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Masculinity In Death Of A Salesman

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In “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller and “A Streetcar named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, both authors analyze men and masculinity through their male protagonists. The male protagonists under analysis are Willy Loman 's, Harold Mitchell, and Stanley Kowalski. All of these males mistreat their women; this mistreatment is a result of several factors, such as alcoholism and the power struggle to maintain masculinity. Both Williams and Miller use devices such as imagery, symbolism, setting, musical indicators, stage directions setting and character to illustrate men and masculinity with the main protagonists and the relationship the named with their female partners. The play “Death of a Salesman” shows many examples of men and masculinity …show more content…

Willy says [nothing her mending] “what 's that?” Linda says “just mending my stockings. They’re so expensive” Willy says [angrily, taking them from her] “I won’t have you mending stockings in this house! Now throw them out”(Miller 26)! Willy got mad very quickly because he knew that he cheated on his wife; Willy had bought the woman some stockings, so when Linda said something about stockings, he went into a panic so he started yelling at her. In the play, it shows Willy is soft and insecure not just a crazy man. Biff, Willy’s son had caught his father cheating on his mother and that made him feel angry at his father. Willy did not know how his son felt; Willy says [directly to Biff] “what’re you doing? What’re you doing?” Biff says [crying, broken] “will you let me go, for Christ’s sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?...to bed” Willy says “Isn’t that isn’t that remarkable? Biff he likes me”(Miller 106)! So, Willy felt like Biff hated him, but Biff did not hate him; he was just hurt. Being soft and insecure is also equal up to men and …show more content…

In “A Streetcar named Desire,” Stanley and Mitch as the faces of men and masculinity inside this play. Stanley is a sweet, intelligent, caring, and sometimes, violent. Stanley is a violent man when he is drunk. This scene is the poker night; Stanley is having a lot of friends and having a lot of drinks; He is already drunk. Blanche turns on the radio stanley says to Blanche “turn if off” (Williams 54). Then, the stage directions says [Stanley jumps up and, crossing to the radio, turns it off. He stops short at the sight of blanche in the chair… again at the poker table] (Williams 55). Stanley is getting a little violence here. Stella says “Drunk drunk animal thing, you!...decency in you” (Williams 62). He had slaps her in her face, when Stanley is in front of his friends he get out of hand. He asks different in front of his wife Stella. In the real world, when men hang out with their friends, they feel like they are the boss, so they start to show out to proof that they are man enough to put women in there place. Knowing that when they are around their wife’s they act so different because if their friends see how men act, they would think that he is a coward. When Stanley is with Stella, he is sober and he is sweet and caring to her. The stage directions says [...they stare at each other. Then they come together with low, animal moans. He falls to his knees on the steps and presses his face to her belly, curving a little with maternity...He snatches the screen door open and

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