Reality and Illusion in "Death of a Salesman"

Reality and Illusion in "Death of a Salesman"

MAJOR AMERICAN WRITERS

REALITY AND ILLUSION IN
“DEATH OF A SALESMAN”

Created by:
Lina Fahalawati



ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
SEMARANG STATES UNIVERSITY
2010

REALITY AND ILLUSION IN
“DEATH OF A SALESMAN”
A. Introduction
Arthur Miller is a phenomenal playwright who looks into the heart of working class America and draws from it modern tragic heroes. He brought us Eddie in A View from the Bridge, Joe Keller in All My Sons and of course Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. It is currently a bone of contention within the literary community as to whether he is a humanist or a Marxist and yet all agree that he is the greatest social dramatist of our time. Born as the second of three children of Isidore and Augusta Miller, Polish-Jewish immigrants, really influence his literary work. His father, an illiterate but wealthy businessman, owned a women's clothing store employing 400 people. After decreasing in family economy, he becomes a plywright that focus on the social development and social problem. We can see in his works like Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, All My Sons, and also The Last Yankee. They are Miller’s works that deal with social working class. The condition that often come to people is about a worry being a success man/woman. It deals with reality that maybe does not appropriate with their dream. So, we correlate this situation into a problem, talking about reality and illusion that dominate in the Arthur Miller’s litarary works.

B. Body
* All About Death of A Salesman
Everyone has personal problems that they must face. In the play, Death of a Salesman, the author, Arthur Miller, explores the ways in which some people deal with these problems. Miller reveals Willy Lowman’s tendency to ignore problems as long as possible. Willy never really does anything to help his situation; he just uses flashbacks to escape into the past. Through his flashbacks he returns to happier times when problems...

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