salesman by arthur miller, setting characterization symbolism
American Dream In Death Of The Salesman By Arthur Miller
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Destruction of the American Dream in in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman addresses Willy Lowmans struggle to maintain his identity in the face of narrowing hopes that he or his sons will ever achieve their American Dream. Willy Loman represents a uniquely American figure: the traveling salesman. Every week, he takes a journey to stake his bid for success. It would be difficult to miss the survival of the American frontier mentality in the figure of the traveling salesman. The idea of the American dream was heavily influenced by the rush for gold and land in the nineteenth-century American West. It is no coincidence that in the 1950's, the decade most preoccupied with the mythical American dream, America experienced an unprecedented love affair with Westerns. Willy and Linda try to build their own version of the American dream with their family. In high school, Biff was the all-American boy as the captain of the football team. True to the myth of the all-American boy, girls and admiring friends surrounded him. Willy and Linda's lives are full of monthly payments on possessions that symbolize that dream: a car, a home, and household appliances. The proliferation of monthly payments allowed families with modest incomes to hedge their optimistic bets against certain future success. The husband would surely advance to higher and better paid positions over time, so why not buy these symbols today? The rise of consumer capitalism produced an interesting cultural psychology. The promising American frontier became the world of business. Thousands of new niches opened in American culture, and the aspiring young man with talent and a dream could not help striking gold somewhere in the jungle of economic transactions. Willy, despite his inability to advance beyond his position as a common salesman, still believes he lives in "the greatest country in the world." His dream of success for himself and his sons has an aura of American Manifest Destiny. He believes that natural charisma, good looks, and confidence are the most important attributes needed for success. Biff's failure to move ahead despite his "personal attractiveness" bewilders him. Both his sons are built like Adonises; they are "well liked" and seem destined for easy success. Clearly, Miller wanted to capture the flavor of American culture in this play. Willy's peculiarly American job, his all-American sons, and his commitment to the American dream bind together the myths and symbols of American culture. Moreover, the dialogue of the play is littered with American slang: lazy bum, gee, Pop, fella, babe, flunk, and knock 'em dead. The dialect is likewise American: coulda, oughta, woulda, and gotta. Therefore, it is important to read the play as a commentary on American values as well as an examination of one man's mental decline. Willy's failure to succeed is partly due to his own personal flaws, but it is also due to the cultural values that shape his life. Willy is a salesman. His job requires that he appear confident and self-assured. This facade protects him from the inevitable indifference of reluctant buyers. Ironically, Willy's facade is his first and most important product. He has to successfully sell himself before he can sell his product line. Willy's primary problem is that he cannot separate himself from his professional role. Therefore, a buyer's rejection of Willy's sales pitch constitutes a personal rejection. It threatens Willy's view of himself, as he conflates his personal identity with his professional role. Willy is obsessed with being "well liked." In part, his obsession is due to his fusion of his professional role with his identity. The consummate salesman is a favorite of the buyers. He performs his role so well that he blurs the lines of friendship and business relationships. In doing so, the consummate salesman all the more effectively seduces the buyer into purchasing his products. However, Willy has bought his own sales pitch, so he regards his professional contacts as "friends." Their indifference to his sales pitch hits him even harder since their rejection constitutes a personal attack. He regards being "well liked" as a measure of his success because he has bought his own sales pitch. Not being liked constitutes both a personal and professional failure. Willy believes in the American dream of certain fame and fortune. Within the logical framework of this dream, the individual need only strive forward to the future with a can-do attitude of confidence in order to enjoy the fruits of fame and fortune. Therefore, Willy regards the failure to succeed as the result of a personal flaw rather than a flaw in the American dream itself. In order to preserve his identity, Willy cannot acknowledge his failure to acquire the fame and fortune promised by the American dream. He cannot admit doubt or insecurity because a good salesman always remains confident, and the American dream promises success to the confident, eager individual. Death of a Salesman addresses Willy's struggle to maintain his identity in the face of narrowing hopes that he or his sons will ever fulfill his dreams.
