Literary Analysis of the Play “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller Essay Example

becoming a prominent sales and made reference to other successful sales people such as Dave Singleman.(Breitkopf 2008). In Act two part 1 Willy says ‘I have always made a point of not wasting my life, and every time I come back here I know that all I have done is to waste my life’ According to Willy, for success to be realized, we should gain the approval of others and his constant memories indicated that happiness in life is characterized with fame and money. A certain critic to this play says that our society attempts to install the perception that if you are wealthy and adored by many, then you are living a happy life. As a matter of fact Willy thought that wealth would guarantee him happiness. Another critic claims that Willy holds a firm belief that the effectiveness of a salesman is founded on ‘sterling traits of character and a ‘pleasing personality’ of which he lacks. Basically, people despise him though he tries to think that that is necessary for success in life. In Act one Biff confirms this to Bernard when says, ‘He is liked bu not well liked.’ On another hand, looking at the character trait of Uncle Ben we realize that he represents a symbol that inspires the values in the American system. In his perspective he believes that the American should be inspired by seizing the opportunities that come through, to manipulate natural events, and obtain their destiny. In his words he makes an assertion ‘Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty one I walked out.’ In this instance, Ben

is a representation of a form of an effective inspiration to the dreams held by the Americans. In the case of Bernard and Charley an element that is dominant among the two in their appearance in the Death of a Salesman, is their dedication and diligence. They are both criticized by Willy throughout the play, and these criticisms do not emanate from hate but rather out of jealousy of the success that is without his range. The structure of the achievement of business is given in the play campaign contrary to personality theory of Willy. According to Biff, his father gets the whole thing wrong. After recognizing the actual traits of Willy he does not align to his father’s inspirations since he is aware that his views elevate from an oblique perspective. This means that he does not visualize circumstances since his methods of visualizing the upcoming times is misguided. Biff holds a dream that he needs to move out of the system, to toil tirelessly, to farm but Willy limits his pursuits for the dream. In Act one of the play, Biff is seen condemning his father, ‘To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors with your shirt off. And always to have to get ahead of the next fella. And still—that’s how you build a future’. During his father’s funeral, Biff confirms that he had come to a realization that the dreams held by his father are inappropriate.

Wllly Loman spent his own life desperately assessing the experience he had in the past. However, he does not attain

a state of self awareness. The fact that he killed himself gives us an image of an individual discovered himself in part in attempt of his realizing his dreams. He says, as evident in act one, ‘I am the New England man, I am vital in New England’. Though he is able to comprehend his character from the perspective of his profession, he is unable to see his individual short comings and betrays not only himself but also his family timidly structured by the strategy of his lifestyle. Willy lacks the ability to fully comprehend the spiritual, personal, and the emotional part of himself. He immerses himself in a perilous state of deceptions, lies and overlooks the achievements he had obtained to a point. He is unable to realize that the extremely painful experiences launched by his family are important in the highest points of the agonizing moments. Though experiences all this kinds of undesirable situations, he engages in one of the most drastic cause in a bid to leave a mark capable of propelling the dreams of the Americans.

On another hand Biff comes into terms with the short comings of his life and manages to face them head on. When Happy and Willy sinks in experiences of self deception, Biff avoids it completely. According to Willy, Biff is performing below the accepted standards and at the same time Biff perceives himself as a prisoner in the quagmire of imaginations. He makes a decision to free his family from liessince he considers his family to be founded on lies and hence bring reality on board. Biff looks forward for a free west that is darkened

by the misguided faith which is characterized by oblique and materialistic interpretation of the dreams held by the Americans. Charley and Lomanrepresent reason in the entire play. Linda perceive freedom as the act of eluding the state of owing something to another, the value for the complete possession of material representing achievement and a state of stability. For a long time, their father is overwhelmed by the thought of the American dream and this evokes a kind of conflict within Linda psychological state. However, Linda, by her invincible nature, accurateness in life and her balanced perceptions in the events of life, seems to check on his emotive state. In Act one part thirteen she is seen to be comforting Willy, ‘Oh. Maybe it was the steering again...Maybe it's your glasses...Well, you'll just have to take a rest’. By further looking at Happy we see a naive person who has little knowledge relating to evaluation of the self. In his words he says, ‘I'm gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It's the only dream you can have - to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I'm gonna win it for him’. In fact, he buys into his Father’s ideas of self deception and vehemently announces himself as the helper to the buyer in his store while in reality he is a mere helper to the helper to the buyer.(Arthur Miller's "death of a Salesman" - the Loman Family and the Father-Son Relationship between Willy and Biff, 2011)

Conclusion

In general we can summarily conclude as long as we

may want to attain success in the pursuits for our dreams, we should engage in self awareness sessions so as to avoid operating in illusory states like Willy Loman who believed that he had what it takes in achieving his dreams yet in reality he did not.

Works Cited

1. Arthur Miller's "death of a Salesman" - the Loman Family and the Father-Son Relationship between Willy and Biff.GRIN Verlag GmbH, 2011.
2. Breitkopf, Sarah. Willy Loman in Miller's "death of a Salesman": an Analysis of Character Portrayal. GRIN Verlag GmbH, 2008.
3. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem. Viking P, 1949.