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Using Time Lapses in Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller wrote “Death of a Salesman” in 1949. For this essay I am
planning to explore the structural devices used in the play.
Particularly time lapses. The play is set in Willy’s house and the
various places he visits in New York. “Death of a Salesman” has been
described as a modern tragedy and it certainly follows the rules.
Willy Loman, the protagonist, is the tragic hero with a fatal flaw;
his defect is his supreme pretence and pride. He lives in two
different worlds. In the real world he has fallen from grace, another
rule vital to tragedies, but in the imaginary world in Willy’s head.
The place that clings onto every happy memory just won’t let him
drop.
During the 1930’s America was suffering from the great depression.
There was little food and economy was down the drain. When America
finally came out of this recession it had completely changed, large
industrialized buildings had sprung up everywhere; it was all about
big businesses and commercialism. Arthur Miller being born in 1915 had
grown up with poverty and witnessed all of these changes He felt he
had to write about it. I think writers feel compelled to write novels
and plays to get across an issue experienced by them that changes your
perspective on life. Willy had come from a small close-knit business
that had changed and had become too powerful for him. I think people
write books and plays to get across issues that have touched them, and
I imagine that Arthur Miller wanted to write about this, he wanted to
write a play about a little man lost in a big world amongst the webs
of lies and deceit. New York was enveloping Willy Loman.
Arthur Miller cleverly uses time lapses to help structure...
... middle of paper ...
...ramatic
effect. It is perfect for performing on the stage and it is a powerful
theatrical impression. This is somewhat lost when the play was made
into film, you don’t have all the memories right there in front of
you, in the theatre you get to experience the whole of Willy’s mind on
one stage and it’s amazing. Which is why possibly, Arthur Miller had
the previous title of “The Inside of His Head” in mind. Another good
use of theatrical effects is the closing scene, the requiem. This is a
powerful scene as it is a final strong reminder of Willy’s weak
character. And how his constant lies and bad upheaval of deception has
come to his bitter, wretched end. Which is why I think Arthur Miller
chose to write the play this way. To let people leave with this fresh
in their mind. To show how one tragic hero is really a pathetic liar
when more closely inspected.
Although the 1980s are not generally thought of as a decade of innocence, there were, however, a few pockets of juvenile utopia. One such example was the rapidly expanding “online” community, with its assortment of up-and-coming networks that were, to many technically inclined users, a virtual “McDonald’s Play Place” with slides, ball pits and winding tubes to explore, all rapped in a security blanket of innocence. Not until a bully invaded, did another bastion of delayed-maturity, Cliff Stoll, find that “Big Bother” was not eager, or perhaps unable, to repel the invader on his behalf. This led Cliff to take responsibility and stand up to his assailant, causing a transformation throughout many facets of his life. The Cuckoo’s Egg is the story of Cliff Stoll’s maturation into an adult, mirrored by the loss of innocence and youthful-trusting-openness taking place in the network community at the time, catalyzed by a hacker halfway around the world, and necessitated by a nonchalant attitude among the governmental agencies supposed to be responsible for computer security.
"After all the highways, and the trains, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive," (Miller, 98). This quote was spoken by the main character of the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman. This tragedy takes place in Connecticut during the late 1940s. It is the story of a salesman, Willy Loman, and his family’s struggles with the American Dream, betrayal, and abandonment. Willy Loman is a failing salesman recently demoted to commission and unable to pay his bills. He is married to a woman by the name of Linda and has two sons, Biff and Happy. Throughout this play Willy is plagued incessantly with his and his son’s inability to succeed in life. Willy believes that any “well-liked” and “personally attractive man” should be able to rise to the top of the business world. However, despite his strong attempts at raising perfect sons and being the perfect salesman, his attempts were futile. Willy’s only consistent supporter has been his wife Linda. Although Willy continually treats her unfairly and does not pay attention to her, she displays an unceasing almost obsessive loyalty towards her husband: Even when that loyalty was not returned. This family’s discord is centered on the broken relationship between Biff and Willy. This rift began after Biff failed math class senior year and found his father cheating on Linda. This confrontation marks the start of Biff’s “failures” in Willy’s eyes and Biff’s estrangement of Willy’s lofty goals for him. This estrangement is just one of many abandonments Willy suffered throughout his tragic life. These abandonments only made Willy cling faster to his desire to mold his family into the American Dream. They began with the departure of his father leaving him and...
