Arthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman - 1027 Words

An Analysis of Tragic Heroism of Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller This literary study will define the tragic heroism of Biff Loman in Arthur Miller’s play The Death of a Salesman. Biff is initially a victim of Willy’s continual harassment to make more money and find a better career. In this family unit, Biff must endure the unrealistic and fantasy-based elusions of his father in his fanatical pursuit of the American Dream. However, Biff soon learns of Willy’s extra-marital betrayal to his mother, which allows him to experience an epiphany against the self-deception of his father’s abusive fantasy world. Biffs’ tragic role in this family is found in the ability to accept reality and overcome the victim role imposed on him by his father. This tragic aspect of Biffs’ heroism defines a single voice of reason in a self-deceiving family unit, which defines his liberation from his father’s tyrannical behavior. In essence, Biffs’ tragic heroism will be examined by analyzing the journey towards self-r ealization in Arthur Miller’s The Death of a Salesman. The beginning of Miller’s play presents Willy Loman, a failed salesman that is continually putting pressure on his children to get better jobs and make more money. Willy’s pursuit of the American Dream exploits Biff and Happy as a type of retirement plan in this materialistic mindset: â€Å"You’ll retire me for life on seventy goddamn dollars a week?† (Miller 28). In this way, Willy views Biff as being weaker thanShow MoreRelatedArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1144 Words   |  5 Pages Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman Life for many in America are missing the same elements that â€Å"Death of a Salesman† exposed. Those element are love and direction. Many people face these struggles at some point in their life, but don’t know what to do to progress. Arthur Miller devised a style whereby he could show how your past can continuously impact on your future. Each character highlights the powerlessness of a dream to give meaning and control to human life. I disagree with someRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1061 Words   |  5 PagesIn â€Å"Death of A Salesman,† Arthur Miller takes a view about the usually positive value people put on success. By examining Willy’s downfall, we can see Miller is arguing how the fallacy of success crafts the amiss dreams. Miller displays how the constant mania to maintain the image of success destroys the concept of American Dream for ordinary people like Willy. Miller portrays Willy as a hard-working exhausted man, â€Å"I’m tired to the death† (1557). Willy expends enormous amounts of time and energyRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1039 Words   |  5 Pages The play Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman, is about an old salesperson who returns early from a business trip. After crashing multiple times, he realizes he should stop driving. The other book, Oedipus the King narrates the story of Oedipus. He was a man who became the king of Thebes, while unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would murder his father, Laius, and marry his mother, Jocasta. The above characteristics of tragedy are well highlighted. In the play Death of a Salesman, one flowRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman And The Crucible2615 Words   |  11 Pagesand conflicts have been a constant. As individual people and as a world, there have never been perfect times. Arthur Miller’s writing style focuses on how his characters deal with external and internal problems and how their reactions to these problems reflect their characterization. Arthur Miller uses external conflict, internal conflict, and indirect characterization, in Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, to show how ideas of society do not always agree with the ideas and beliefs of others whichRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1159 Words   |  5 Pagesmarriage, or through one’s own self. Willy Loman, a delusional salesman, in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman; Minnie Wright, an unhappy and lonely housewife, in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles; and Oedipus, a king with excessive pride and determination, in Sophoclesâ €™ Oedipus the King illustrate how people lose their identities over the course of time. Society can cause the loss of a person’s identity, as Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman depicts the American dream as society’s view of success. The AmericanRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1373 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the main character is Willy Loman a lifelong traveling salesman. Willy is in his early sixties and there is no doubt he has had a long life with the occupation he chose for himself some years ago. It seems as if Willy is doing well for himself as well as his family from any outsider, however, what happens behind the scenes is a completely different story. Constantly borrowing from a fellow friend Willy finds himself in a black hole of debt. Arthur Miller’sRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman1326 Words   |  6 PagesAs though to recreate the connection in life, literature often shows the relationship between past events and a character’s present actions and values. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy is haunted by memories of his older brother, father, and salesman Dave Singleman. Willy’s character and values are constantly influenced by the memory of the three men, compounding upon his deli ria throughout the play. Willy considers these men the epitome of success, thus explaining his dependency onRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman2019 Words   |  9 Pagespersonal growth and forming realistic, healthy relationships. Both Judith Guest and Arthur Miller use their respective literary works ‘Ordinary People’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’ to illustrate that not addressing who we are as individuals and remaining unaware of reality will only lead to unhappiness, dysfunction, and eventual tragedy. The main character and the driving force behind the action of ‘Death of a Salesman’ Willy Loman is both unaware of reality and ignorant to his own need to find himselfRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman910 Words   |  4 PagesGuilty Conscience â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by American playwright Arthur Miller is a drama that resonates with the majority of viewers and readers of the play. Miller eloquently illustrates the drama and complex dynamics of the Loman family. The Loman’s consist of Willy and Linda Loman as well as their two sons Biff and Happy. Specifically, â€Å"Death of a Salesman† focusses on Willy and his oldest son Biff. Willy, now an old man has deteriorated into a miserable and senile man. Willy Loman’s characterRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman Essay1567 Words   |  7 Pagescharacter with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while the audience experiences catharsis (Irving 247). Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall, and the