Term Paper on "Death of a Salesman, Playwright Arthur Miller"

Term Paper 4 pages (1496 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Death of a Salesman, playwright Arthur Miller places emphasis on the major theme of reality vs. illusion to better demonstrate that the Loman family generally cannot distinguish between the two concepts, and that confusion will ultimately lead to Willy Loman's downfall.

When it comes to Willy's ability to distinguish between reality and illusion, scholarly critic Irving Jacobson (American Literature) can clearly see - and writes what he believes about Willy with literary passion - why it might be difficult for this confused character to make that pivotal distinction.

After all, in Jacobson's view, Willy cannot "be alone," and cannot "summon the intelligence and strength to scrutinize his condition," so how would he know fact from fiction, or real feelings from pretensions? (p. 247). He's on a downward slide towards oblivion. it's a rhetorical question, no doubt. It isn't just confusion that leads to Willy's undoing, albeit confusion takes its toll, in Jacobson's mind.

The real reason results from the way in which his mediocre mind works, and the way he raised his family, among other shortcomings that push Willy over the top.

Jacobson has little if any sympathy for Willy Loman; indeed, Jacobson does not buy into the view that Willy is "a modern Everyman" - and moreover, he sees Willy as anti-intellectual, a bourgeois romantic who is given to "petty cruelties." It doesn't take a psychological savant or a rocket scientist to see how Jacobson arrives at his skepticism about Willy. There is so much material in Miller's book shedding negative light on Willy one would have to be reading the book upside down to miss the pivotal passages that define this quintessential loser.

Still, there are constant reminders in the play that Willy not only can't discern what is real from what isn't, but that Willy teaches his kids how to be deceptive about reality. On page 49 (Act I) Willy gives son Biff advice about applying for a job, which is certainly ironic because Willy hasn't exactly set the world on fire in his career. "Tell him you were in the business in the West, not farm work," Willy advises.

By Act II it is clear that the sons have picked up on dad's inability to stand on facts, or to even relate to hard cold facts, because fudging and bending the truth by now runs in the family. And on page 76, readers learn that Biff has made a fool of himself while waiting to see a former employer Bill Oliver and now he and his brother Happy are discussing how to tell his father.

How the hell did I ever get the idea I was a salesman there?" Biff asks rhetorically with his brother next to him. "I even believed myself that I'd been a salesman for him! And then he gave me one look and - I realized - we've been talking in a dream for fifteen years...I was a shipping clerk."

Tucked into that passage is more evidence to back up this paper's assertion that this is an exercise in dream world vs. real world. For "fifteen years" Biff admits he's been "talking in a dream." And on page 78, there Willy goes again, stumbling over reality on his way to his make-believe world. He is having drinks with his sons. Biff starts out clearly wanting to be straight and not hide the truth in his explanation to his dad.

I'm going to tell everything from first to last," Biff states. "...Facts about my life came back to me...who ever said I was a salesman with Oliver?" "Well, you were..." his dad replies. "No, Dad, I was a shipping clerk." "But you were practically..." his dad chimed in. Willy tries hard to revisit unreality by stubbornly insisting that Biff was a salesman. But Biff has had enough of the non-reality of his father's world. "Let's hold on the facts tonight..."

The direction of this dialogue is hijacked soon as Willy admits to his sons that he has been fired. For just a moment readers and playgoers might believe that Willy is coming full circle from his phony existence to a place in the reality space. "The gist of it is that I haven't got a story left in my head, Biff. So don't give me a lecture about facts and aspects."

Facts and aspects, indeed. Jacobson (p. 251) makes mention of the fact that the Loman family (driven off-course from real world substance by Willy) believe "prominence brings affection and privilege."… READ MORE

How to Reference "Death of a Salesman, Playwright Arthur Miller" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Research Paper

Death of a Salesman" By Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman: Dynamics of Father Son Relationship.

The play, death of a salesman written by Arthur Miller follows, the exact literary… read more

Research Paper 5 pages (1681 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Death of a Salesman as a Tragedy Term Paper

Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller

Willy Loman's Failure as a Father and his Failed Belief in the "American Dream": Tragedy in "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller… read more

Term Paper 8 pages (2390 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

Arthur Miller the Tragic Existence in Life Term Paper

Arthur Miller

The Tragic Existence in Life and Death of Willy Loman

Definitions of the protagonist, conflict, and dramatic question in Miller's Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's play Death… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (1154 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason

---

Death of a Salesman Fails as Atragedy Thesis

Death of a Salesman Fails as aTragedy

Death of a Salesman is a tragic tale but it is not a tragedy according to Aristotle's definition of true tragedy.

Aristotle's definition… read more

Thesis 6 pages (1564 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Arthur Miller the American Dream in Death Term Paper

Arthur Miller

The American Dream in Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is definitely the playwright's best known play, and, at the same time one of… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1523 words) Sources: 1+ Style: MLA Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>