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The death of salesman character analysis essay
The death of salesman character analysis essay
Character analysis in death of a salesman by arthur miller
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The Elusive American Dream in Miller's Death of a Salesman and Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath
The American dream of success through hard work and of unlimited opportunity in a vast country actually started before America was officially America, before the colonists broke away from England and established an independent country. That dream has endured and flourished for hundreds of years; as a result, American writers naturally turn to it for subject matter, theme, and structure. In examining its lure and promise, they often find, not surprisingly, that for those who fall short, failure can be devastating because material success is a part of our cultural expectations.
Americans are judged and judge themselves on individual success or failure as indicators of their personal worth. Indeed, two works of fiction, Death of a Salesman and The Grapes of Wrath, are good examples of these ideas, for they illustrate the repercussions of the belief in the American Dream and what happens when the dream proves elusive.
In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s illusions are based on his belief in individual success, but his ideas about how to attain that success are impractical and unrealistic. Willy’s comment in Act I that “some people accomplish something” (15) is ironic because he yearns for this to be true for himself and Biff, but it is not true for either of them. Willy thinks he’s “vital in New England” (14) and would be “in charge of New York now” (14) if his original boss was still alive. However, although Willy is entranced by these illusions, the reality is that he is not a successful salesman and is fired. He also thinks Biff should be making good money and blames his son’s failure on his laziness. But it is Willy who has se...
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...d a the country” (129), and that is the capitalist system, which is supposed to make life better for everyone. Steinbeck creates a connection between the rotten grapes and the moral decay among the businessmen because of their greed, a vice that is poisoning the American promise by bringing great hardship with little hope for a better future.
In conclusion, both of these works use the deep personal loss of their characters to represent the greater dilemma posed by an American Dream that is elusive and, at least for them, never fulfilled. Hopelessness, despair and disillusionment are the result of what both authors portray as a ruthless, often dehumanizing capitalist system that seeks profit at any cost.
WORKS CITED
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1976.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1999.
coming in search of gold and everlasting youth, there has been a mystique about the land to which Amerigo Vespucci gave his name. To the Puritans who settled its northeast, it was to be the site of their “city upon a hill” (Winthrop 2). They gave their home the name New England, to signify their hope for a new beginning. Generations of immigrants followed, each a dreamer bringing his own hopes and aspirations to the green shores. The quest was given a name – the American Dream; and through the ages, it has been as much a symbol of America as the lady in the harbor, a promise of America’s riches for all who dare to dream and strive to fulfill their ambitions. Dreamers apotheosized fellow dreamers like Rockefeller and Carnegie, holding them to be the paradigm from which all could follow. But behind the meretricious dream lies the cold reality. A country built upon survival of the fittest has no sympathy for those who serve as the steppingstones for others’ success. For every person who reaches the zenith, there are countless others trapped in the valleys of despair by their heedless dash to reach the top. Playwrights Arthur Miller and Lorraine Hansberry memorialize the failures in their works Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun. Their central dreamers, Miller’s Willy Loman and Hansberry’s Walter Lee Younger, like children at a candy shop window, are seduced by that success which can be seen so clearly, yet is so unreachable. Ardent followers of the hype of America, they reveal that, far from being a positive motivator, the Ame...
The Grapes of Wrath displays one of America’s greatest stumbles during the establishment of our country. The story follows a family hit with the struggles of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Drought, economic hardship, agricultural changes, and bank foreclosures rip the Joads from the quaint town of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, forcing them to take the dreadful journey across the country. Nevertheless, the Joads drag their feet along the trodden path, dragged on by an unassured perseverance. The Joads were driven by a burning fire of desperation, grounded by the hope promised by orange handbills laden with the deceitful lies of the rapacious. For the hopeless seek hope, an elusive destiny sated by lying promises. Steinbeck’s unique style of writing inculcates an abortive hope in the minds of the readers, instilling a lust for the untouched and unloved land which in turn reveals the impossibility of the “American Dream”; through complex symbols and innovative themes, Steinbeck also educates the ignorant, blinded by the vague history books that blot out the full intensity of the calamities and suffering endured by hopeful Okies on their treacherous journey into the unknown.
...ity of painful experiences endured by our American ancestors, shattering a student’s perception of the struggles he himself is spared. Through the author’s use of symbols, a particular writing style, and the presence of a mental attitude, he convinces readers of the immense struggles of the migrants, effectively educating all who read his message. All of these writing tools add more depth to the overall understanding of the events and attitudes occurring at the time. The Grapes of Wrath inherently defines the true meaning of the American Dream. This once was an evil concept in the 30s that created hope where there was none and naturally left a scar in America's history across the government and it's people. Instead, the American dream is a dream of unity, hope, perseverance, equality, and kindness among all humans that was realized only in the darkest of times.
People from all around the world have dreamed of coming to America and building a successful life for themselves. The "American Dream" is the idea that, through hard work and perseverance, the sky is the limit in terms of financial success and a reliable future. While everyone has a different interpretation of the "American Dream," some people use it as an excuse to justify their own greed and selfish desires. Two respected works of modern American literature, The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, give us insight into how the individual interpretation and pursuit of the "American Dream" can produce tragic results.
The idea of a prosperous, richer, and jubilant life has been a driving force for centuries of Americans. America has been viewed as a land of opportunity, in which one’s prospects in life are defined by talent and energy rather than family wealth or background. Only through hard work and determination would this state of happiness and peace of mind be obtained. Work has largely defined human rights, human interaction and the American value of family. Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath follow two families, the Loam and Joad, as they pursue this American Dream. Their plights show the endeavor of the working man, but also the political and social issues surrounding employment and its effect on the human person.
