Social Commentators and Modern American Society - Research Paper Example

?Social Commentators Here Here Here Here Introduction Most laymen have thought amiss that socioeconomic and political change has mainly been brought about through legislation and mass actions such as was witnessed in the civil rights era in the 1950s. However, these thoughts fail to capture the place and role of literature, in the dispensation of reforms. The place and role of literature is seen in the political, social and political themes that grace literary works. While history and political science books such as those by Faragher tackle these themes by explaining directly their essence, literary works such as Charlotte Perkin’s Gilman’s Herland and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman tackle and perpetuate these themes by creatively showing how they affect people’s lives. This is done in light of the fictitious characters and plots that may either be based on fact, or on fiction. In fact, there are many who have successfully pointed out that change emanates from literary works. As literary works are read and analyzed, life in the society gets revisited, with benevolent values being strengthened and malevolent ones being abrogated; and hence the exaction of reforms. Summary On one hand, Gilman’s novel Herland was published in 1915 by the Forerunner and depicts a utopia of a female-only society which reproduces through pathogenesis. The culmination of this development is the realization of an ideal fully functioning social order which is devoid of war, oppression and subservience. On the other hand, there is playwright Arthur’s Miller Death of a Salesman was first premiered on February 10th, 1949. The play is about a father who has a lot of expectations on his sons, especially Biff. Later on, he comes to the harsh reality that he has not been perfect himself, and commits suicide as an artifice to help Biff start a business. He kills himself in a traffic accident so that his insurer can indemnify Biff and Happy. He assumes that with the indemnity, Biff can start off a business. Interpretive analysis students on key themes: Who were Charlotte Perkins Gilmore and Arthur Miller Arthur A. Miller (1915- 2005) was an American essayist and playwright. Not only did Miller leave a lasting impact in American theatre industry, but he also remained a public figure in the Interwar and the Cold War periods. Miller’s dexterity in literary works is underscored by the Prince of Asturias and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama Awards. Miller’s consciousness for American politics is well underscored by several instances in which he castigated the unjust racist systems in America, even before civil rights movement made an advent. Charlotte Perkins Gilmore (July 3rd, 1860- August 17th, 1935) was an American writer, novelist, poet, short storyteller, sociologist, a nonfiction writer, social reformer, a lecturer and a feminist. As a matter of fact, many scholars and analysts have grouped Gilman as a utopian feminist, since her works were exceptionally suited for women. The veracity of this standpoint is well exemplified by the novel Herland, where she envisions a world that is strictly populated by women and as such, is totally perfect. The Literary Devices Gilmore and Miller Used to Write Their Works there are many literary devices that Miller and Gilmore used to communicate their message. Miller in the play, The Death of a Salesman strongly uses flashbacks to weave his plotline together and into a complex whole. This is seen in the instance where Willy, an old salesperson remembers an instance where he overstated his earnings, and only got to admit this folly when his wife Linda calculated his commission and found an anomaly. It is in this same instance where Willy remembers his conversation with his wife where he complained about feeling inadequate about his looks. His wife Linda reassures him that he is good looking. At this point, the playwright lets the audience and analysts into Willy’s insecurity. It is insecurity that leads him into overstating his earnings, and to feel that he does not measure up because he is not so good-looking. It therefore becomes apparent that Willy’s assertiveness towards success is one that comes from fear- the fear of failing. In another instance, Miller uses flashback to explain Biff’s cold relations with his father, Mr. Willy. The same flashback informs the audience of the cause of Biff’s underperformance in academics, particularly in arithmetic. The flashback traces this back to an instance of marital infidelity that Willy Loman engaged himself in. In the story Herland, there are several literary devices that Gilman uses. Gilman heavily uses symbols or symbolism to develop her plotline and to deliver here message. The forests which are well-tended symbolize a life devoid of industrialization and its excesses such as depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution. The forests also symbolize the subduing of the environment by mankind. Women in Herland can coerce or coax the environment into cooperating. The three invaders particularly Terry find the plant terrain therein as a physically bother, ferocious and challenging. Ultimately, the forest represents a situation whereby nature is humanized and the natural laws are geared towards the wellbeing of mankind1. Reasons behind Gilmore and Miller Writing Their Works Gilmore writes Herland to show that women are able to do as men, and that their supposed weak state persists because of the socio-cultural environment surrounding women. Likewise, men are seemingly superior because of the socio-cultural and econo-political undercurrents. By painting a utopia that is perfectly run, but by women alone, Gilmore does not only exalt feminine power, but actually vouches for the incorporation of women into the cultural mainstream of civilization. The cache herein is that by if empowered, there can be tremendous improvements and developments if women are accorded leadership, just as is the case in Herland. On the converse, by creating The Death of a Salesman, Miller was intent on laying bare the socioeconomic ravages that came upon American individuals and families as people tried to chase after the American dream (of money, fame and success). For instance, the head of the Loman family, Willy, has to keep reliving in denial as a way of escaping the fact