Précis
In Arthur Miller’s play Death of Salesman (1949) he examines what it truly means to be successful, to be happy, and to live the “American Dream”. The play is centered around Willy Loman, a salesman who reflects on his life in order to discover where he made the mistake that caused his sons Biff and Happy to end up lost and ultimately why he isn’t successful. Miller illustrates Willy as a frail old man disappointed with the current state of his life. In other words, Willy envisioned the American dream. A successful well-paying job, a beautiful home with an equally beautiful garden, a wife who takes care of him and his family without a care in the world, two successful sons with families of their own that respect and admire their father. Willy ultimately lost sight of reality and became delusional as he attempted to discover where exactly he made a wrong turn. The author questions what success really means and depicts the grand “American Dream” as unrealistic with a critical tone, as he describes Willy Lomans life. Miller shifts from the past to the present taking his audience inside the mind of the mentally unstable Willy Loman. Miller’s purpose is to assess the validity of the American Dream and to reveal to his very broad audience that includes anyone who questions who they are or the purpose of life itself, that life is a struggle, no family is perfect, and that success is in the eye of the beholder.
Vocabulary
- Wilting- become weak due to lack of something or changes in environment; lose one’s energy or vigor
- Trepidation- a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen
- Imbue- inspire with a feeling or quality
- Valises- a small traveling bag or suitcase
- Remiss- lacking care or attention to duty; negligent
- Bashful- reluctant to draw attention to one’s self; shy
- Indignantly- feeling characterized by or expressing strong displeasure towards something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, etc.
- Simonizing- to shine or polish to high sheen
- Chamois- an agile goat-antelope with short hooked horns, found in mountainous areas of Europe from
Spain to theCaucasus ; soft pliable leather made from the skin of sheep, goats, or deer. - Incipient- developing into a specified type or role; in an intial stage, beginning to develop
- Befuddle- to confuse
Tone
Contemplative, critical, and reflective
Rhetorical strategies
Telegraphic Sentences
“Not my hand.”(103)
Syntax
(Use of hyphens to create emphasis and to illustrate a moment of hesitation or emotion)
“The only way. Everything is gonna be---go on, kid, get to bed.”(107)
Metaphors
“The world is an oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a mattress!”(28)
Rhetorical Questions
(As a figure of speech within the play not as a rhetorical device by the author)
“Can’t you understand that?”(106)
Symbolism
“A diamond is rough and hard to the touch.”(107)
Allusions
“That’s why I thank Almighty God you’re both built like Adonises.”(21)
Questions
- To what extent is Willy’s absent father to blame for Willy’s mistakes?
- Why did Miller choose to alternate in between past and present? Why not just start from the past and work to the present?
- What truly determines whether your just “nothing” or successful in life?
Quotation
“The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.”(107)
1.) In my opinion, Willy's father is largely to blame for Willy's mistakes in terms of parenting. This is because Willy likely felt that he had to overcompensate, when it came to his own children, for his father's shortcomings. As a result of this feeling, Willy pushed his children further than many would agree to be acceptable.
ReplyDelete2.) Miller chose to alternate from past to present because it added a certain level of depth that may not have been present otherwise. If Miller had chosen to work his way from the past to the present than both the viewers and readers would likely not have taken as much notice. This is because the way that he chose to tell this story was not commonplace at this time whereas telling a story from past to present was.
3.) Whether or not one is considered to be successful is dependent upon the individual who is judging "success." Success could mean one thing to me but mean a completely different thing to someone else. Therefore, there is no set definition of success.