Death Of A Salesman Example #7 Essay Example

commission, she exclaims, "I've got a pencil. That makes your commission... Two hundred - My God! Two Hundred and twelve dollars!" As a result, Willy's posture deflates, and he shrinks in size, conveying a loss of pride and perhaps even embarrassment. He then adds, "Well I didn't figure it yet but..." This amplifies the sympathy and fear we experience for Willy's character. Additionally, Linda contributes to concealing the truth by supporting Willy's illusion that he is an excellent salesman.

Willy's emotional purification begins as he becomes aware of how people perceive him and how he goes unnoticed. He reflects on his appearance and even compares himself to Charley, noting that Charley is respected for being a man of few words. However, Linda interrupts this purification by reassuring Willy and fueling his fantasy with comments such as 'you're the handsomest man in the world' and 'few men are idolized by their children the way you are.'

Her continuous compliments cause Willy to believe them and evoke sympathy from the audience, as it confirms his delusion. Another remark from Linda reveals the tragic state of Willy during a discussion with Biff and Happy about his condition. She states, 'Attention. Attention must be given to someone like him.' The repetition of the word attention highlights the desperation in Linda's plea. To enhance this desperation, the actress playing Linda could emphasize the repeated word, almost as if she was pleading.

The play would benefit from helping the audience recognize its tragic quality. The theme of delusion is consistently portrayed by Willy, and at times, by Linda too. Linda's belief that a particular refrigerator is the best and most trustworthy stems from its

extensive advertising. The exclamation mark used in her statement emphasizes her strong and possibly brainwashed conviction in the advertisements' claims.

After being reminded that they owe money for the fridge being repaired, Willy responds, 'It's a fine machine'. This suggests that the prominence of the fridge's advertising outweighs the fact that it is clearly unreliable. Willy's response conveys a sense of helplessness and dependence, highlighting his weakness. This materialistic mindset generates sympathy in the audience for Willy and his family, as they are unable to recognize the obvious.

The moment in the play that reveals the tragic aftermath, after all has crumbled and only the truth remains, is at Willy's funeral. Throughout the play, Willy's illusion of being a prosperous salesman is depicted, as well as his admiration for the person who introduced him to the business world and whom he idolized, Dave Singleman. He continues to recount Dave's funeral, mentioning that it was attended by numerous salesmen and buyers, emphasizing the significance of Dave's profession.

After that, the atmosphere on many trains for several months was filled with sadness. If Willy's fantasy had become a reality, his funeral would have been similar to Dave's with salesmen and buyers attending. However, in reality, only a few family members showed up at his funeral, and no salesmen or buyers were present. Although things were indeed sorrowful, it wasn't to an extreme extent; even his own wife didn't shed tears at his funeral. When the actress playing Linda confides in her son about her inability to cry, she might express it as a plea or even with anger. This would evoke sympathy from the audience, as it would become evident

that crying is all she desires, yet she is unable to do so.

According to Aristotle, the hero's suffering is caused by their "Hamartia" or tragic flaw. In Willy's case, his tragic flaw could be attributed to his lack of success as a salesman. This flaw eventually led to financial problems within the Loman family and ultimately resulted in Willy's suicide. The combination of his ignorance about his poor salesmanship and his refusal to confront the truth evokes feelings of pity and fear among the audience, as it presents a fate that we dread.

The play's author, Arthur Miller, gradually reveals tragedy throughout the play, likening it to acid that slowly erodes something. This is evident in Willy's tragic life, which becomes fully exposed in the requiem scene. Arthur Miller states that the tragedy lies in Willy Loman sacrificing or trading his life, only to justify its worthlessness. Hence, the author implies that the true tragedy lies in the meaningless existence of Willy's efforts.