Death Of A Salesman Analysis

Ageism is depicted strongly in this play as it is one of the causes for Willy’s downfall. As Willy gets on with age, he no longer is able to meet his sales quotas, which results in his termination and ultimately begin unable to provide for his family. The hallucinations and flashbacks that Willy experiences confirm him senility approaching. This furthers his downfall as he tries to live his life through his successful brother Ben or his son Biff who was once a popular and well-liked person. Lastly, when Willy loses his job he feels he has no

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a classic American tragedy of the 1940s. Willy is a arrogant prideful person who talks big about himself and lies to make himself look better than he is. He feels betrayed by his brother and his boss for throwing him to the curb and he feels disrespected by everyone he knows. He knows he isn’t well liked among everyone but his delusions keep him from accepting the reality of his life. He slowly starts to go insane due to his denial and dwellings on the past and even begins to have frequent flashbacks in which he talks to himself during. In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller shows that pursuing the American Dream is a suicidal goal and will end up making you miserable

Artan (2014) studies death of a salesman under the domain of American dream and the theme of narcissism because he believes that there is a connection between these two in character of Willy Loman. The purpose of his study is “to demonstrate that a close reading of the protagonist, Willy Loman suggests that his notion of success in relation to the American dream can be regarded as narcissistic” (Artan, 2014, p.2). According to Artan, American dream is the main theme of this play and Miller shows it through the characters’ wishes. He believes that Willy Loman is an unsuccessful salesman since he has misunderstood the notion of American dream and the fact that Willy sees success in working hard, the way of speaking, appearance and attractiveness that makes him a narcissist who wants to be superior and be liked by

Success is a nearly unmeasurable variable as to each individual it entails a different thing. For Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller success was being the most loved and valued salesman, traveling the country from one open arm to the other. While for King Lear from King Lear by William Shakespeare success was the utter devotion and worship from his daughters and the kingdom. However, it is both their desire for success that leads to their downfall. King Lear and Willy Loman are both tragic figures and share many characteristics, but it is the difference in time that leads to their conflicting values and dissimilar downfalls.

In the play by Arthur Miller, the main character Willy Loman is a man in his 60’s. He is dressed in a drab coloured, ill-fitting suit. Willy shows early signs of dementia, as he spends much of the play having flashbacks or incorporating the past into present day situations. Through this the viewer learns much about Willy and his past. We learn that Willy is a salesman, who is has only had minor success. Willy blames this on the fact that he is not well liked. In the beginning of the play Willy has had a car accident and his wife Linda wants him to ask his boss if he can work only in New York instead of having to travel. When we see Willy in a flashback he appears to be happy and affectionate with his sons, who seem to return the affection.

In conclusion, all of Willy’s slogans throughout the play Death of a Salesman are merely created out of the hopes of achieving the American Dream. As the readers of the play we are well aware that these slogans are simply just part of his fancy. These are the things that keep Willy going in life until the day he commits

Tragedy can spread. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is the protagonist, however he not the only person in the play who’s story ends tragically. His view on life spreads to those close to him. Primarily, Willy teaches it to his children who look up to him while his wife simply attaches herself to him, rooting for him in blind support while really she should be waking him up to the cold and dark reality that is their life. Throughout the play, the Loman family evolves differently. Willy finds out his dream of being an popular, well respected salesman is impossible and takes his own life. Linda supports Willy despite the abuse and confusion he puts her through with his various attempts to take his own life, with his delirious ramblings and hallucinations, and with his constant deception. Happy still sees his father as a hero and Biff finally begins to grasp the truth of the “American Dream”. When Willy kills himself, all of the Loman family, including Willy, break free from the web of false dreams he spun and begin to understand Willy’s failings. They also realize their own flaws. In doing so, they show the audience how each and everyone of them was slightly to blame for Willy’s tragic fate.

Iris Murdoch, a great author and philosopher, once said, "We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality" (Brainy Quote). Throughout centuries, humans have used illusions, particularly in the form of dreams and fantasy to make life more desirable or rather hopeful. While this can be a great coping mechanism, living vicariously through illusions or the past can prevent one from accepting the harsh truths of reality. This character trait accurately describes the behaviour of Arthur Miller 's protagonist Willy Loman in the play, Death of a Salesman. Willy Lowman 's method of coping with his failures is by living in a fantasy world, however, reality secondary to fantasy provokes unpleasant

Throughout the play, Willy demonstrates his sense of pride while talking to his family and friends. In this quote one can

The American Dream is defined as equal opportunity for everybody regardless of race, social status, or religious beliefs to achieve success through hard work and determination. However, success is defined differently for everyone. Some examples of success are money, love, happiness, fame, and power. One of the main themes seen in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is their attempt of success in the American Dream. Their definitions for success, though, are completely different. Gatsby, through his actions and thoughts, defines success as love, whereas Willy Loman defines success as wealth. Although their dreams are different, they do share several similarities. The

To commence,In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, the main character, Edna Pontellier conforms outwardly and questions inwardly. In the novel, Edna is a wife with three children. As the story progresses, she begins to question the submissive nature of females in society.In the story, Edna states “ You have been a very, very foolish boy, wasting your time dreaming of impossible things when you speak of Mr. Pontellier setting me free! I am no longer one of Mr Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose. If he were to say, ‘ Here Robert, take her and be happy, she is yours’, I would at you both” ( Chopin 108 ) . Edna questions the submissive nature of females in society by not wanting to be similar to those females. She does not want to be like a robot who only does what her husband wants her to do. In the quote above, Edna basically declares that she is not just some object that her husband can do whatever he pleases with. She asserts that she alone has the power to give herself to someone, not someone else. She is

Even after his time is over, Willy continues to provide life lessons to his sons. In her article, Fix argues, "He lies this way because he doesn’t know what to offer them and fears he is 'not teaching them the right kind of-- ' principles … In the end, rather than to admit the bankruptcy of his legacy, he sells his death to perpetuate it" (Fix 4). Charlene Fix brings up a good point, but she does not discuss the fact that at Willy 's funeral he is able to provide his sons with one final lesson, that knowing many people does not make you loved or appreciated. His lesson is demonstrated during a conversation between his family:

Willy Loman was a loving husband, good friend and most importantly, an amazing father. Regret fills my heart to the brim, the only thought that keeps running through my mind is what if I would’ve been there for my father. I wish the last words I spoke to my father were different and the last things I did to change my father were different. Willy’s decision to take his own life is both incomprehensible and confusing. Perhaps Willy’s priorities seemed to have shifted out of place as the years went on. My dad seemed to have found more importance in being wealthy and well liked at work and in the world, than he did at home. Although the details of Willy’s death are gruesome and dark, I feel it’s best to speak about the brighter things that went

The tragic play of Death of a salesman by Arthur Miller tells a story about an old man of 84 years old named Willy. Willy was captured by the American dream. He believed that hard work and ambitions could take him to a life of fame and popularity like the american dream was supposed to be. In Death of a salesman, the american dream reveals disappointment, failure and loss of hope. Thus showing that the american dream is not a great dream after all.

The play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is known by many Americans as an epitaph for the American dream. It is about the life of Willy Loman, an aging and failing salesman, chasing after his ambitions to become the most popular and successful individual in his field of work. Surprisingly, the story set behind the curtains also mirrors the lives of many modern Americans today. The play, performed in the 1940s, dealt with how people’s expectations for perfection were insubstantial and impractical, and how these expectations bred dissatisfaction and doubt. Unfortunately, this mentality still persists in the current American society. Similar to the skewed ambitions of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, Americans are still in an insatiable pursuit of