Death of a salesman
In the play "Death of a Salesman" by "Arthur Miller", there are many themes. The main theme regards the failure of a success driven society to deliver the rewards it promises. This is the dominant theme form which all the other themes evolve. This theme shows how the need to follow "The American Dream" can mislead and undermine people through false hopes, The drama focuses on the life of a middle-aged salesman, Willy Lowman. He lives with his over- protective wife, Linda, who is the mediator between her husband and their two sons, Biff and Happy. The boy's relationship with their father, Willy, is constantly under tension. The play follows the tragic fall of a man who cannot be true to his moral responsibilities in a society which he believes has false values attached to success; A society that measures worth by income, material possessions, and relationships. Living up to these values is a challenge for Willy One of the play's other important themes is sex and infidelity. This theme helps us understand the role sex plays in society and how it can be used to justify failure. Willy's affair is a product of his
Linda perceives Willy as a dreamy adolescent, who she says is, "only a little boat looking for a harbour". " Consequential to Willy's lenient parenting, Biff proceeded to steal his way out of jobs since High School. Of course, the foreshadowing of Willy's suicide through out this drama, is a persistent reminder of his final, irrevocable failure. All of these men posses underdeveloped social skills, which manifestsitself in their failures as business men and reflects in their personal relationships. This is evident when Biff confronts his father after finding him with theunnamed woman:"You fake! You phony fake! You fake!" Happy also compromises his morals towards women due to his father's lack of respect for others. The passive-aggressive fathering Willy establishes places his sons into buddy-buddyrelationships with him, which is evident in the use of nick-names such as "pal". His overwhelming need to be top dog and to achieve success is so powerful that it leads him astray and into the arms of another woman. Until these men absolve their pasts, they can never conquer their fears of defeat in the present and future. His seduction of the partners of the senior businessmen, is justified with having "an over-developed sense of competition". Considering the maturity of the Lowman men, which has never achieved its full potential, it is understandable how they were already preprogrammed to fail in business and in their personal lives. My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women. "Happy's sexual exploits show his failure to grow into a man of integrity with healthy morals.
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