Death of a Salesman - Research Paper Example

? ‘Death of a Salesman A Research Essay Arthur Miller’s death of a Salesman’ is a renowned play of the modern times setin the backdrop of a generation chasing the ‘great American dream’. The piece of art inspires people to accept the reality that they can achieve their ambitions in life only through hard work. Out of the many themes like nostalgia ,opportunity, madness, gender differences, growth, capitalism and hazards of modernity, the most interesting and important one is ‘capitalism’ which leads to unprecedented consumerism and the growth of an infectious thought that money is important than everything else in life. Willy Lowman, the hero of the play is a victim of ruthless capitalism. His end is tragic and he is the representative of millions of helpless people who are thrown out by a system whom they have served for a lifetime. In the beginning of the play we see him as an exhausted man of 60 years, who has been fired out of his company for making no profit. This event itself points to the corporate world which gives no place for sentiments or personal relationship. Willy Lowman is the cross section of an ordinary American salesman who had to earn his living by the smile of his face and the shine of his shoes. The most touching moments of the play are though his efforts were mercilessly denounced by the capitalist world, he continues to be loyal to the system until his death. Another pathetic reality is that nobody attended Willy’s funeral. Willy was under the impression that he was liked by all. In his early years of selling he was too popular and he was guided by false values all his lifetime without knowing his fame had dwindled to nothing. As Uranga comments, Willy always seeks advice from ‘male father figures’…. ‘instead of looking within his own psyche’ (81). The scene of Willy planting seeds in his backyard is yet another touching moment where he tries to leave something useful which will outlive him. Willy is portrayed as a man of despair, in his declining years, both physically and emotionally. As the introduction of one version of the pay states, the play neither is an attack on capitalism or a promoter of communism, “but it is all about a man disillusioned by the passage of time and horrified at the realism that it has robbed him of dreams, ambitions, and success” (X). The dark shades of capitalism and business have been projected throughout the play. When Willy is fired from his job, his boss Howard says “you gotta admit, business is business” (Act II, 65). This comment of Howard shows that profit is what matters and there is no room for friendship or sentiments. Willy argues in vain “you can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away, a man is not a piece of fruit” (67). In this scene Miller blames the inhumane and impersonal nature of capitalism. Even though Howard very well knows Willy’s financial situation that he has no salary and no commissions, his wife does not work, and he is a travelling salesman who cannot drive any longer, Howard still encourages Willy to by a wire recorder. This scene brings out the ridiculing attitude of the capitalist society toward someone who is now useless, forgetting their long term service and sincerity that built up the corporate domain. Miller does not attempt to attack capitalism in his play. But he blames Willy’s unprofessional attitude for his failure. Willy is incompetent to be a good salesman anymore. He has lied to Howard to cling on to the office as well as he says Bernard will not succeed as he lacks charm. As Sterling points out, time proves that Bernard earns a successful life due to his hard work and personality and charm takes his two sons ‘nowhere in the business world’ (6). The play revolves around the objective of making money, and in that rat-race everything else is trivialized. In the attempt to actualize the American dream, it gets corrupted by a visionless society filled with poverty and suffering. The play shows the mentality of people driven by ‘get rich quickly’ mindset. We find the characters of the play knitting new dreams of getting better every time but ending up with no realization of it. Every time Biff comes home, Willy asks about his job and he replies ‘I am looking for another one’. Willy too is seen talking about becoming a better salesman like others. All these show Willy’s desire to grow bigger but in reality, the situation never improves but degrades beyond control. The main disturbing event in the play is -never having enough money for anything. The play revolves around ideas of getting rich, work load, paying items etc. There are countless times when Linda has bills waiting to be paid. The characters are in search of money and every time they come up with schemes of getting rich, they complain about their existing state, converse about the growing debts and reminisce about a time when money came easier and in larger volumes. In this vicious cycle of planning and losing their dreams, they forget to live. They forget friendships, family and love. Various situations like Biff being unemployed, Willy being fired, and the piling up of bills to be paid all points to a typical family environment in the modern day world. Death of a salesman takes us through a variety of characters existing in the American society. We can see Willy and his son Happy who are stuck up in American dream who believes ‘charm and charisma’ can win the world, and who have been highly optimistic but could bring none of their plans fruitful. And there is Biff who was trying to recreate his life in his father’s image but realizes that he has to live his life according to his passion rather than getting caught in somebody’s image. Biff’s character brings out the truth that even though monetary benefit is significant, an occupation should bring joy to the person who does it. According to Meyer, Miller through his play is examining the dilemma that faces all sons while imitating their father’s traits and simultaneously questioning its relevance (122). Willy lived with the utopian view that his personality traits like being over optimistic, willing to please and charm can make him a successful business man. But it is a false interpretation of how the corporate atmosphere works. Dreaming of dying very popular with thousands of people attending his funeral, Willy clasped on to his salesman job until he was considered a misfit in the capitalist world. Unfortunately, his younger son Happy too followed his father’s principles and did everything to earn his praise. He focused more on money and regarded women as commodities and led a sinful life abandoning family and even his own father. On the other hand, Biff and Bernard are two strong-willed characters who pursue their dreams through determination rather than sticking on to plans of getting rich quickly. They see the world through the eyes of reality. Though Biff tried to live according to his dad’s expectations, later he realizes happiness comes only when he follows his heart. He takes up a farming job which makes him happy. Through this play, Arthur Miller tries to bring out the truth that the capitalist does not lead a life of luxury and happiness. Blind belief in a system can lead to disasters. The fall of Willy was due to disillusionment and loss of morals. But for