the citizens in this country. The diversity of opinions comprised in the American society causes significant variation to the interpretation of this term from person-to-person. An example of these discrepancies is depicted in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. In this play‚ Miller uses several different characters as a function to illustrate the widespread disparity of beliefs regarding the appropriate philosophy for the pursuit of happiness in America. Willy Loman (the central character in the play)
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defines a tragic hero as one who attempts to "gain his ’rightful ’ position in his society" and in doing so‚ struggles for his dignity. Arthur Miller ’s Death of a Salesman gives a perfect example of tragedy in the common man with the character Willy Loman‚ who‚ in his fear of being displaced‚ his struggle to fix his problems‚ and in his death as a plea for dignity‚ can be considered a modern tragic hero. "...From this total onslaught by an individual against the seemingly stable cosmos...from
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The Pressures of Guilt Everyone sins. It is an inescapable fact. The magnitude of guilt for these sins‚ however‚ depends upon the creed‚ religion‚ or ideals of the sinner. In both The Crucible‚ by Arthur Miller‚ and The Scarlet Letter‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ readers see the effect of the Puritan faith on guilt. Strong‚ as well as weak‚ characters face guilt in each book. Abigail and Dimmesdale take a coward’s way out‚ while Hester and Proctor wrestle with their guilt. By upholding the strictures
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Linda figures “Well‚ it makes seventy dollars and some pennies. That’s very good.” ( Act 1‚ Scene 1) Willy felt that through being a salesman he would be able to have the American dream. However‚ Willy did not poses the qualities that a salesman needed. He would say how “if a man was impressive and well liked...”(Act 2‚ Scene 1) that he would be an excellent salesman. He got this idea when he was a younger man‚ after he meet a man named Dave Singleman. He tell’s his story
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Butterfly” Helen is met with this sudden feeling of betrayal upon being offered one of Myra’s gifts. This sudden guilty feeling is brought by the realization of how dark the situation is for Myra and how much weight the gift she presents holds. Helen’s guilt can be traced all the way back to the beginning of the story. Helen like most of the other students in the school pay little attention to Myra. She remarks how “she must have been in our class at school for two or three years” (234). This relative
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Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman identifies the loss of identity and a man’s inability to accept the change within him and within society during those times. The underlying thought of the play is the consistent theme of the “American Dream” that Willy believes he’s living by but in reality his interpretation of the dream is slightly flawed. He believes that by becoming successful you have to be well known by everyone and well-liked by everyone. But the American Dream is actually if you
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Willy Loman failed as a parent. In the play‚ Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller‚ this protagonist’s success is marred by his sons’ failures. In his attempts to sift through his past and realize the cause of such a letdown‚ Willy comes to the conclusion that his own actions are to blame. When his son‚ Biff‚ stumbles upon his secret woman‚ Biff is crushed and loses all respect. It is this incident that clears all doubts in the play and serves as an illuminating incident‚ throwing light on the once
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He travelled around his country selling his merchandise and making money. As he grew older and older he became very self-righteous and kept this image in his head as if he were well liked and a great salesman. He did this for so long he had even tricked himself into thinking he was a great salesman. Willy does not realize that he has reached the breaking point in his career. Being very stubborn he keep working to achieve his dream. What he doesn’t realize is that by doing this he is endangering himself
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often introduce a childish character who is shown to change from a hardship they face. In American works such as The Death of a Salesman‚ Adventures of Huckleberry Finn‚ The Scarlet letter‚ and The Body children‚ or childish characters‚ are introduced to bring light to their ever changing personalities and the forces and events that shaped them. In Arthur Miller’s The Death of a Salesman‚ Biff‚ the protagonists son‚ creates his personality off of his father’s own hopes and dreams for his sons. “Biff
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Plot Development Biff and Happy return home after having left Willy alone at Frank’s Chop House. They bring Linda a bouquet of roses which she knocks down to the ground in anger at the boys for having abandoned Willy. Linda insults her boys and accuses them of not caring about their father. Happy acts innocently and downplays what he has done wrong whereas Biff accepts what he has done wrong and even degrades himself by announcing that he is the "scum of the earth." Biff wants to speak to his father
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