Death of a Salesman - Essay Example

? Death of a Salesman Introduction Miller presents a rare story of Willy Lowman, a salesman on the decline due to his inability to keep pace with world issues and changes that occur in the dynamic business environment during the post World War II period. In this rhetoric play, Author Miller depicts Willy as one whose dreams have been disillusioned and still he is unable to embrace that that fact. The play introduces Ben’s character as an industrial and self determined philosopher who embraces ethnic individualism and business orientations of the industrial era. This play brings out unique characters in Willy as a failure who chases the disillusioned American dream. He has un-programmed thinking of patterns, unrealistic quest for success, his inability to detach himself from the failures and achievements of the past all play out to influence his defeat at the end. This paper discusses cultural homogeneity as advanced in the earlier years, emanating conflicts between conformity and individuality, tradition and innovation, stability and disruption as presented in Author Miller’s Death of Salesman in light of the American dream. One of the central themes that are advanced by Miller is a true depiction of the American society and family. The roles and different characterizations of Willy, Linda, Biff, and Happy provide a reflection of an average American family and society. Willy is the central character in this play and at the point of conflict. The author personifies him as an old fashioned working man who attaches a great amount of belief in the American societal values and virtues, yet the society has been largely affected by corruption. His individualism makes him to believe in total determination and due hard work so that he may be able to provide for the needs of his family, climb the career ladder and build his home. As the plays advances Willy fails to fulfill these values. He is therefore a true personification of the American dream unfulfilled. In his literary writing, Baym notes the American dream consisted of “a stable conformity to American life, a dedication to an increasingly materialistic standard of living, whose ethical merit was ensured by a continuity with the prewar world—a continuity that proved to be delusory” (Baym, et. al, 2008) In the American context, individualism existed long in the Pre-World War era with the notion of a ‘self made’ person that encouraged individual prosperity regardless of the available business methodology. Cullen suggests that this is the ‘era that consisted of people who created financial kingdoms that toured entirely above all national imagination.’ (Cullen, 2003). This business thinking of ‘winner-take it all’ in managing business dominated the industrial age and perhaps lived on up to the time of Willy Lowman. Death of a salesman is then set by the end of industrial age with a significant shift towards suburban conformity neglecting individualism that created financial and business prosperity for many Americans a depicted by the character in Ben. But even with this shift, traces if individualists who still believed in the old industrial generation still existed. This is the exact dilemma that Willy finds himself into, his inability to conform to the new business dimensions and failure to climb the career ladder. The author brings us the old Willy who had experienced great strides of success in the industrial era as a salesman and one who is unable to survive in the new business world. Contrastingly enough Willy understands his predicament and tells his wife, Linda that, “…Linda, people don’t seem to take an interest in me…I don’t know why, but they just neglect me” (Miller, 1976) Willy’s predicament can be attributed to his failure to change and conform to the current post war era but instead clings onto the past businesses individualistic practices of the 1950’s, and as such still holds that people can still succeed in business with nothing except an imposing personality characteristic of a salesman, and urges his son Biff to follow to his personality so that he may succeed, as such comments that “The man who makes an appearance in the business world, one who creates a personal interest, is the one who will succeed.” ( (Miller, 1976) Willy’s beliefs are informed by two of his confidants: his father and his brother Ben. Departing from other works, Death of Salesman stands in opposite to the famous American dream by bringing in issues being able to determine one’s life direction with unfolding realities of an American life. This view is elucidated by Willy’s unending illusions of being part of the American dream and Biffs’ uneasiness with his father’s disillusioned and traditional view of life. As Miller presents the disillusionment of a failed man running after the American dream he presents two important personalities who have succeeded in the American dream. Ben’s successful journey is presented by Willy’s subconscious thoughts and imaginations and Charley’s son, called Bernard comes out as constant reminder for the fruits for those who fulfill the American dream. Willy constantly refers to Ben’s success and therefore uses his brother’s success as a measurement for his professional struggles and such he believes that his brother had the ‘ultimate life’ Ben’s personality in the play comes out as an appreciation of the individualistic business ethics and industrial periods. Ben took the risks, and succeeds through determination, what Ben calls, going through the ‘The Jungle.’ Even with this personality, Ben still displays the thoughts of the industrial era of the ‘self made man.’ In one of his advice sessions to Biff, he advises Biff using industrial era capitalist business view as to how to get started, as he says: “Never fair straight with a stranger, for you will not see the light out of the jungle.” (Miller, 1976) These are the same ideologies that Willy sticks to and despite the changes in every aspect of his life; Willy is still represented as an idealist who strongly holds on individualism and one time success that comes overnight without much struggles as witnessed in the acts of frontiersmen and industrial capitalists. American dream offers unique ideas for success. The ability to achieve this success is not pegged on a set of standard factors of parameters but instead it’s fluid and varies from one ethnicity to the next, among cultural beliefs and groups and at individual level. The earlier American dreamers believed strongly though natural and peaceful mechanisms for wealth creating and prosperity in life. The middle class though presents failed attempts of success through the personalization of Willy Lowman in Death of Salesman. He dreams that his fortunes are perhaps entrenched in the business world, and openly suggest to Biff that, “One day I’ll own my business bigger that uncle Charley’s” (Miller, 1976)and as such he dreams to achieve success as those exhibited by prominent personalities like Dave Singleman. Unfortunately, the author do not create Willy with successful business traits of competence and risk taking as exhibited by Ben nor Charlie, instead his name, Lowman, pronounced as ‘Lo Man’ suggests one of lower social position. Additionally, there are many contrasting characters between Charlie and Willy. Charlie’s beliefs drive him to success, and also offer to assist Willy. Instead, Willy is adamant about receiving Charlie’s advice. Charlie warns against stealing from a construction site the night guard would have eventually caught with them; Willy responds so luxuriously that, “I have a couple of fearless personalities”, which Charlie responds that, “The jails is also full of fearless personalities.” (Miller, 1976) This reasoning as represented by Charlie draws differs from the industrial individualists. Gardner emphasizes this response by Willy and thus states that “…accepting Charlie’s point of view could have implied Willy’s acceptance of Charlie’s philosophy and that his post war era’s arguments were the right one, and Willy is not just big enough to do that.” (Gardner, 1983) As the play unfolds, Willy is forced to look beg for his old job fuelled by his dire desperation for success. Willy is seen talking to himself in public and he by so feels he needs to do so since he neither confide his failures to his wife or children, as he feels he should no either concern them or they might think that he is gone insane again. Throughout the play a lot of paradox comes into play when the idea of the American dream gained momentum around ninetieth century coupled with many migration patterns in search of that good life. This play is seen in another aspect as a eulogy of an American dreamer which depicts illusions of a man as he tries to provide for the family, Willy’s desire for success can be found in the American dream which proposes that anyone can attain any level of success as he so desires. This analysis therefore elaborate an individualism philosophy represented by Willy and conformity for the changing culture representing success has been personified by Ben Lowman. Bibliography Cullen, J. (2003). The American Dream: A Short Story of a Idea that Shaped a Nation. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gardner, R. (1983). Tragedy of the Lowest man. In Splintered Stage: (1965) rpt in clc (Vol. 216). Detroit: Gale Research. Miller, A. (1976). Death of a salesman (1 ed.). New York: Penguin. Read More