that he is a mediocre salesman. This is an apt exemplification of disillusionment. How Gilmore and Miller’s works related to social, cultural, political, and economic realities of American society in their times The Death of a Salesman relates to socio-cultural and econo-political realities of the late 1940s and early 1950s America. It is at Willy’s time that the Great Depression together with its ravages was either raging or receding. It may not be fortuitous that Willy was not able to make any meaningful profits or success as a salesman. The Great Depression had pummeled the citizen’s purchasing power and investing expeditions. The economic challenges in America at the time can explain the willingness of The Woman to engage with Willy in an extramarital affair, despite the fact that Mr. Willy did not make much. Definitely, the Great Depression wreaked havoc on America’s social values. Politically, America had just emerged from the World War II as one of the superpowers beside Russia and had begun to engage in a Cold War with the USSR. All these might have culminated into economic strain in America and thereby rendering Willy an unsuccessful salesman2. It is given that although the novel was published in April 1979, yet it was written earlier since it was published posthumously (Gilman had already passed on in 1935). At this time, women were still struggling to infiltrate America’s corporate life and politics. In politics, the women’s right to vote was only recognized in California (1911), Kansas (1912), Washington (1910), Illinois (1913), Montana (1914), Nevada (1914) and Oregon (1912). It is possible that even after the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and thereby allowing women to vote, many women had not yet become conscious enough to appreciate universal suffrage. By depicting a women-managed utopia, the author could be unequivocally calling for women’s participation in politics and leadership. Ways in which these works reflect a critique of their contemporary societies Miller’s work is a critique of the contemporary society since he covertly condemns national and even global dreams such as success, prosperity and happiness as unattainable for all. This, he does by presenting the person of Willy who is in pursuit of the American dream but fails and gets disillusioned. The course of human nature and identity is partly depicted as standing in the way of this collective success that Willy sees as unachievable. For instance, Willy forces his son Biff to live in his shadow by being a salesman, but Biff’s heart is elsewhere. Gilman critiques contemporary societies, especially those that are inordinately patriarchal. This is seen in the way she venerates women by painting their domain as perfect. Men on the other hand are yet to catch up with women’s leadership prowess, just as Van, Jeff and Terry take time to learn women’s sophistication in Heartland. By extension, contemporary patriarchal societies miss critical values by relegating women to the peripheries. How their works reflect a desire to address contemporary social issues Miller’s work reflect a desire to address contemporary issues by displaying the excesses of inchoate policies and intentions that contemporary societies pursue. By presenting Willy’s predicament and sad fate, Miller is assertive of the need to adopt realistic expectations and goals. America or any other state should not assume that it can engage in very costly expeditions (such as wars) and still expect its citizens to live complete lives for instance. Miller intimates a need for balanced, tenable and accommodative policies. Conversely, Gilman’s desire to address contemporary matters is well exemplified by her leftist ideas. She envisions a society where the dominant culture (a patriarchal setting) becomes the underdogs. This betrays a penchant for criticizing the status quo, especially if the status quo breeds a negative precedent such as inequality. In ways in which their works reflect the authors' biases, myopia, and/or elitism Gilman’s work exposes her biasness against men by presenting them as unwitting and dispensable, while women are portrayed as perfect. Women have perfect technological endowment in Heartland which men (Van, Jeff and Terry) do not master. The same women have no need for men since they can reproduce asexually. This also goes to exhibit myopia since there is no way humans can produce asexually. The same myopia is exhibited when Gilmore assumes that romantic relationships can blossom in the absence of sexual relations. The main reason men and women fall in love and get married is procreation. Likewise, the author falls for elitism by depicting women as being more technologically and culturally polished than men. In the novel, the author calls people living in lower spheres, savages. Miller does not readily show biasness, albeit one of the points of references is the fact that like many male literary artistes, he depicts women (Mrs. Linda Loman) as docile makers, while Mr. Willy Loman is committing adultery. Feminists see this as a display of sexual monopoly. Reasons Why These Works Survived As Both Significant Literary and Historical Sources These works survive as literary and historical sources because of they captured the historical developments that were taking placing in America at the time. To understand Miller’s work, one is able to glean into the ravages that accompanied the Interwar period. Similarly, reading Gilman’s Heartland helps mold an understanding on how feminists at the beginning of the 20th century judged their societies. The literary devices, stylistic devices, dominant motifs and themes make these books worth preserving and referring to, in literature. Conclusion It is therefore apparent that literary works have played a very pivotal in effecting social, political and economic change. The Death of a Salesman and Herland portrayed the American society as it is and warned it of adopting intractable and unfeasible and gender biased policies. These works formed part of the many voices and concerted efforts that called for equality and accountability in crafting policies. Affirmative actions such as shattering the glass ceiling are therefore the gains that have been accrued from literary works. Bibliography Gilman, P. Charlotte. 1979. Herland. New York: The Forerunner. Miller, Arthur. 1948. The Death of a Salesman. New York: Morosco Theater. Read More