those who do not fall prey to a system, for those who have an astute thinking, for those who pursue their passion, there is scope for a comeback. As Solomon opines, Willey’s ideology is bound by materialism while Biff embraces ‘a life of simplicity in the open reaches of the West’ (138). Willy is a father of unfulfilled ambitions, a father who does not bring anymore prizes, and a father who has no insurance premiums to offer his sons. He has a tragic end. He drives off and commits suicide. Nobody can be blamed rather than Willy for his decline. His principles about life were far from moral standards and reality. Miller points that the dream of every American can be flawed at an unexpected moment as it happened to Willy; he says; “but it was so beautiful up there, Linda, the trees are so thick, and the sun is warm………..then all of a sudden I’m going off the road” (p.3, Act: 1).. Willy’s false mantra was ‘’be liked and you shall never want’’, and he stuffed his sons brains with the idea make an ‘appearance’, create personal interest and the world will be their oyster, because they are ‘both built like Adonises’ (Miller and Brater 25). Miller’s play cannot be considered as a protest against capitalism. By the time Willy proves to be wrong, that shows capitalism does work. The narration goes tragic when the man fails to find himself in good swings in his only known job- a traveling salesman. As it has been stated by Barnet and Burto et al, “Willy Lowman is someone who seems alive as on the page and on the stage as in real life” (31). Willy has dug his own grave by being an unsuccessful salesman in his declining years. He couldn’t convince his employer Howard to post him as an office salesman instead of a travelling one. He rudely and repeatedly interrupted his boss who is captivated with his new wire recorder. So, not the corporate system but Willy was responsible for his fall. But the play is a mockery towards people who chase their dreams of making monetary benefits through the easiest possible ways ignoring relationships and values. The play is a revelation that only a person who makes wise decisions at the right time can be successful in life rather than engaging in wild goose chase. Miller says every system has its own merits and demerits and a wise man would accept everything in moderation so as to avoid bitter consequences. The failure of a prospective salesman at each walk of his life in the play glares at the collapse of the “American Dreams” much to the credit of failure of the insurance sector of America. Most of the old people in America are non-secured now for lack of insurance coverage on medical bills. Why should it be so serious there when people all over the world think America is the economic hub of the world? This query has a deep sensed reply; to the best effect of a fact file, America is the country where people find it difficult to obtain an insurance coverage. In many a case of the old people, ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. The dream of every American can be flawed at an unexpected moment as it happened to Willy; he says; “but it was so beautiful up there, Linda, the trees are so thick, and the sun is warm………..then all of a sudden I’m going off the road” (p.3, Act: 1). The impact of government policies lacking sufficient concern for the retired and the old are evident in any issue. As per the government norms, an employer is liable to ensure the security of the employee during his term. But no one cares for the fate of freelancers and old people. Moreover, a great majority of old people think pessimistically about the expected benefit when they compare the huge amount they ought to pay against their will, only to secure a ‘rather unsure’ life. As every human being is ambitious about their better future, a failure in the system of their country cracks the strong walls of their “American Dreams” and ultimately they fail at a rather unpromising age of the work force. The ‘richest country’ in the world has little means thus to compensate the effort and hope of old people in their own field of excellence without forcing them legally to complex regulations and acts. The play altogether was influential to the audience with the strong line of ethical balancing of parent-son relationship. Willy leads a comfortable life with his wife Linda and two sons as their needs were satisfactory and simple. Their lives were then resolved to the repayment of the mortgage of their house. As a spectator of the events happened in the story, one can clearly say that the Loman couple was dreamier than ambitious. This play surely gives the viewer a more prolific view of the people of their old ages. Here in the Play, Willy suffers a lot for his lacking consistency as a salesman after having picked up to do different odd jobs. It also gives one an obvious image of how America would look like to a commoner. After long years of work in the private and non-corporate sectors, most of American employees find themselves in the vacuum when they retire from their job. American life style and socio-economic factors play a vital role in the designing of a lavish career of any go getter in the peak lines of his earning days. This stage is found unstable with majority of employees as portrayed in the play. The author gives two sides of the same view- if one look at the socio- economic conditions and political strategies of the American government, one can never blame the old salesman for his failure in his career. Regardless of the pathetic condition Willy is willing to do something. For instance, to Linda he says, “I’ll never get behind a wheel the rest of my life” (55, Act: 2). In short, Willy’s unorganized sales job could not provide him a settled life at the end. The country he dreamed a lot about had nothing to give him in return. Age dominated his enthusiasm to continue with his profession. His dream of affiliating his old age earning to insurance fails. An American’s scope of employment or stability in tenure has been a question for long. There are several factors that an employee should go through in America to be at a comfortable spot. The audience would feel bad about the man for his being undone by circumstances. Even his wife is unable to weep over his departure. “Death of a Salesman” is thus pointing to the ethical expiry of a salesman rather than his physical demise. References Barnet Sylvan and Burto William et al. A Little Literature: Reading, Writing, Argument. Pearson Longman, 2007. Print. Meyer, Michael, J. “In his father’s image: Biff Lowman’s struggle with inherited traits in Death of salesman”. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Sterling, Eric and Sterling, Eric J. (Eds.). New York: Rodopi, 2008. Print. Miller, Arthur and Brater, Enoch. (Ed.). Death of a Salesman. London: A&C Black, 2010. Print. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Heinemann, 1994. Print. Solomon, Deborah C. “The emergence of hope in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman”. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Sterling, Eric and Sterling, Eric J. (Eds.). New York: Rodopi, 2008. Print. Uranga, Linda. “Willy Lowman and the legacy of capitalism”. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Sterling, Eric and Sterling, Eric J. (Eds.). New York: Rodopi, 2008. Print. Read More