Death of a Travelling Salesman Essay

There are many different ways to analyze the Author Miller's play Death of a Salesman. The critics cannot agree if the play is a Greek tragedy, a family drama, a gender study, or a morality play (Centola). Miller thought it was a Greek tragedy, CS however, the critics argued that the play did not use elevated language (Ardolino). One way to analyze the play is as a family drama. A second way to analyze the play is Miller’s unique use of time (Kolin). Chronologic time was used to show normal development (Ardolino). The play moves fluidly between the present and the past to show what is going on in Willy’s mind (Centola). Another way to analyze the play is by the poetic elements that were used. The play contains wordplay, imagery, and number patterns (Ardolino).

One way to analyze the play is as a family drama. The critics cannot agree if the play is a Greek tragedy, a family drama, a gender study, or a morality play (Centola). Miller thought it was a Greek tragedy, however, the critics argued that the play did not use elevated language (Ardolino). Family is the most intense human relationship. The play is a family drama (Kolin). Willy has a complex relationship with his family: his wife Linda, his sons Biff and Happy, and his dead brother Ben (Centola). Biff is Willy’s greatest failure (Domina). Biff never fulfilled his potential as a popular gifted athlete in high school. When the play opens Biff is not married and drifts from one low-paying job to another. Biff’s downfall Elgin’s when he discovers his father is with another woman. Biff idolizes his father as a child, but after catching his father with another woman, he conflicts with Willy (Griffin). Willy believes Biff is a bum, but is also concerned about what the affair may have done to Biff. Biff blames Willy for his failure as an adult. Willy destroys Biff’s trust, he praises Biff’s kleptomania instead of getting him to help and belittles his pleasure in working with his hands. Linda is a homemaker (Griffin). She keeps track of the expenses. She causes Willy anxiety telling him how much they owe on what and when it is due. She cooks cleans and takes care of the children when Willy is on the road.

She loves Willy and is his protector. She does not want Willy hurt. However, Willy’s behavior toward Linda becomes erratic when she darns her stockings (Ardolino). Linda does not know about the other woman and when she darns her stockings it reminds Willy of his infidelity. Linda is loyal to Willy at the expense of her relationship with her sons (Griffin). Biff and Happy do not have positive relationships with women. Happy seduces the fiances’ of his bosses, and Biff does not date (Stagg). Willy is abandoned by his father at an early age. Willy’s brother Ben disappears and is not seen for four years (Centola).

A second way to analyze the play is Miller’s unique use of time (Kolin). The importance of chronological time is that it displays normal development. Willy is stuck in the past. He keeps reliving the moment right before the big game (Ardolino). Charley and his son are not stuck in the past. Charley’s son Bernard graduated from high school, went to college, got his law degree, is married with two sons, and is going to argue a case before the Supreme Court (Ardolino). Biff and Happy are stuck in the past as well. Biff is in contrast to Bernard. Biff does not graduate from high school and moves from one low-paying job to another (Ardolino). He does not even date (Stagg). Happy is one of two assistants to the assistant buyer (Domina). This is similar to Happy being Biff’s assistant in high school. He carried Biff’s equipment instead of playing sports on his own. Happy seduces the fiances’ of his bosses (Stagg). He does not look for a nice girl to marry.

Besides chronological time, Miller moves fluidly between present and past to show what was going on in Willy’s mind (Centola). The present and the past come together at the same time on the stage. Willy would talk to the living and the dead at the same time (Kolin). Death of a Salesman was one of the first plays to flash back and forth fluidly in time (Lahr). The action on the stage continued for both the present and past. Willy has many flashbacks that take place over the same course of time. Willy is physically in Frank's Chop House restaurant and then travels back to the hotel room in Boston where Biff finds him with the woman. The fluid movement of time is to show Willy’s mental troubles (Ardolino). Willy goes to the restaurant after being fired. He discovers Bill Oliver did not give Biff the money for the business venture. Happy is talking to inappropriate women at the restaurant. The stress of the situation sends Willy back to the hotel room in Boston. Another instant /Check your spelling/for the correct word. of a flashback when Howard Wagner does not time have time to listen to Willy. The stress pushes Willy to travel to the past to talk to Frank (Harder). Frank is dead and his son Howard is now running the business. Willy talks to his older brother Ben many times. Ben is dead. It is Ben he turns to for final advice on whether or not to commit suicide (Centola).

