The Tragedy of EveryMan in Death of a Salesman Essay

The Tragedy of EveryMan in Death of a Salesman Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens? I dont say hes a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money; his name was never in the paper; hes not the finest character that ever lived. But hes a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid ... Attention, attention, must be finally paid to such a person. from Death of a Salesman Only in America. The American Dream. Much is made in our society of the pursuit of the American Dream. But just what is that dream? And is it one worth pursuing? This is part of what Miller is asking us to look at in Death of a Salesman. But it manages to succeed on†¦show more content†¦After all, the unhindered pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is our birthright. But this is part of that visible world that Miller is punching holes in, exposing it to some of those inescapable truths of existence. There is a dark side to the freedom inherent in our pursuit of the American dream. Things get corrupt and out of balance when greed and power replace concern for others, or when the capitalistic system degenerates into nothing more than survival of the fittest mentality. Too much emphasis gets placed on wealth. Thus Willy can not accept that the things around him are enough to have a good life. He must be rich like his brother Ben. And in a dog eat dog world its all right for t hose riches to be obtained by unscrupulous means - Never fight fair with a stranger boy. Youll never get out of the jungle that way, Biff is counseled. And now that Willy is old and unable to keep up with the technology, he cant even operate Howards tape machine, and all of his contacts are retired or have passed away, he is no longer of use or value to the great economic machine. In the twilight of his life he finds that he is a piece of fruit whose peel is being tossed away. And as for Biff, its not enough to be liked. You must be well-liked. To play on the football team is not enough. You must be the star. The implication being that if you are desired by several colleges you are worth more to society than Bernard whoShow MoreRelatedSophocles Oedipus Rex as Modern Tragedy Essay examples1184 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus Rex and Tragedy Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is, in short, the story of a man who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. It certainly sounds like a tragedy, doesn’t it? But the classification and definition of ‘tragedy’ are one of the many things widely disputed in the realm of literary studies. So, for the purposes here we’ll use Aristotle’s five criteria of a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth, a tragic flaw or mistake, a fall from grace, a moment of remorse, and catharsisRead MoreTo What Extent Can Bosola Be Considered a Tragic Hero? Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesTo what extent can Bosola be considered a tragic hero? â€Å"Let worthy minds ne’er stagger in distrust/ to suffer death or shame for what is just. / Mine is another voyage.† Thus the dying Bosola concludes his last speech and, in doing so, ends the life of a character whose very nature is at odds with the others’ – and with himself. For Bosola is a paradox: as a malcontent, he delivers line after line of poisonous verse; insults old women; sneers at the Cardinal and Ferdinand, whom he sees (justifiablyRead MoreThe Multifaceted Themes and Symbols in Millers Play, Death of a Salesman2446 Words   |  10 PagesArthur Miller, the author of the play Death of a Salesman, proposes the idea that even an ordinary person can have major tragedies happen to him or her. When something bad happened to the individuals, who were mostly royalty, as portrayed in the great Greek and great Shakespearean tragedies, it affected the whole country. The ordinary person with a commonplace background, however, playing the major role in a tragedy, is a reformation of the older masterpiece, now tuned for modern readers and viewersRead MoreLiterary Review of Rabbit R un by John Updike Essays3013 Words   |  13 PagesRabbit is a brainless guy whose career as a high school basketball star peaked at age 18. In his wifes view, he was, before their early, hasty marriage, already drifting downhill. We meet him for the first time in this novel, when he is 22, and a salesman in the local department store. Married to the second best sweetheart of his high school years, he is the father of a preschool son and husband to an alcoholic wife. We are at ground zero watching Rabbit struggle with aging, religion, sexuality (particularlyRead MoreData Sheet Analysis for Kafkas Metamorphosis Essay4848 Words   |  20 Pages | |worried as everyone else; by the end of |(Kafka 39). | | | |three, he is rejoicing over Gregors death.| | | | |In the end, he is the necessary antagonist,| | | |