Death Of A Salesman Essay - 1380 Words

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 that a tragic hero does not always have to be a monarch or a man of a higher status. A tragic hero can be a common person. A tragedy does not always have to end pessimistically; it could have an optimistic ending. The play Death of a Salesman, by†¦show more content†¦It is ironic that he dies for his ideals although they are misconstrued. Another of Willy’s flaws is his disloyalty to Linda. Willy is unable to hold strong against temptations such as the women he slept w ith in Boston. Biff’s faith in his father is lost after he encounters the situation. This may have been the cause for Biff’s failure in life. Another of Miller’s guidelines for a tragic hero is that a common man can be a tragic hero. Willy sums up to many of the characteristics shown in Arthur Miller’s article, â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man.† Willy is the common man Miller speaks of in the article. Willy awakes each day to face the hard struggle of work. Although Willy is not very successful as a businessman he still goes to work everyday because he must support his family. Willy placed a great deal of importance on the success of Biff. Willy believed that the best way to achieve success was the fast way. Willy’s dreams for his children to become successful shows his role as a common man. Willy went to extremes to try and reach his goal of Biff becoming successful. Biff is the most important thing in Willy’s life because he is Willy’s last shot at success. If Biff doesn’t want to be successful and doesn’t love him, then Willy would be more satisfied in killing hims elf in order to try and show Biff that he really is a success. If Biff does love him and wants to become a success then Willy is satisfied in killing himself in order to give BiffShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of A Salesman1496 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Today, the play The Death of a Salesman is celebrated in many theatres. The play is regarded as one of the finest dramas of American theater play. It was written in 1949 by an American playwright Arthur Miller. After the play was produced, it was first opened at the Morosco Theatre and starred Lee J Cobb as Willy Loman, Cameron Mitchell as Happy, Mildred Dunnock as Linda, Howard Smith as Charley and Arthur Kennedy as Biff. The play has been revived on Broadway four times and won manyRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman857 Words   |  4 PagesSome stories have stood the test of time. These stories are relatable are leave readers feared perplexed. Oedipus the King is the tragic story of a man whose figurative blindness at a young age lead to his literal blindness at an old age. The Death of a Salesman converts this to a modern society of a man who just wants to do good for his family but doesn t see the effect of his actions. Although 2400 years separate these stories, readers can still relate to both the same. The genre of tragedy is interpretedRead MoreDeath of a Salesman990 Words   |  4 PagesDiscuss â€Å"Death of a Salesman† as a film. How could this film be more film-like? The well known late 1980’s play Death of a Salesman was beautifully crafted and opened my mind up to the reality of some people’s fantasies. When I first began to watch the play, I had immediately noticed that it was a play and not a movie. Usually in a film, there is a hero, heroine, climax, something they are fighting for, and usually (nine times out of ten) a happy, heroic ending. This movie included none, atRead MoreDeath of a Salesman606 Words   |  3 PagesWilly Loman: Victim of the American Dream Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman tells the tale of Willy Loman, a man who falls from the top of the capitalism system in a resonant crash. Being controlled by his fears of the future, and stuck in his memories of the past, Willy fully contributes to his self-victimization by putting little blame on his own mistakes. Although Willy is perceived as selfish, it is important to see that he is misguided. His character is one of a common man, he has neverRead MoreThe, Death Of A Salesman909 Words   |  4 Pagesdesire to be the breadwinners of the family, wish to achieve only success, become unemotional and might take dangerous risk to prove manhood. Many feminist novels, plays or short stories such as Frankenstein, â€Å"A Dollhouse†, â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper†, â€Å"Death of a Salesman† showcase the ill effects of gender roles. Women had to fight to have the same advantages and opportunities that men possess. Before modern times, many people would believe that a woman s place is in the home but now it is common for the modernRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman1024 Words   |  5 PagesVictoria Gutierrez Professor Gilbreath Drama 10 6 April 2015 1026 Words The Death of A Salesman San Joaquin Delta College presented Arthur Miller s Death of A Salesman on Sunday the twenty-second of March at 2 o clock in the afternoon. This play is about a young man and his father coming to terms with the past and their futures. Willy Loman, an old salesman, is dealing with both financial and health difficulties. He is put under even more pressure when his unsuccessful son, Biff, returnsRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman859 Words   |  4 PagesThe Death of a Salesman is a heart-wrenching story of a man named Willie, and his fight for economic freedom. The story takes place in 1931, and it starts off with Willie’s faint memory of his father, who was a flute maker and a salesman. Willie is a sixty three-year-old salesman who has work his entire life to achieve the common goal of the American Dream. Nevertheless, while trying to achieve economic freedom he ends up becoming trapped in the process. Willie in a lot of ways, died before his carRead MoreDeath of a Salesman915 Words   |  4 PagesDefine The American Dream. In what way does Death of a Salesman point out the hopelessness of chasing this dream? Are there any rewards? The idea of the American Dream is truly subjective. To some, it is living in the lap of luxury in all aspects. To others, it is a chance at a better brighter opportunity for themselves or their families. Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman portrays the promise of the American Dream in the form of opportunity, freedom, success and wealth; the ability to acquireRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman995 Words   |  4 PagesHope Miller’s play, The Death of a Salesman (1949) was about a family, and their struggles for the American dream. The family composition was not unlike that of an average family, a mom, a dad, and two children. Mom, Linda, tended to the house, oversaw the finances, as well as the lives of the remaining family members. Dad, Willy, supported the family as an on-the-road salesman. At first, Willy’s outbursts were confusing, but as I read the outbursts began to unfold the meanings buried in the storylineRead MoreDeath of a Salesman1187 Words   |  5 PagesDeath of a Salesman There are some who would argue that it is precisely the ultra-capitalist mentality of individuals like Willy Loman that has propelled the American Economy to global dominance, but Arthur Miller’s classic work â€Å"Death of a Salesman† begs the question: at what cost? What does it do to a person, this desperate need to â€Å"be number one man?† Each of Willy’s sons draw a different lesson from his life and their assertions about how one should live offer a compelling choice for modern