THE CRITICAL FORTUNES OF ARTHUR MILLER’S DEATH OF A SALESMAN ____________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University‚ Chico ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in English ____________ by Angela M. Metzger Summer 2009 THE CRITICAL FORTUNES OF ARTHUR MILLER’S DEATH OF A SALESMAN A Thesis by Angela M. Metzger Summer 2009 APPROVED BY THE INTERIM DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE‚ INTERNATIONAL‚ AND INTERDISCIPLINARY
Premium Tragedy
attention by performing a stunt and being someone they are not‚ when in actuality your life is a disaster. In “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller‚ the main character Willy Loman is a salesman whose quintessential American Dream is flawed and directly linked to his self-worth and his eldest son Biff’s achievements. Consequently‚ Willy’s failure to achieve his idea of the American Dream‚ becomes results what he believes is a personal failure and identity crisis. As a man deep in the memories of the
Premium Death of a Salesman Success Failure
Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” in the Marxist Critical Framework “Death of a Salesman” is the most famous play by the American writer Arthur Miller‚ first performed in 1949. It depicts dramatic life of the American salesman Willy Loman and his sons‚ Biff and Happy. The protagonist aspired to create a happy prosperous life for himself and his family through embodiment of American Dream‚ but failed and ended his life by a suicide. Marxist criticism‚ as a form of historic criticism in literary theory
Premium Sociology Marxism Communism
Death of a Salesman In this play-write‚ it shows that Biff is the protagonist. This is because unlike Willy‚ Hap‚ and Linda‚ Biff goes through a great change and is transformed by the action of the play. At the very end of the play‚ at Willy’s funeral‚ Biff announces that he’s leaving New York City. This is because he is ready to move on in his life‚ whereas Hap is holding onto the past‚ like Willy had‚ and decides to stay put. Willy‚ strong in his belief of the "American Dream"‚ never
Premium The Play Family Marilyn Monroe
Flaws in Death of a Salesman “Death of a Salesman” is a book deceptively based on self confidence. This trait is lacking in many of the characters. Ironically‚ the three men of the Loman decent all share the same flaw‚ Harold “Happy” Loman‚ Biff Loman‚ and tragically‚ Mr. Willy Loman. Harold is the young‚ good looking‚ “successful”‚ and attention seeker who really can’t be the independent man his shinning allure may portray. He is the mediator in certain situations‚ but almost instinctively
Premium Death of a Salesman Drama Marilyn Monroe
11A-3 May 21st‚ 2012 Unit Essay: Death of a Salesman Edmund Spencer once said: “It is the mind that maketh good or ill.” Imagination can lead to ultimate success‚ yet unfortunately‚ it can also lead to complete turmoil. We make sense of our world and move on in life by telling stories. We dream “a little something to get by on‚” as Robert Stone once said. We dream a story for ourselves and mold our lives around the requirements of our dreams. We also use imagination as a coping mechanism
Premium Death of a Salesman Lie
The American Dream is unsurprisingly one of the most prevalent themes throughout American literature. From Huckleberry Finn (Twain) to Death of a Salesman (Miller)‚ the idea is prevalent in most of the American classics. In Huckleberry Finn‚ the dream represents the ability to be free on the river away from the rules and racism of society‚ while in Death of a Salesman it represents a workingman’s failure to achieve his goals. Both have opposing narratives regarding the dream‚ based upon the times
Premium James Truslow Adams United States American Dream
In Arthur Miller’s The Death of a Salesman‚ Willy Loman is depicted as a failing salesman who dreams of becoming rich and famous. Willy strives to achieve the same goals as his dead brother‚ Ben. Furthermore‚ I believe Ben symbolizes hopes and dreams. Additionally‚ I think the theme of Death of a Salesman is that only relying on hopes and dreams to accomplish goals will lead to a tragic failure. During the full extent of the book‚ Willy imagines that Ben is talking to him and encouraging him to
Premium Death of a Salesman James Truslow Adams Drama
The Death of a Salesman is a play created to evoke thoughts and emotions. The audience sees mental decline and personal demons manifesting themselves in various ways. Three characters stood out more than others. They made the audience feel many more emotions than all the others and cause the strongest reactions. Wily Loman is a salesman who is struggling with everything going on in his world. He loses both his job and his sanity. He is loud‚ abusive‚ and prideful amongst many other things. The opening
Premium Bullying
Tragedy was a very controversial issue in literature until recent years. Recent figures in literature have set a clear definition for tragedy. Author Miller is one of these figures. Plays and novels have distinguished the definition of tragedy. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary tragedy is a serious piece of literature typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. Miller’s explains
Premium Tragedy Tragic hero Drama