Lit Analisys 2 "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman Literature analisys

General

11..       The play is about the Loman family in 1940s America. The father, willy, is a salesman and has been for many years. He holds beliefs in the American dream and about hard work paying off. Sadly though, despite all the appearances he puts up he isn’t. His sons aren’t successful. His son Happy although appearing to be largely successful really isn’t. His other son has failed to get a good job after a scandal caused him to lose his football scholarship. In the present he try’s to get biff to get a job but biff fails. Eventually he kills himself, by faking an auto accident, hoping his son biff will be able to become successful with the life insurance money. In the end though biff only wanted his father to love him, and didn’t care about the money.

22..       The theme s are the American dream and abandonment. Will believes that all a man needs to be succseful is attractiveness and likability. He pushes his sons to achieve the succsess he never had. The other theme is abandonment. Willy was abandoned by his father and left with nothing. Because of this he began to develop his faulty views but also wanted to not leave his sons with nothing.

33..       The authors tone shows how silly Willys ideas are, but also pays great attention to the emotional strain that is on his family as a result. It might seem like mocking but it comes off more as pity. It shows an even deaper irony as Willy would have hated to be pitied. 

44..      Foil: Willy’s neighbor foils him. He is successful but still thoughtful and generous. It shows how even more disillusioned will is.                                                                                                                        Flashback: There are many flashbacks throughout the story as Willy is living in the past. The first being the one where Willy's sons wash the car.                                                                                                      Motif: One would be the women's voice laughing. It happens several times. Only later do we learn it is Willy’s mistress.                                                                                                                                Imagery: “An air of the dream dings to the place, a dream rising out of reality.” (Page 4) Hyperbole: “They should’ve arrested the builder for cutting those down. They massacred the neighbourhood.”  (Page 9)                                                                                                                                                      Cliché: “Just try to relax, dear. You make mountains out of molehills.” (Page 9)                                  Synesthesia: “Sexuality is like a visible color on him, or a scent that many women have discovered.” (Page 10)                                                                                                                                              Forshadowing: “ ‘He’s going to get his license taken away if he keeps that up. I’m getting nervous about him, y’know, Biff?’ ‘His eyes are going’ ‘I’ve driven with him. He sees all right. He just doesn’t keep his mind on it.’” (Page 11)                                                                                                                     Diction: “That’s what I dream about, Biff. Sometimes I want to just rip my clothes off in the middle of the store and outbox that goddam merchandise manager. I mean I can outbox, outrun, and outlift anybody in that store, and I have to take orders from those common, petty sons-of-bitches till I can’t stand it any more.” (Page 14)                                                                                                                                          Simile: “I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own.” (Page 20)                                                                                                                                                  Allegory: The story about the loved business man is an allegory.

Characterization

11..      Biff and Happy are often described as strong and attractive men. This is direct characterization. Indirect characterization occurs when you here Happy talk. He is very confident and loves his brother. It also occurs when happy and biff discusses their fathers senile ness. The author makes use of direct characterization so we have a clear idea of the characters and indirect in order to imbue subtleties to their personalities.

22..      The author’s syntax and diction changes with each character. The way Happy and Biff talk is much different than the way Willy talks.

33..      Willy is static. He never really gets over his distorted vision of the world. You can see it in his reasoning for ending his life. He wants his sons to be successful but doesn’t really think it out.

44..      I felt like I had met Willy. He is very distinctive and the author expertly portrayed him. He made effective use of the supporting characters. Almost everything they did helped characterize Willy even when it was completely unrelated to him. I was genuinely sad at the end and was caught up by the intensity of the climax.