A Statement Of Death Of A Salesman English Literature Essay

A Statement Of Death Of A Salesman English Literature Essay Thesis Statement: Although Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a classic tragedy in the Aristotelian sense, it is also a biting critique of capitalism and the empty promises of capitalism’s materialistic version of the American Dream. II. Death of a Salesman as a Tragedy A. Catharsis of Emotion B. The Play’s Organic Unity C. Reversal in Fortune 1. Waste of human potential D. Willy’s Hamartia E. Willy as a Noble Personage 1. The nobility of the salesman is derived from the values of capitalism. 2. Ways in which Willy is a noble salesman III. Death of a Salesman as a Critique of Capitalism A. Miller Shows the Ways in Which Capitalist Values have Warped the American Dream 1. Willy’s Fall is ignoble because there is no increase in self-knowledge B. Willy’s Materialism Blinded Him from his Inner Worth IV. Conclusion Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is often heralded as the first modern American tragedy. Utilizing the American Dream as the foundation of American values and morals, Miller builds his play around the hero Willy Loman, a common man, and his family. Through the character of Willy and his family, Miller uses the play to convey the tragic consequences of unerring devotion to that dream. Although Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a classic tragedy in the Aristotelian sense, it is also a biting critique of capitalism and the empty promises of capitalism’s materialistic version of the American Dream. One of the qualities of a tragedy observed by Aristotle was the catharsis of emotion that occurred throughout the drama, and this characteristic is readily observable in Death of a Salesman (Arp 1220). Willy’s relationships with all of the other characters in the play reveal a deep sense of grief, despair, and disillusionment as Willy clings to his version of the American Dream and alternately attacks and defends the people in his life. For instance, Willy contradicts himself constantly, cr iticizing his son Biff in one breath and defending him in the next. In Act One Willy yells at Biff, saying, â€Å"One imagines at first that Willy is focused on ensuring that his son has the best life possible according to his version of the American Dream, but as the play progresses one begins to believe that Willy’s treatment of Biff, Happy and all of the characters is an expression of his need to defend his philosophy of capitalist progress. The feelings of despair, anger, and grief that come arise are all focused around this idea that if Willy’s dream is false, his whole life will have been lived in vain. One literary technique that Miller uses to convey the emotional intensity that engenders the catharsis is repetition of phrasing and words. This device can be found throughout the play, used by any character. For instance, Willy states early on, â€Å"I’m the New England man. I’m vital in New England† (Miller 4). In a conversation between Wil ly and Biff, Biff says, â€Å"Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you!† and Willy answers, â€Å"I’m not a dime a dozen! I’m Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman!† (Miller 105). Much later in the play he says, â€Å"I’ve got to get some seeds. I’ve got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground† (Miller 96). Biff, too, talks in this repetitious style, saying to his mother, â€Å"I can’t take hold, Mom. I can’t take hold of some kind of life† (Miller 39). In each of these instances, Miller writes in such a way that the characters repeat key phrases or words that are representative of some deeper emotional message and meaning. New England represents the promised land of plenty that Willy can never reach, the phrase â€Å"dime a dozen† represents the reality of being a common man making a meager living, and the seeds Willy does not have in the third quote refer to the necessary preconditions to success that Willy never acquired. The phrase ‘taking hold’ signifies the notion of success as defined by Willy throughout Biff’s upbringing.