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In Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, the Lowman family finds it quite difficult to decode and differentiate between the real and illusion. This theme of reality versus illusion continues throughout the play, which in the end leads to the death of the protagonist, Willy Lowman. The key element of the play encompasses the value and importance of the American dream of becoming successful. The play is set up in the 1940s era when men in America were determined to be successful, not only in the pursuit of provisioning for their families, but also in living a life where they could indulge in luxury. In particular, the longing for materialistic accumulations possesses Willy. He is thus in pursuit of the contemporary American dream, which is to strive for immense wealth that he never attains, and the greed controls his life to the extent that he becomes blind to lifes realities.
Right from the inception of the play, Willys illusionary essence is evident. Willy imagines a life filled with luxury, and in which only good things materialize. Being unwilling to be openly face realities of life, Willys life ends up being one that is constantly filled with deception, and he spreads this illusory to his family. It is imperative to note that this illusory transpires largely because of his reluctance to see reality. Imprudently...
He goes on to state if a man is well liked, he has a prosperous life. Willy believes that he was well-liked by people and this imagination of success went on to the point that he lied to his family. In fact, his delusionary state increased to the extent that he borrowed money from Charlie his friend, in order to deceive his wife and family that he was making money and being successful (Miller, 2001).
This illusory extends to Willys sons Biff and Happy Lowman. Willy also creates the illusion that his sons were successful and perceived as great men. When asked why his sons were not lending him a hand, he exclaims, They are working on a big deal. However, the reality was that his sons were unsuccessful. For instance, Biff fails to get a loan. This delusion largely rubbed off on both of his sons, but it had more impact on Happy. Happy begins to believe that he was a top and major functionary in the company. However, the reality was that Happy was the assistant to somebody elses assistant. Even Biff points out to him asking him, Youre one of the two assistants to the assistant, arent you? (Miller, 2001). In addition, Happy places a great deal of value on material things and he tries…
" Though critics such as Sheila Huftel characterize Willy Loman's "fall" as only a fall from "an imagined height," it is nevertheless still a fall, which makes Willy Loman, like Oedipus, a tragic figure. Willy has created very powerful ideas about what he wants his life to be and what he wants his sons lives to be. But these ideas are part of what make Willy who he is. He cannot
Death of a Salesman Culture and Gender in Death of a Salesman American culture is clearly changing. Yet, many within it are refusing to adapt, and are continuing to hold on to outdated middle class values that don't work within today's social context. This is Willy Loman. Arthur Miller presents a sad but realistic look at the destruction of the American Dream and middle class values within his work Death of a
Willy's "psychopathy," he explained, is a manifestation of his being "other-directed" -- or possessing a value system entirely determined by external norms…evidence that goes beyond normal human inconsistency into the realm of severe internal division" (3). The author's analysis illustrates that Willy's "psychopathy" is an inevitable and consistent result of his constant dreaming about success and wealth using the wrong approach. Knowing that he has failed himself and his
Death of a Salesman: Ethics in Business Arthur Miller's play titled Death of a Salesman is classic example of the transition experienced by those involved in the business world during the middle part of the 20th Century. Business ethics and the economy are interwoven and tied to the theme of achieving the American dream in the play. Willy, the main character in the play is caught in between two popular but
Willy relives the painful memory, but does not accord it the same weight as Biff. The inability of Willy to understand Biff is one of the central conflicts of the play. Even after the father and son have their show-down, when Biff insists to Willy that he is "nothing," and that it doesn't matter to him, Willy can only marvel that Biff likes him. Unlike in a Greek play,
Death of a Salesman The new millennium has brought with it new and interesting challenges. Our values and ideals have evolved along with the changing times. This is also true of business and the things that constitute success. For these reasons, many have questioned the relevance of literature created during the previous century to the world as it appears today. Such questions have also been raised about Death of a Salesman