A white picket fence surrounds the tangible icons of the American Dreams in the middle 1900's: a mortgage, an automobile, a kitchen appliance paid for on the monthly - installment - plan, and a silver trophy representative of high school football triumph. A pathetic tale examining the consequences of man's harmartias, Arthur Miller's "Death of A Salesman" satisfies many, but not all, of the essential elements of a tragedy. Reality peels away the thin layers of Willy Loman's American Dream; a dream built on a lifetime of poor choices and false values.
Throughout the history of literature, a great deal of authors has tried to reveal a clear understanding of the American Dream. Whether it is possible to achieve lies all in the character the author portrays. The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye stand as prime examples of this. F. Scott Fitzgerald and J.D. Salinger, the authors of these titles, respectively, fashion flawed characters, Jay Gatsby and Holden Caulfield, with one vital desire: the longing to gain what they can’t have; acceptance and the feeling of belonging. Each retaining characteristics that shows their differences and similarities in opinion of the world around them.
Genocide is the “deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.” (Dictionary.com, 2010) In 1924, after World War I, Belgian colonists entered Rwanda and allowed the Tutsi dynasty to remain in power. However, after World War II concepts of right and wrong changed. Since the Belgians had been favouring the Tutsis, this change in ethics caused the Belgians to have compassion on the Hutus and promote the Hutu cause, creating tension. (Thompson, 2007) It was the Belgians who cre...
The American Dream seems almost non-existent to those who haven’t already achieved it. Every character in the novel has moments of feeling happy and endures a moment where they believe that they are about to achieve their dreams. Naturally everyone dreams of being a better person, having better things and in 1920’s America, the scheme of getting rich is quick. However, each character had their dreams crushed in the novel mainly because of social and economic situations and their dream of happiness becomes a ‘dead dream’ leading them back to their ‘shallow lives’ or no life at all.
Americans strive to obtain the American dream, but they fail to realize that it is our own dissatisfaction and anger that get in our way of keeping the American dream alive. John Steinbeck’s, “Paradox and Dream”, describes these paradoxes that linger in almost all Americans lives. Steinbeck shows how Americans believe in these things, but they contradict them by the actions they take or the words we say. He describes how Americans are dissatisfied, angry and intemperate. John Steinbeck portrayed a negative attitude towards Americans and their ideals by displaying how most are dissatisfied and angry, intemperate and opinionated, and believe in these certain things about ourselves that are not always true.
Once Joshua started to communicate with the children, and got to know them better the adults were amazed at how Joshua related to the children so well. He knew their names right from the second he met them, he played their games, and he even let himself lose at them too. Eventually the adults in the town began to realize that whoever this Joshua really was, he was a role model for each and every one of them.
Sigmund Freud, also known as the father of psychoanalysis, was born May 6th of 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia. A few years later he moved to Vienna, Austria and years after to England. Sigmund Freud was known for connecting psychological issues with sexual issues. Freud demonstrated a broad perspective on things involving dreams, religion, and cultural artifacts. He focused on different states of the mind, such as unconsciousness. Freud relied on a local sexual repression issue to create theories about human behavior all together. Although many people would agree that Sigmund Freud’s theories are controversial, he is said to be one of the most influential scientists with great work concerning psychology. His theories and ideas of psychoanalysis still have a strong impact on psychology and early childhood education today.
Joshua is mentioned five more times in the Pentateuch before Moses sent the spies to enter into the land of Canaan. He and Caleb were two of twelve spies sent to spy. They were the only spies to give a good account of the land and the people. They trusted the Lord and knew He would deliver the land as promised. However, the other ten spies gave a bad account of the land and the people in it. The people of Israel listened to the ten spies and complained against God. He punished them for their lack of faith by not allowing them to see or enter the promised land. God marched the people of Israel around in the wilderness for forty years until that generation died off. God would only allow Joshua and Caleb to enter in because of their faithfulness to Him. God would allow the new generation of Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua,
The American Dream is a recurrent theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Benjamin Franklin, who is considered to be the epitome of the self-made man once said, “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself” (Franklin). Furthermore it is the belief that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals; whether they be political, financial or social. However, the composition of the American Dream transformed as America changed. Gradually, individuals became fixated with affluence. The right to pursue happiness was still permissible, however; many persons began to believe their right was to pursue money. In the modernistic novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald unveils a unique expression of the American Dream, where effortless wealth and diminished social values exemplify its corruption. The novel entails a story of the disillusioned love between a man and a woman. The main character of the novel, Jay Gatsby, who stands for his nation, imagines...
Arthur Miller and John Steinbeck were both great writers of their times and are renowned today as ingenious authors. Both of their works that have been considered masterpieces by both critics and readers nationwide, were written on the simple issues of work, its relationship to both human rights and dignity, and common American values. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman concerns one man’s warped view of the American dream and how he causes his family to suffer by forcing them to give into his delusions. Miller accuses the modern American Dream as being solely rooted in materialism that has distorted the personal truth and moral visions of the original American Dream expressed by the Founding Fathers. John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath tells in detail the struggle of one family as they are forced to leave their Oklahoma home and join the thousands who travel to the promised land of California in search of a job. The Grapes of Wrath provides sharp criticism to the agricultural and consumer systems that effected how the migrant workers were treated. These two novels were written in completely different time periods. However, they both highlight the importance of fortitude, leadership, and family dynamics.