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Essay / Importance of Self-Image in the Loman Family - 1471
Published in 1949, Arthur Miller's Death of Salesman is a post-World War II American drama that highlights the plight of isolation and the desolation experienced by the ordinary man, symbolized by Willie. The play deals with society, the absurdity of life, various internal and external conflicts, death and above all the tragedy of existence. It is set in the industrial society of the 20th century where the pressure of success and financial difficulties seem insurmountable. The play depicts America as a land of opportunity as well as a place where society has acquired a new set of values that threatens to destroy those who cannot adapt to the new changes. This article discusses the importance of self-image in the Loman family and how conceptions of self-image fuel the characters' destruction. To begin with, the plot structure of the play does not follow a logical direction of development; rather, the progression has an aesthetic appeal, similar to the concept of “stream of consciousness” proposed by Virginia Woolf. The main protagonist, Willy, is depicted in a state of mind where time does not exist and his memories come in the ebb and flow of consciousness. The perception of facts, life, ideas, hopes, dreams and ambitions is shown personified in its characters whose maturity and immaturity determine the course of their lives. The protagonist is a disturbed and disillusioned character who cannot accept the failures in his life, compounded by the unstable lives of his sons, Biff and Happy. It’s a play that shows how a character’s self-perception doesn’t just develop a misleading self-image. in the character's mind but influences how other characters perceive them. First...... middle of paper ......r the protagonist, his self-image leads him to suicide. Willy Loman is neither a king nor a pauper, he is an ordinary man who wanted to live a life of self-respect and possess adequate material comforts for himself and his family. The death of a salesman is a tragic story. Works CitedBloom, Harold. Arthur Miller. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003. Print. Foster, Richard J. Confusion and Tragedy: The Failure of Miller's "Salesman." Detroit: Gale Research, 1983. Print. Gordon, Lois. “Death of a Salesman”: An appreciation, in the 1940s. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983. Print. Miller, Arthur. Death of a salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1998. Print. Murphy, Brenda. Miller: Death of a Salesman. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print. Terkel, Studs American Dreams Lost and Found New York: Pantheon Books, 1980. Print..