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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, no deus ex-machina comes from above to explain to both father and son why they have suffered so much for so many years, and why their relationship is so problematic. The scene goes on, and Happy is just as much an 'enabler' of his father's delusional view of the world even after the climatic confrontation of Biff and Willy.
Willy falls back and forth from past to present, from memories of life in the office to the actual moment in time on stage, in his house. This conveys a kind of hyper-realism, as the viewer sees more of Willy's life and suffering than he or she might be if the work were presented solely as a kitchen sink drama, and conforming to the unities of time and space. The spare sets needed to convey this gives naturalism, rather than realism to Willy's life as characters and scenes from the past and present drift on and off the stage.
The story of Death of a Salesman, the psychological drama of Willy Loman, may be tragic in the sense that Willy's story...
Willy lacks any real insight into the nature of his condition: that he has sacrificed his life for a lie. Happy has no moral compass; Biff has not realized his early promise. Willy has betrayed his long-suffering wife. And he has given the best years of his life to a company that discards him like a piece of rubbish when he is no longer of use.
Willy does not rage against the system. He still believes in Ben, in the need for money and financial security. So he kills himself, enabling Linda to have the home 'free and clear,' and for his family to live in comfort. The American Dream can only be 'cashed in' when you are dead and unable to enjoy it, but Willy never understands this. Long before Willy took his life he suffered a death of the human component of his life -- his relationship with his family. It family relationships that are important -- not a fancy home, money, or having silk stockings to give to your mistress, Miller suggests. Meaningful work is hard work, not being a salesman and making a 'quick buck.' The viewer can see, by observing Willy's memories, how much he lost and ignored over the course of his life, and how his suicide is an illustration of his failure to understand what is truly important.
Death of a Salesman Expressionism is an artistic movement created in the early 20th century which sought to express human emotion through artistic media. While it may have began with painting, it quickly spread to other forms of artistic expression including poetry and literature. In the form of literature, expressionist plays were a very popular form of expressing the struggle of the protagonist against difficulties of life and cultural expectations. These
He can't let go of the idea that popularity and wealth are what are most important in a man. In the second act, Willy receives a terrible blow. He explains to his boss, Howard, how he met a salesman when he was about 19, and admired the man's skills, and decided that sales was the very best job a man could have. But he tells Howard he's tired, and he
Act 2. Discuss the scene between Willy and Ben, consider what advice Willy is asking of Ben, note Bens reply "let me think about it." What might miller be suggesting by it? What importance does this scene have in the play? What themes are evoked in it? Ben's relationship with his brother Willy throughout the play exemplifies Willy's longing for the success that never comes. Ben profits from diamond mines, while
When the past no longer serves as an adequate escape, Willy resorts to complete fantasy in the form of Ben. For Willy, his long lost brother represents the ultimate realization of the American Dream. Ben left his family to find fortune in Alaska. He represents the adventurer who makes a success through entrepreneurialism and audacity (Krasner 46). Miller however indicates that this success is decidedly uncertain; pointing out the wishful
And this is perhaps the most important underlying notion of Miller's play. The American Dream, which can perhaps be seen as the principle at the heart of the work, is also the ambition which pushes Loman through his life of artifice and vain pursuit. In a flashback, Willy is shown to be a man of aspiration, who wishes to transform his diligence and respect for authorities into a life of
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Specifically it will contain an analysis of the play that answers several questions. Miller's work is a classic play that has run for years on Broadway and around the world. It tells the story of a traveling salesman who has passed his usefulness to his family and himself. It is a tragic story of the American dream gone terribly wrong. The setting of