" There is strong manifestation linking Willy's disillusionment with his perceived betrayal of his sons and society against him. This is because his staunch belief in himself and his sons -- that is, his "self-delusion and moral confusion," made him an individual who is in touch of his dreams and illusions, and not with his reality (Centola, 1993:1)
This makes him socially handicapped, not only eliciting an image of a failure to other people, but also to his own family and although he does not acknowledge it, to himself as well. In effect, he is "trapped in a society which prevents him establishing anything to outlast himself, ruining the lives of his sons as well as his own" (Parker, 1969:97)
. dependent on his father's conception of success and manhood and on his father's approval" (Ribkoff, 2000:2)
¶ … Death of a Salesman" By Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman: Dynamics of Father Son Relationship. The play, death of a salesman written by Arthur Miller follows, the exact literary structure of a Greek tragedy (Bender 5-6)
An element of Arthur Milers writing that stands out is how Willy chooses to live vicariously through his son Biff and his narcissistic attributes. Willy also projects himself onto his son such that he does not distinguish the fact that Biff has his own life (Corrigan 98-107)
It is obvious that Willy wants to associate himself with Biff and not Happy. To prove this premise, the fact is Willy boasts to his wife on how Biff was popular with the female students, and that all he needed was just to show them a little attention, and they would be eating out of his hand (Miller 10-13)
He demeans the job without caring that it was a means where he would make an honest living. It indicates that no matter the job he would have picked for himself, Willy would not have supported him unless it was the one that brought the glory and reverence to the Lamon family name (Magil 1365-1368)
These events have helped the reader to understand the premise that Biff was a surrogate for Willy's ambition, and zeal to be recognized and respected. He develops an obsession with Biff that is skewed towards anything that brings glory to the family and himself neglecting other aspects of Biff's life, which really matter (Zeineddine 93-100)
Willy will rather continue living the lie than face the realities and ruin his family faces. This leads not only to his family's breakdown, but ultimately also to his own demise (Cassel, 2006)
For these reasons, many have questioned the relevance of literature created during the previous century to the world as it appears today. Such questions have also been raised about Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, which appeared in the period after World War II, during which the United States as superpower attempted to sell the benefits of capitalism as such to its citizens (Siegel, 2012)
"I'm nothing, pop, there's no spite in it anymore" says Biff. Biff regards himself as "nothing" because he has not reached the heights of success like his cousin Bernard, and fulfilled his early promise (Miller 123)
perhaps the finest of them Willy himself. In Willy, the pathetic bourgeois barbarian, Miller has made an intense and true character, perhaps a nearly great one" (Foster)
In all fairness, some claim that we do not see many persons of nobility walking the earth today. Concerning this issue, Miller wrote, "Insistence upon the rank of the tragic hero, or the so-called nobility of his character, is really but a clinging to the outward form of tragedy" (Miller qtd
There individuals of whom we respect. Wilson tends to support Miller's idea, noting that there are few persons in our modern world that can "stand for other people, or symbolize a group or culture" (Wilson 132)
He honestly believes that soon, he will "knock Howard for a loop, kid. I'll get an advance, and I'll come home with a New York job" (Miller 1070-1)
At first glance, Willy does not seem to fit this description but what many critics observe is that society has changed and so has the tragedy. Milly Barranger argues that Death of a Salesman fits the definition of tragedy because the compulsion to secure a sense of dignity "belongs to all of us, not just an Oedipus or Hamlet" (Barranger 312)
. with a topic of universal human import as its theme" (Cohen 35)
In Wilson 132). Wilson supports this perspective by pointing out that we have no kings or queens in our society, except in a few places like Great Britain and he asks is this means that no one else can "stand for other people, or symbolize a group or culture" (Wilson 132)
At the beginning, Linda tells Willy, when he feels confused and exhausted, "But you didn't rest your mind. Your mind is overactive and the mind is what counts" (Miller, Death of a Salesman, p
"How can I mention it to him? Every day I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But when he comes home, I put it back where it was? How can I insult him that way?" (Miller 63)