The Infatuation with a Tragic Ending

When asked about his struggles to a successful life, Groucho Marx, an American comedian had once said “While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.” Individuals with a strong attachment to either a dream or a passion, develop a drive which motivates them to achieve their goals; regardless of the obstacles that they may have to overcome. Infatuation with the means of accomplishing such dreams may however, lead to tragic endings. The concept of infatuation leading to tragic endings is explored within the essay Tragedy and the Common Man by Arthur Miller, the novel Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and the Australian-American film The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Lurhmann. Tragedy and the common man is an essay based on the fundamental components of a tragedy experienced by the “common man”. Death of a Salesman portrays a man by the Willy Loman who is out to achieve the American dream through the hopeless world he has created for himself. He is a man disillusioned by his lies which leave him in confusion with the events of the past and present. In contrast, The Great Gatsby is about a character by the name Jay Gatsby, who feels pride due to his ability of achieving the American dream. His dream however, is left somewhat incomplete and similar to Willy Loman, he cannot differ between the past and the present, thus is undeniably optimistic about repeating events from the past. Through the concept of infatuation presented in these three works, it can be seen how tragedy develops through the rise of a tragic flaw, the nature of arrogance, and a poignant downfall.

Firstly, tragedy arises due to a tragic flaw embedded within individuals. Miller’s essay speaks of a tragedy as an event that not o...

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...ly needed a little salary. He was even finished with the dentist." Willy undeniably obliterated himself in his efforts to assess himself reasonably, and perhaps may have thought that the Loman family could use the money from his death to help pay off the mortgage of the house. Gatsby from The Great Gatsby also goes through the phase of doom, where he takes no notice of Daisy’s unpredictable lack of worry for him, and gives up his life for her. When Daisy accidently runs a car over a woman, Gatsby takes the blame upon himself in order to save her, and is mistaken as the killer, and is unsurprisingly shot by the victim’s husband. Gatsby’s pronouncement to take the responsibility for Daisy’s actions, displays the affection he still senses for her and exemplifies the fundamental nobleness that identifies him. Thus a poignant downfall is a component of a tragedy.