THE CRITICAL FORTUNES OF ARTHUR MILLER’S DEATH OF A SALESMAN ____________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University‚ Chico ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in English ____________ by Angela M. Metzger Summer 2009 THE CRITICAL FORTUNES OF ARTHUR MILLER’S DEATH OF A SALESMAN A Thesis by Angela M. Metzger Summer 2009 APPROVED BY THE INTERIM DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE‚ INTERNATIONAL‚ AND INTERDISCIPLINARY
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Hope of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman The American Dream is something every American family strives to achieve some families push too hard to get to the place where they feel that they have achieved this dream; this is the case in the life of the Lomen family. The Lomen’s are the typical American family in the 1940’s. Willy and his wife Linda are a middle class family with two sons named Biff and Happy. Willy is an ageing traveling salesman that is struggling to accept
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stuck becoming something they don’t like or simply aren’t good at. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet a son named Hamlet is trying to avenge his father’s death who was killed by his own brother who marries his wife. The father of Hamlet is old Hamlet who comes back as a ghost demanding his son to kill his uncle but to leave his mother alone.In Miller’s The Death of a Salesman the father Willy wants his oldest son Biff to become
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Arthur Miller once spoke the very wise words that "maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." Words that rang true in most of his plays. ’’Death of a Salesman’’‚ ’’All My Sons’’‚ ’’The Crucible’’‚ besides being personal tragedies are also commentaries on society. Stories that transcended themselves from being personal to being able to speak in one way or form and hit home to all. Arthur Miller didn’t write make believe or fairytales‚ he wrote about reality
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the tools to deal with those struggles‚ so the only way out was to kill himself‚ which is never a good option. Arthur Miller succeeds in demonstrating incredibly well in Death of a Salesman that not only is tragic heroism
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Juliet and in Death of a Salesman‚ lying was a big theme that took place. Lying was a part of the central characters everyday life and eventually led to death. In these two stories we are shown how destructive lying can be on a family’s relationship. Also that lying can protect people and make them feel better about themselves. Not knowing something that might hurt you can either result in a good or a bad outcome. Sadly‚ in these two stories the outcome was not good. Romeo and Juliet and Death of a Salesman
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opposite reaction. By use of logic and metaphorical value one might argue that this could be transposed to the basic concept of the American Dream. Therefore for every American Dream there is also an American Nightmare. However Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is in no way‚ shape or form such a thing. Miller is meeting us halfway and describes the life of a man who is unconsciously disillusioned and who lives in denial‚ nurturing the wounds society has inflicted upon him with the memories of better
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Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman Willy Loman is responsible for his own downfall. Willy finds his own hero and tries to become the hero in his own existence. Willy tries to become a very successful businessman‚ at the start of his career he thinks that no one can tell him what to. Willy is not good with people‚ he is good with his hands‚ he is not a good salesman and he chooses the wrong career. Willy often makes up stories or changes the stories he knows because he cannot face the truth of
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Kiahna Webster Mr. Jackson English III‚ 7th Period April 14th‚ 2014 Death of a Salesman vs. A Raisin in the Sun Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun are definitely a criticism of capitalism and the American way of life. They’re are millions that are going through similarities that are exhibited in the films. Many feel as if money is everything in life when truly it is not. In the film Death of a Salesman ‚ Willy felt as if money was everything. Willy literally gave his life away so that his
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Biff: “will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens” Compare how the authors of Death of a salesman and “street car named desire explore the conflict between truth and illusion Truth and illusion are utilized in Tennessee Williams “Streetcar Named Desire” and Arthur Miller’s “Death of a salesman” through the use of the character; to lead the reader to a possible conclusion on the beliefs that went into the American dream that prompted people to work hard was that america
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