Analysis of a play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of a play - Essay Example Loman is portrayed as a representative of a middle class American who suffered with insecure material existence and isolation. Analyzing the theme, plot, structure, characterization and style of Miller’s Death of a Salesman, one can observe the plight of middle-class people in a capitalist society. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman describes the trials and tribulations of modern American middle-class people. . Themes like isolation, reality versus illusion, and failure of American success myth, insecure family relations and the evilness of capitalism are successfully depicted in Miller’s play Death of a Salesman. Miller portrays the real life of a typical American middleclass man Willy Loman and his family, who bestows the most part of his life in a private company. Loman tries to drive the family with his maximum facility. Unfortunately, he cannot satisfy his wife Linda and his two sons Biff and Happy. Literary critics have identified the fact that the themes of failure of American success myth and reality versus illusion play a vital role in Miller’s Death of a salesman. The central character in the play, Willy Loman, fails to comprehend the real pulse of the society. Dramatist succeeds to direct the readers to think that Loman is a total failure in his personal life and the same failure leads to his disastrous death at the end of the play. As Harold Bloom comments; â€Å"This tragedy, according to Miller, is the crisis and the reality of American life† (Bloom 44). As a follower of socialist ideologies Arthur Miller harshly criticizes the evilness of capitalism through the pathetic end of his hero Willy Loman. At the end of the play Willy Loman commits suicide in the expectation that his death will be really helpful for his family. He was aware of the fact that after his death Biff will get his father’s insurance money, twenty five thousand pound by which he can enrich his business. Miller reminds the reader horribl e reality of the modern competing capitalist world that offers the value of twenty five thousand pound for a human life and his lifelong service. Loman believes in capitalist ideologies and material existence so that he acts as self-centered. In a conscious effort, Loman forces others to admit that he is an ideal family man. Loman is highly conscious about his son’s misbehavior and his failure as a businessman. It is significant for a reader to comprehend the fact that Loman always fails to advice his son Biff because, he is responsible for his son’s fall. It is merely accidental that Biff became the victim of his Father’s illegal relationship with a prostitute. Therefore, Biff’s unhealthy behavior haunts Loman like horrible nightmare. Miller’s characters are powerful and reader can see a true personality and soul in these characters. Author exposes the protagonist Willy Loman as a symbol of American middle-class people who fail to maintain a struc tured life during the depression era. One can see that Miller’s personal experiences during the depression period have a great influence on his hero Willy Loman. Capitalist ideologies make Willy a man of self possessive and self-centered nature. This self- possessive nature always prevents him to admit his faults. As such, he would scold his sons for trifles in an attempt to hide his own faults. His wife Linda