Influence Of Expressionism In Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller

In The 1860s in Paris, a loose movement of artists came together to share common themes and ideas. This new grouping did not have a clear structure or programme, but its members were generally opposed to the Academy style that dominated the French art scene in the middle of the 19th century. The Academy upheld traditional values and dictated that historical subjects, religious themes and portraits were of value, whereas landscape and still life were not. It also favoured images that were smooth, highly finished and naturalistic. The group that opposed the academy was called the Impressionists, who wanted to get out in the open air and paint what lay before them. They wanted to capture the freshness and spontaneity of nature by capturing the
There's an "angry glow of orange" (very evocative of expressionist artwork). The house is described as having no walls which allows for the disjointed, psychologically shifting type of plot. As Willy appears, the actor playing him is directed to convey that he is a man of "little cruelties," "massive dreams," and "turbulent longings." Thus by creating a performance situation where this can happen, the audience is made to feel as if they occupy the characters' emotions and minds and this accomplishes triumphant expressionist
Flashbacks throughout the play help create a dream like setting that interrupts the callous reality of Willy Loman's life. Arthur Miller's use of Willy's flashbacks, the music, and the setting unify realism and expressionism to make "Death of a Salesman" a dreamlike play. The frequent flash backs are a "folding of time" that are connected to emotional experience rather than what is actually happening in the real world. By going back to past and reminiscing the happy and successful teenage years, Willy is able to elude the reality that his sons have not achieved anything in their adult life. Willy's flashbacks of Ben show his deepest yearning to be accepted, loved, and admired by his older brother, while in reality; he was neglected by all of the male figures in his childhood.