Over two decades have passed since the enactment of Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education, including athletics. As a result of Title IX, women and girls have benefited from more athletic participation opportunities and more equitable facilities. Because of Title IX, more women have received athletic scholarships and thus opportunities for higher education that some may not have been able to afford otherwise. In addition, because of Title IX the salaries of coaches for women's teams have increased. Despite the obstacles women face in athletics, many women have led and are leading the way to gender equity.
This later developed into delusion, as Willy often talked to himself and experienced hallucinations. Willy also enjoyed bragging, and frequently edited parts of reality when recounting the past. This was in favor of portraying a certain image of himself. In doing so, Willy created a facade of the perfect and well-liked man. Willy’s stories become so convincing that his family, as well as himself, believe that this representation is, in fact a true depiction. The ideology that charisma is the driving force to success is derived from Willy; he teaches this to his sons Biff and Happy. Miller writes in Willy’s conversation to his sons, “Be liked and you will never want. You take me, for instance. I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. “Willy Loman is here!” That’s all they have to know, and I go right through.” (Death of a Salesman 21). This ideology demonstrates that Willy fits into the role of a tragic hero, as his refusal to acknowledge the truth in reality, stems from his excess of pride. This ideal also applies when Willy refuses to acknowledge Biff’s poor performance in math class but is instead adamant that as long as he is well-liked by everyone, Biff will
The Civil right Acts of 1964 was originally written to end discrimination based on race, color, national origin, and along the way came Title IX. Title IX as we all know gave equal opportunity for women to participate in sports starting in Elementary schools to colleges or the universities level and almost all schools and colleges receive federal funding. The original intention was never focused on sports. It wasn’t until 1969 when an emerging activist by the name of Bernice Sandler complained to the University of Maryland and many more other universities that women are being treated unfairly, and the inequalities in pay, rank, admissions, and much more. In 1970, “Sandler joined Representative Edith Green’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and sat in on the congressional hearings where women’s rights were discussed”. It wasn’t in congressional hearing that Green and Sandler proposed Title IX and again, there was very limited mention of sports. The focal point was aiming toward equalities at employment and federally financed institutions. Although, Title IX was officially passed into law on June 23, 1972, many people didn’t fully understand what Title IX and that there were also other people who was against Title IX. President Nixon “President Nixon directed the now-defunct Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) to carry out this important task.” In wasn’t until 1972 when the HEW published their finalized copy of Title IX and that’s when people had a good understanding of what it truthfully means. This was the step that people have finally have a clear understanding of Title IX and that it would applies to college athletics. Universities were given three years to implements Title IX. Many universities weren’t too happy a...
In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller paints the relationship of Willy and his two sons, Biff and Happy, through the dreams of living a successful life but achieving that success in the wrong manner. He wants his kids to live a better life than he had to but he had no clue on how togain this success the correct way. This wrong teaching built a wedge in their relationship with neither being successful and their father never letting them hear the end of it. His high expectations deemed foolish with his many failures at life and even indulging in an affair, guiding his sons down the wrong path of life. Willy’s dreams of having a successful life in the future are lived through the ones of his children because he couldn’t find a way to achieve
Willy Loman equates success as a human being with success in the business world. When Willy was a young man, he heard of a salesman who could "pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, make his living." (81) This salesman is Willy's inspiration; someday to be so respected and so well known that he can still provide for his family, even at an old age. Of course, Willy is no good at being a salesman because his heart isn't in it. The only time Willy puts his heart into anything is when he works with his hands, and his son, Biff, comes to realize this. "There's more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made." (138) Willy never comes to the realization that it is not being a salesman that he cares about, but rather being well known and, perhaps more importan...
Willy and Linda try to build their own version of the American dream with their family. In high school, Biff was the all-American boy as the captain of the football team. True to the myth of the all-American boy, girls and admiring friends surrounded him. Willy and Linda's lives are full of monthly payments on possessions that symbolize that dream: a car, a home, and household appliances. The proliferation of monthly payments allowed families with modest incomes to h...
Willy rejected a life of opportunity and became a salesman because of the promise outlined by the American Dream. However, because of his inability to grasp reality, his life results in a succession of lies that unwind themselves into devastating consequences. Willy does not understand that life requires more than good looks and a likeable personality in order to be successful and it is this illusion that causes the lack of substance in his being. In the Requiem Biff states, “… the man didn’t know who he was.” (138) Here, Biff recognizes that Willy...
