|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
Death of a Salesman Essay In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the main character, Willy Loman, is a struggling salesman. Willy Loman is a complex character who confuses illusion with reality. In a way, Willy has two personalities in this play. The one we see in the present action is a tired man in his sixties. The other Willy is the one we see in flashbacks. He is young and confident. Throughout his life he has been pretending to live the American Dream. As he ages, the truth about his failures starts to cloud his mind. He becomes so ashamed of himself that he takes his own life. Willy frequently experiences flashbacks during which he speaks to his dead brother, Ben, in Act Two. Ben keeps saying "Time, William, Time," reminding him that suicide is closing in. Ben also tells Willy that he should come to the jungle. In this scene, the jungle represents opportunities for success. Ben tells Willy to come to the jungle, so Willy can get the diamonds. The diamonds represent the insurance money that the family will get from Willy’s accident. Therefore, in Willy’s mind, Ben is saying that the only way Willy can get the insurance money is to kill himself but, symbolically, Ben is saying that the only way to get the diamonds is to enter the jungle even though it is a dark place. Willy also talks to Ben about how great his son, Biff, will be with all of that money and makes a comment that Biff will worship him. Willy thinks one more time about Biff and how he was a great football player. This shows that Willy still thinks of Biff as a football hero.
Approximate Word count = 1146
Approximate Pages = 4.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|