Sign In
Not register? Register Now!
Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
Sources:
1 Source
Style:
APA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 10.8
Topic:

Death of a Salesman Character Analysis

Essay Instructions:

In the discussion forum for this module, you were asked to analyze the dialogue taking place in the Requiem for Death of a Salesman, and you were asked to discuss specifically Biff's statement about his father, Willie Loman, that Willie “had the wrong dreams” and/or “didn't know who he was.”
As noted in the “Module Notes,” looking up the definition for “Requiem,” you find it typically is a musical service for the repose of the dead. And as discussed previously, a funeral service usually involves celebrating the life of the deceased. Now as we close our study on Miller's Death of a Salesman, you are asked to examine why Arthur Miller would pay tribute to the death of Willy Loman (“ low man”).
As we have witnessed in the play, Willy's character and that of his sons are deeply flawed; however, as we previously have discussed, most humans also are flawed in some way. As a matter of fact, in the previous module, you were asked to discuss how you might relate to some degree with Willy Loman or with one of the other characters in Miller's play. Now that we have come to the end of the play, and to the end of this module and course, you are asked to take all that you have learned and apply it to a careful, thought-provoking examination of Willie Loman and/or his sons, applying character analysis to argue for a larger purpose or theme related to why the play still speaks to an audience, to you, across time.
As noted earlier in this module, in the final act of Death of a Salesman, while standing at the graveside of his father, Biff tells his brother, Happy, that Biff knows who he is. But does he? Does Happy? By claiming that, finally, Biff knows who he is, Biff sets himself apart from his dead father, Willy Loman, declaring that Willy “never knew who he was.”
Reflecting back on Willy's actions and dialogue in the play, do you agree or disagree with Biff? Why? What two (2) quotes from Willy Loman's dialogue in the previous two (2) acts supports your position?
How does Willy's dilemma in the play relate to his sons?
How does Willy's dilemma in the play, and Willy's relationship with his sons, particularly with Biff, relate to a larger theme in the play?
What two (2) quotes from Biff or Happy illustrate a similarity or difference between father and son?
Why is the idea of self-knowledge so important to the play's conclusion? How might the struggle of the play's characters with self-knowledge relate to you, to an audience?
****In an essay of no fewer than 500 words, supported by no fewer than two (2) quotes each from two (2) different characters, totaling no fewer than four (4) quotes from character dialogue, analyze how the character of Willy Loman and/or that of his sons illustrates a larger theme of the play, explaining how or why that theme remains relevant to audiences today.****
2-3 pages would be great, i dont need the full 3 pages. The beginning instructions is lead up, not necessarily part of the essay.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

DEATH OF A SALESMAN: CHARACTER ANALYSIS/THEME
By
Institution
Death of a Salesman: Character Analysis/Theme
The American Dream is an ambition that many people struggle to attain through life, and Willy Loman is no exception. Having a sales job and viewing himself as successful in his own trade, he envisions himself being successful and leaving behind a legacy; an inheritance that his sons would cherish for their father’s success. However, Willy struggles to attain this dream, probably trying to match his father’s success in Africa and his Brother Ben’s success in Alaska. Willy is disappointed with his son Biff, whom he sees as a failure, though the latter has ambitions of his own contrary to his father’s desires.
Characterization
It is evident from the play that Willy struggles with self-realization and self-knowledge; two conflicts that even his suicide do not resolve. Despite his huge understanding of his profession as a salesperson, he does not understand himself and his inherent dreams. He desperately tries to run away from the reality of his personal attribute as a “low man” and “willfully” pursues the lies that his mind has forged for him. His son Biff realizes this struggle and wants to distance himself from this dream by following his ambitions of owning a ranch and becoming a successful businessperson. His father though thinks he is lost, “Biff Loman is lost…. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff — he’s not lazy” (Miller, 1996). Willy finally understands his son’s dream and thinks that his life insurance money will help him start his business after he has committed suicide. His brother’s proposition, “The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.” (Miller, 1996), convinces him to take his final chance of allowing his family to fulfill the American dream. When his son Biff rejects his plans, he tells him, “The door of your life is wide open!” (Miller, 1996).
Biff Loman takes a different approach to life by deciding to find the truth about his life, by accepting and confronting the reality, unlike his father and brother who are willful and happy with the status quo. His desire to acquire a loan from a former employer, Bill Oliver, shows his ambition to follow a different path to his father’s, “I think I’ll go to see him. If I could get ten thousand or even seven or eight thousand dollars I could buy a beautiful ranch.” (Miller, 1996). Biff’s discovery of his father’s infidelity to his mother helps to further distance his faith in his father’s ideologies. His father’s efforts to make him adhere to the American dream fails wh...
Updated on
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:

You Might Also Like Other Topics Related to american dream:

HIRE A WRITER FROM $11.95 / PAGE
ORDER WITH 15% DISCOUNT!