DEATH OF A SALESMAN
In literature, tragedy is considered one of the most common genres. This is due to myriad reasons. Notable among these is its ability to consolidate stories that examine human suffering, and at the same time exude a feeling of satisfaction on the audience. “Death of a Salesman” is a popular play by Arthur Miller. This scholarly work has a number of attributes that also characterize the catastrophe genre. Therefore, through the protagonist, “ Death of a Salesman” combines features of both the tragedy and catastrophe genres.
The play is divided into two acts (Miller, 1976). The first act sees the main character return to his homeland from New York City. Though he returns home, his intentions of traveling to Boston were not achieved and as a result, he is unsatisfied. The situation is worsened by the fact that he has a shaky relationship with his wife and two sons and wife. The first act is therefore centered on Loman’s emotional problems. For instance, Biff, one of the two sons, had a hard time owing to the family’s financial crisis. Therefore, due to Willy’s emotional instability, a tense relationship emerges between Biff and Happy, his two sons.
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In the second act, Biff tries his best to acquire a loan in an attempt to start a business. Due to this simple act, Willy’s hopes are boosted, and as a result, his emotional situation is improved. Further, the act focuses on Willy as he embraces the fantasy of staying in Alaska’s forests. This leads to the introduction of ‘ American Dream,’ one of the play’s central themes. Willy has trust in what he considers a guarantee of the American Dream. Interestingly, he believes that in the business world, a loved and appealing man will deservedly obtain the material solaces offered by present-day American life (Miller, 1976). Strangely, his obsession with the shallow characteristics of engaging quality and amiability is inconsistent with a coarser comprehension of the American Dream that recognizes diligent work without protestation as the way to achievement. The protagonist’s interpretation is, therefore, weak.
In this play, Miller also focused on the theme of abandonment. Willy's life takes a rough course starting with one relinquishment then onto the next, leaving him in more misery every time. Willy's dad leaves him and Ben when Willy is remarkably young, leaving him with neither a substantial (cash) nor an impalpable (history) legacy (Miller, 1976). Ben, in the end, withdraws for Alaska, leaving Willy to lose himself in a twisted vision of the American Dream. Likely an aftereffect of these early encounters, Willy gets caught up in fear of abandonment, which makes him requires his family to fit into the American Dream. His endeavors to bring up flawless children, nonetheless, mirror his failure to comprehend reality. The young Biff, whom Willy considers the epitome of guarantee, drops his eager desire for his father. This occurs when Biff gets answers concerning Willy's infidelity.
Further, Willy feels betrayed by Biff. Willy's essential fixation throughout the play is what he considers Biff's treachery of his desire for him. At the point when Biff leaves his father’s aspirations for him, Willy takes this dismissal as a personal insult (Miller, 1976). After all, Willy is a sales representative, and Biff's sense of self-squashing repel at last mirrors Willy's failure to offer him the American Dream. Willy suspects that Biff's treachery comes from Biff's disclosure of Willy's issue with Linda. While Willy feels that Biff has sold him out, Biff feels that Willy has double-crossed him with his unending stream of self-image stroking lies.
Willy's propensity to mythologize individuals adds to his deluded comprehension of the world. He talks about Singleman as a legend and envisions that his demise would have been more likely than not been delightfully respectable. He further, likens Biff and Happy to the mythic Greek figures Adonis and Hercules since he trusts that his children are zeniths of individual engaging quality. He also fails to understand the sadness of Singleman's desolate death. Attempting to accomplish what he considers to be Singleman's’ courageous status, Willy submits himself to a despicable demise and aimless legacy. This mythologizing demonstrates Willy's lack of effective judgment.
In conclusion, this play brings out elements of both catastrophe and tragedy. This is mostly through the protagonist’s setbacks in his pursuit of the American Dream. Further, the failure of his sons to embrace his dream cement Willy’s feeling of failure. Therefore, through downfalls of the characters in ‘Death of a Salesman.’ Miller explores both catastrophe and tragedy genres.
References
Miller, A. (1976). Death of a Salesman. 1949. The Portable Arthur Miller , 3-133.
