Marxist Criticism In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman
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, gives an objective and realistic view on individual and family problems raised in this work. This paradigm proposes to observe Loman’s personal drama in a broader perspective of social problems, helping the reader to understand economic background and inner history of the play’s plot. Such approach is quite topical nowadays, because the key contradictions and inequalities of capitalist society rest and even intensify. Generally, through the prism of Marxist criticism “Death of a Salesman” reveals the utopian nature of American Dream, which leads to oppression and alienation in the bourgeois society.
Primarily, Arthur Miller clearly shows that the American Dream may lead to detachment from reality and strengthen the illusory worldview. The evidence of it is provided in numerous Willy’s dialogues during the play, starting with the point of attack, when Willy comes home from his work trip. “America is full of beautiful towns and …show more content…
The author blames the surface attitude towards economic, family and personal problems in the society. The play directs the reader to an obvious conclusion that such lack of humanism is caused by excessive preoccupation with material success. It suggests the necessity to keep our family and friends as the only real values of human
“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, gives an objective and realistic view on individual and family problems raised in this work. This paradigm proposes to observe Loman’s personal drama in a broader perspective of social problems, helping the reader to understand economic background and inner history of the play’s plot. Such approach is quite topical nowadays, because the key contradictions and inequalities of capitalist society rest and even intensify. Generally, through the prism of Marxist criticism “Death of a Salesman” reveals the utopian nature of American Dream, which leads to oppression and alienation in the bourgeois society.
Primarily, Arthur Miller clearly shows that the American Dream may lead to detachment from reality and strengthen the illusory worldview. The evidence of it is provided in numerous Willy’s dialogues during the play, starting with the point of attack, when Willy comes home from his work trip. “America is full of beautiful towns and …show more content…
The author blames the surface attitude towards economic, family and personal problems in the society. The play directs the reader to an obvious conclusion that such lack of humanism is caused by excessive preoccupation with material success. It suggests the necessity to keep our family and friends as the only real values of human