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Another way to analyze the play is by the poetic elements that were used. The play contains wordplay, imagery, and number patterns (Ardolino). There are many words used in different ways. The word chop is used in different ways. Willy goes to Frank’s Chop House after being fired by Howard Wagner the son of his original boss (Hadomi). A chop is a cut of meat.

Willy is fired or chopped by Howard (Harder). The words stockings, sheers, and hose are used in different ways. All three words are synonyms, yet their other meanings are used as well. The woman refers to the stockings as size nine sheers (Domina). Scissors are also sheers. During the scene with the woman, Biff cuts his past idolized relationship with his dad Willy (Ardolino).

Finally, Biff finds the hose that Willy is going to use to commit suicide (Ribkoff). The word build is used in different ways. Willy can build with tools. He used tools to rebuild many parts of the house (Ardolino). Charley and Bernard do not have the skills to use a hammer to drive a nail (Kolin). Willy believes he is better than Charley because Charley cannot use tools to build anything. However, Charley can build a family and a business (Ardolino). Imagery is also used in the play. Willy is thankful his sons are like Adonis. Willy wishes he were like Adonis and could create personal interest to be more successful (Domina).

Unfortunately, Willy did not know Adonis was stupid and met with a painful death. He was given good advice from his girlfriend that he did not take. Biff and Happy do not live up to their early potential. Bernard tries to help, but he is mocked. Neither brother has a career or wife (Thompson). Willy compares Biff to Hercules. Hercules was the result of an adulteress relationship between Zeus and a mortal woman. Zeus abandons Hercules. Hercules is raised by his mother without discipline. Biff too is not disciplined. In high school, he cheated, stole, he molested, with Willy making excuses for his behavior instead of correcting him. Hercules lives a sad nomadic life, in part because Zeus’ wife punishes him for Zeus' infidelity. Biff too lives a sad nomadic life, because of his father’s infidelity (Thompson). Willy uses the image of a bell and an open door to display Biff’s success. Willy says Biff’s name will sound like a bell and the door will open to him. However, as Biff waits to meet with Bill Oliver, he keeps sending in his name, but the door never opens (Ardolino).

Finally, the play uses number patterns. The numbers four, seventeen, thirty-six, and sixty-three are repeated and used in patterns. Willy compares Biff and Happy to four successful men (Thompson). Biff fails math by four points (Adrolino). Ben walked into the jungle at seventeen and walked out at twenty-one a rich man. Ben was in the jungle for four years (Hadomi). Biff is seventeen when he fails math, but also wins the big football game. He is seventeen when he learns of the woman (Adrolino). Ben walked into the jungle at seventeen (Hadomi). Willy is sixty-three (Thompson). Biff mocks the math teacher by lisping what is the square root of sixty-three (Adrolino). If sixty-three is transposed, thirty-six is the number of years Willy worked for the Wagner family. Howard is thirty-six and is now the head of the company (Adrolino).

There are many different ways to analyze the Author Miller's play Death of a Salesman. One way to analyze the play is as a family drama. Willy has cheated on his wife. Willy and Biff are in constant conflict. Happy uses women. Willy turns to his dead brother for advice. A second way to analyze the play is Miller’s unique use of time (Kolin). Chronologic time was used to show normal development (Ardolino). Bernard has developed from someone’s son in high school to a grown man with his own family and career. Biff has not graduated from high school and moves from one low-paying job to another. Another use of time is the fluid movement between the present and the past to show what was going on in Willy’s mind (Centola). Another way to analyze the play is by the poetic elements that were used. The play contains wordplay, imagery, and number patterns (Ardolino).