In the play Death of a Salesman, author Arthur Miller illustrates the insignificance of a respectable reputation in society and the confining nature of failure through protagonists Willy Loman and Charley. Willy’s self-consciousness and naivety influence him to strive for an excellent image in society to help him succeed. Following this method for success, Willy fails as a salesman because he neglects focusing on the purpose of his job, selling. Furthermore, Willy’s neighbor, Charley, thrives as a businessman because of his confidence and maturity. These valued characteristics help him to realize working hard leads to accomplishments. Charley’s achievements allow him to live contentedly, free from distress, while Willy suffers from trapping himself in a life of unhappiness. Willy’s focus on his reputation results in his failures and discontent, which juxtaposes Charley’s achievements from his hard work; therefore, Charley’s success ultimately illuminates the triviality of a well-formed reputation to succeed, and Willy’s displeasure demonstrates the confinement of failing.
Campbell’s work National Deconstruction: Violence, Identity and Justice in Bosnia is effective in bringing to the readers’ attention a different way of thinking about violence and identity in Bosnia. However, a few flaws in his methodology have been noted. Furthermore, while the possibility of a multi-ethnic solution is an interesting one, and deserves further academic discourse, the reality may not match up to his thinking, for example other issues in the former Yugoslavia, including the Kosovan separatist movement, could be seen to cast doubt on the effectiveness of large multi-ethnic states with pockets of different ethnic majorities.
Willy believes in the “ American Dream” in where people who strive to work hard and persevere will achieve success and prosperity. However Willy is so caught up in this dream that that he doesn't seem to realize that this dream isn't going to come true. This naive mindset of pursuing this intangible thing such as success doesn't only hurt himself, but also hurts the lives of his wife and sons. All Willy really wants in life is to become successful. He wants to have a name in his life. For instance, his brother Ben who was able achieve this incredible feat of obtaining great wealth through the Alaskan mines, obtained it so easily. Willy states , “ The man [Ben] knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he’s rich”( Miller 41). Willy also
The Yugoslav Army played a disastrous role not only as an enforcer of political decisions but as an independent. In Tito’s time, the army had only a subordinate role. In those days, the Communist Party and the army were the glue that held the country together. When the Communist Party separated, the army remained the sole power that guaranteed the union. After the secessions, it became an army without a country. With Tito’s death in 1980 and the death of the Communist party in 1990, the national army was cut adrift with an idea with noone to control it. They eventually made themselves powerless.
Wind waves are formed when a gust of wind blows over the surface of the water. There is some friction between the bottom layer of the wind and the top layer of the water and this causes motion. This bottom layer is then forced to slow down while the top layers are forced to topple over the bottom layer, causing the wave motion in the ocean. There are a number of factors affecting wind wave height such as water depth,
There have been a number of recent historical events that have affected the current status of the country. Soon after the anti-bureaucratic revolution, Slobodan Milošević –who was part of the communist party- rose to power in 1989. His pledge to reduce the powers of the self-ruling then Serbian provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo. Milošević knew that autonomy for the provinces had long been opposed in Serbia and used it as a platform to gain support among the Serbian people or Serbs. “In 1991, Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia declared independence, followed by Bosnia in 1992” (World Factbook, 1). Many of the countries declared independence to leave from the oppressive “Serbian domination” that Milošević was striving for. Serbia and Montenegro then formed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) that following year. Milošević led numerous campaigns to reunite Serbia ...
Willy Loman's definition does not differ greatly from mine, although while trying to pursue this dream, Willy's mind slowly drifted further and further away from reality. The "American Dream" is the idea that any man or woman can make his or her own fortune, despite his or her past. Willy is trying to achieve success through this thought, believing that being "well liked" and working hard will be enough to ensure his success. Willy was wrong. Social class is a major factor in the death of a salesman.
Willy is a multi-faceted character which Miller has portrayed a deep problem with sociological and psychological causes and done so with disturbing reality. In another time or another place Willy might have been successful and kept his Sanity, but as he grew up, society's values changed and he was left out in the cold. His foolish pride, bad judgment and his disloyalty are also at fault for his tragic end and the fact that he did not die the death of a salesman.