In the play “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is a salesman that is known as depressed and angry. The play was made into a movie, one play filmed in 1951, the other in 1985. The lifestyles of these times were very different, for example the 1950’s had strict morals and values, was also known for conformity, and was the time of segregation. While the 1980’s were more about hip hop, being upbeat, “go-go”, also the time of credit, so you can have everything that you need and even what you don’t need. In the two films there were major similarities and differences. Although the 51 version was dark and dull, the 85 version was colorful and made the message of the movie come out more happy.
The play begins quickly, launching into the root of the family’s problems as early as page 12 wherein Willy states “I’m tired as death” (12) and only escalates as the play progresses. Willy being tired is understandable due to his long hours driving along the New England coast, but his use of death to describe his level of tiredness is hinting at this his suicidal tendencies to follow. From this moment on all the problems stem from confusion between dreams and reality. One of the first realizations of reality from illusion was when Biff notices his mother’s grey hair. She responds “Oh it’s been grey since you were in high school. I just stopped dyeing it that’s all.”(55) Although Biff does not actively think of keeping his mother young as
reach into the ideas and themes of the play so we will have a good
Shakespeare, William, and David L. Stevenson. Much Ado about Nothing. New York: Signet Classic, 1998.
The function of flashbacks in Death of a Salesman. Throughout Death of a Salesman flashbacks are used continuously, typically to present the audience with the Loman family's background and show deterioration. In act one we see the first flashback at the beginning of the play. As the play starts to go into flashback the backdrop changes from the present 'Apartment houses' and the 'surroundings become covered in leaves.' The first sign of the Loman's happy past.
by Arthur Miller. I will be looking the use of flash backs in the play
Beginning: Jared, Simon, Mollary, and his mother Helen moved from the big city, to a mansion that was in a forest because their mom divorced. All the family where happy except Jared he was very mad because he didn’t wanted to move. They start looking the house and all the windows where cover with salt and where a lot of pictures of his Aunt Lucinda. Jared goes to the attic where it was a study. In the study, Jared finds book titled: "Arthur Spider wick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World around You." Jared reads the book, it was a warning that say don’t read it. In the book shows how Arthur Spiderwick spend his life imagining invisible creatures. He reveals how some are kind, and how some are evil.
Introduction Death of a Salesman and Glengarry Glen Ross are two plays which attempt to validate the key values that have been strongly advocated for by capitalism. The two plays dwell on somewhat similar themes, but these themes are presented in different styles. Both Miller and Mamet hold a similar interpretation of success in that the success of the main characters in the two plays is measured from a material standpoint. According to Miller and Mamet, these characters will do anything within their reach to stay ahead of other members of the society (the system/principle of capitalism), but as fate would have it, tragedies befall them in the end. Nevertheless, Miller and Mamet interpret these themes from different perspectives.
Throughout the play Death of Salesman by Arthur Miller the reader witnesses the main character, Willy Loman, struggle with suicidal tendencies and the onset of Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately for Willy, the 1940’s were a time with insufficient knowledge about mental illness, leaving he and his wife, Linda, without guidance. If the Loman’s had instead lived during the 21st century, they could have sought treatment and received aid from informed healthcare professionals. Though it is never confirmed Willy displays a variety of symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s including mental confusion, difficulty concentrating, delusion, disorientation, and forgetfulness. While returning home from work in Yonkers Willy forgets he’s driving, falling into a so
In the "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller, the exposition happens with a tired Willy Loman who just returned from a business trip. He communicates to his better half Linda how he needs his two boys to be wealthy and trusts that they don't wind up like him. The rising action would be when Willy was lessened to working commission alone and was compelled to obtain cash from his sibling Charley. Charley offers him work, however, Willy is excessively pleased, making it impossible to acknowledge it. The second rising action is when Linda makes a proposal to Willy about approaching his supervisor for a stay at home job to cut out the constant traveling. The next following rising action is that Willy starts to daydream. He talks about his fantasies,
In Death of a Salesman, written by American playwright Arthur Miller, focuses on Biff’s relationship towards his father Willy Loman. He plays the role that drives most of Willy’s thoughts and actions, specifically his memories. Whenever Willy is not able to accept the present, he reverts to the past where Biff is usually nearby. Before Willy’s trip to Boston, Biff admired his father. He trusted and believed his philosophy that any person can be successful, provided that he is “well-liked”. Biff never questions his father even though at times it is obvious that Willy is not following the rules himself. This results in Biff growing up believing that rules do not apply to him because Willy does not follow them nor does he expect
Web. The Web. The Web. " Alice Walker (1944-). " Contemporary Literary Criticism.