Example: I asked Gina to accept my hand in marriage. She then
smiled and as I awaited her response, her face appeared to diffuse just as
leisurely as a dinner candle that is dripping its’ melting wax onto the fibers
of an Egyptian, cotton tablecloth.
The sentence example preceding this paragraph can be perplexing to
any reader when any additional details are not given that describe the
context in which this sentence has been written. Devoid of any transition in
the opening sentence of this paper, the audience may not be able to discern
whether the actions in the sentence are real or part of a dream or some
alternate reality. As any author or playwright attempts to transition his story
from one reality to an alternate reality, it is his responsibility to noticeably
or inconspicuously guide his audience into the next scene or alternate reality
of the story. Not doing so can lead the audience into confusion and
misperception of the intentions of the author. Playwrights Tennessee
Williams and Arthur Miller have both similar and contrasting ways in which
they apply their non-realistic techniques, with the purpose of elucidating
any transitions from the stage or script to the intended audience.
Subsequently I will explain my examination, both comparatively and
contrastively, of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman along with Tennessee
Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and each playwright’s application of non-
realistic technique.
The first major transition in Death of a Salesman transpires as the
main character, Willy Loman, is imagining that his teenage sons, though
now both in their 30’s are washing his fairly new Chevy automobile. The
audience...
... middle of paper ...
...Miller’s non-realistic approach was abstract and metaphoric, while
Williams’ non-realistic approach was conveyed as a memory of certain
times and places with events and actions that did happen. I have a personal
affection and admiration for the abstruse but I’d perhaps better receive the
message in Death of a Salesman by witnessing the story on stage or on film.
I admire the straightforward approach that Tennessee Williams took in
writing The Glass Menagerie. Williams’ approach allowed for easier reading
on paper. My eyes and mind now instinctively move toward the future.
Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. "Death of a Salesman." 1949. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. E. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. Print.
Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New York: New Directions Publishing, 1945.
“I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime” Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 8th ed.Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford, 2008. 1908-1972. Print.
... Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin, 1996. Print. The. Sherk, James.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King Jr.” In the plays Death of a Salesman and Fences the setting takes place in the post-World War Two era of the United States. The main character in Death of a Salesman is a 63-year-old white man named Willy Loman, who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He has worked as a traveling salesman for thirty-four years to provide for his wife, Linda, and his two sons, Biff and Happy. The main character of Fences is Troy Maxson a fifty-three-year-old African American man, who lives in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He works as a garbage collector to support his wife, Rose, and his son, Cory,
During the two moves, The Glass Menagerie and A Raisin in the Sun some of the characters are strange and diverse, but the similarities and difference of their views, values, and problems, could be universal. It is universal since people all over the world have the same issues, thoughts, and reactions. Even in my life, finances, success, and family are of utmost concern. The characters in The Glass Menagerie are Amanda, Laura, Tom, and Jim. And the characters in A Raisin in the Sun are Mama, Ruth, Benitha, and Walter Lee. The characters I enjoyed the most is Amanda and Tom and Mama and Walter Lee. I would examine the mothers and the sons of each move.
The. Gioia, Dana, and X.J. Kennedy. "Death of a Salesman" Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, Compact Edition, Interactive Edition. 5th ed. of the book.
Bigsby, C. W. E. “Death of a Salesman.” Arthur Miller: A Critical Study. New York: Cambridge UP, 2005. 100-123.
Murray, Edward. “The Thematic Structure in Death of a Salesman.” Readings on Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 1999.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Seventh Edition. X.J. Kennedy, and Dana Gioia. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1636-1707.
Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller in 1949, is a play attempts to identify and validate the “tragic flaw” of a common man. It is a tragedy describing the consequences arose between a family’s American dream and the reality of their lives. Willy Loman, the main character, is bought into an extreme obsession of the American Dream or the success in becoming a “well liked” salesman. However, after having done everything in order to achieve and live the dream, Willy Loman fails to receive the success promised by it. Throughout the play, the most important reason causing Willy’s failure in achieving his goal seems to be his own inability to recognize the unpleasant reality while continually living in a slanted fantasy that his mind has created.
Miller, Arthur. "Death of a Salesman." Compact Literature. Ed. Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell. 8th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. 1262-331. Print.
... Works Cited and Consulted. Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Harold Bloom, ed.,
Eisinger, Chester E. "Focus on Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman': The Wrong Dreams," in American Dreams, American Nightmares,
Death of a salesman. : McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print. The. "
In both the short stories “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller and “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams; readers are able to visualize very clearly the similarities between Willy and Amanda’s denial in facing reality.