death of a salesman推销员之死》英语详细分析.docx

death of a salesman推销员之死》英语详细分析.docx

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deathofasalesman推销员之死》英语详细分析

KeyFacts

FULLTITLE•DeathofaSalesman:

AUTHOR•ArthurMiller

TYPEOFWORK•Play

GENRE•Tragedy,socialcommentary,familydrama

CLIMAX•ThesceneinFrank’sChopHouseandBiff’sfinalconfrontationwithWillyathome

PROTAGONISTS•WillyLoman,BiffLoman

ANTAGONISTS•BiffLoman,WillyLoman,theAmericanDream

SETTING（TIME）•“Today,”thatis,thepresent;eitherthelate1940sorthetimeperiodinwhichtheplayisbeingproduced,with“daydreams”intoWilly’spast;alloftheactiontakesplaceduringatwenty-four-hourperiodbetweenMondaynightandTuesdaynight,exceptthe“Requiem,”whichtakesplace,presumably,afewdaysafterWilly’sfuneral

SETTING（PLACE）•Accordingtothestagedirections,“WillyLoman’shouseandyard[inBrooklyn]and...variousplaceshevisitsin...NewYorkandBoston”

FALLINGACTION•The“Requiem”section,althoughtheplayisnotreallystructuredasaclassicaldrama

TENSE•Present

FORESHADOWING•Willy’sflutethemeforeshadowstherevelationofhisfather’soccupationandabandonment;Willy’spreoccupationwithLinda’sstockingsforeshadowshisaffairwithTheWoman;Willy’sautomobileaccidentbeforethestartofActIforeshadowshissuicideattheendofActII

TONE•ThetoneofMiller’sstagedirectionsanddialoguerangesfromsinceretoparodying,but,ingeneral,thetreatmentistender,thoughattimesbrutallyhonest,towardWilly’splight

THEMES•TheAmericanDream;abandonment;betrayal

MOTIFS•Mythicfigures;theAmericanWest;Alaska;theAfricanjungle

SYMBOLS•Seeds;diamonds;Linda’sandthewomon’sstockings;therubberhose

AnalysisofMajorCharacters

WillyLoman

Despitehisdesperatesearchingthroughhispast,Willydoesnotachievetheself-realizationorself-knowledgetypicalofthetragichero.Thequasi-resolutionthathissuicideoffershimrepresentsonlyapartialdiscoveryofthetruth.Whileheachievesaprofessionalunderstandingofhimselfandthefundamentalnatureofthesalesprofession,Willyfailstorealizehispersonalfailureandbetrayalofhissoulandfamilythroughthemeticulouslyconstructedartificeofhislife.Hecannotgraspthetruepersonal,emotional,spiritualunderstandingofhimselfasaliteral“loman”or“lowman.”Willyistoodrivenbyhisown“willy”-nessorperverse“willfulness”torecognizetheslantedrealitythathisdesperatemindhasforged.Still,manycritics,focusingonWilly’sentrenchmentinaquagmireoflies,delusions,andself-deceptions,ignorethesignificantaccomplishmentofhispartialself-realization.Willy’sfailuretorecognizetheanguishedloveofferedtohimbyhisfamilyiscrucialtotheclimaxofhistorturousday,andtheplaypresentsthisincapacityastherealtragedy.Despitethisfailure,WillymakesthemostextremesacrificeinhisattempttoleaveaninheritancethatwillallowBifftofulfilltheAmericanDream.Ben’sfinalmantra—“Thejungleisdark,butfullofdiamonds”—turnsWilly’ssuicideintoametaphoricalmoralstruggle,afinalskewedambitiontorealizehisfullcommercialandmaterialcapacity.Hisfinalact,accordingtoBen,is“notlikeanappointmentatall”butlikea“diamond...roughandhardtothetouch.”Intheabsenceofanyrealdegreeofself-knowledgeortruth,Willyisabletoachieveatangibleresult.Insomerespect,Willydoesexperienceasortofrevelation,ashefinallycomestounderstandthattheproducthesellsishimself.ThroughtheimaginaryadviceofBen,WillyendsupfullybelievinghisearlierassertiontoCharleythat“afterallthehighways,andthetrains,andtheappointments,andtheyears,youendupworthmoredeadthanalive.”

BiffLoman

UnlikeWillyandHappy,Bifffeelscompelledtoseekthetruthabouthimself.Whilehisfatherandbrotherareunabletoacceptthemiserablerealityoftheirrespectivelives,Biffacknowledgeshisfailureandeventuallymanagestoconfrontit.Eventhedifferencebetweenhisnameandtheirsreflectsthispolarity:

whereasWillyandHappywillfullyandhappilydeludethemselves,Biffbristlesstifflyatself-deception.Biff’sdiscoverythatWillyhasamistressstripshimofhisfaithinWillyandWilly’sambitionsforhim.Consequently,WillyseesBiffasanunderachiever,whileBiffseeshimselfastrappedinWilly’sgrandiosefantasies.AfterhisepiphanyinBillOliver’soffice,BiffdeterminestobreakthroughtheliessurroundingtheLomanfamilyinordertocometorealistictermswithhisownlife.IntentonrevealingthesimpleandhumbletruthbehindWilly’sfantasy,Bifflongsfortheterritory（thesymbolicallyfreeWest）obscuredbyhisfather’sblindfaithinaskewed,materialistversionoftheAmericanDream.Biff’sidentitycrisisisafunctionofhisandhisfather’sdisillusionment,which,inordertoreclaimhisidentity,hemustexpose.

HappyLoman

HappysharesnoneofthepoetrythateruptsfromBiffandthatisburiedinWilly—heisthestuntedincarnationofWilly’sworsttraitsandtheembodimentofthelieofthehappyAmericanDream.Assuch,Happyisadifficultcharacterwithwhomtoempathize.Heisone-dimensionalandstaticthroughouttheplay.HisemptyvowtoavengeWilly’sdeathbyfinally“beat[ing]thisracket”providesevidenceofhiscriticalcondition:

forHappy,whohaslivedintheshadowoftheinflatedexpectationsofhisbrother,thereisnoescapefromtheDream’sindoctrinatedlies.Happy’sdiseasedconditionisirreparable—helackseventhetiniestsparkofself-knowledgeorcapacityforself-analysis.HedoesshareWilly’scapacityforself-delusion,trumpetinghimselfastheassistantbuyerathisstore,when,inreality,heisonlyanassistanttotheassistantbuyer.HedoesnotpossessahintofthelatentthirstforknowledgethatprovesBiff’ssalvation.Happyisadoomed,utterlydupedfigure,destinedtobeswallowedupbytheforceofblindambitionthatfuelshisinsatiablesexdrive.

LindaLomanandCharley

LindaandCharleyserveasforcesofreasonthroughouttheplay.LindaisprobablythemostenigmaticandcomplexcharacterinDeathofaSalesman,oreveninallofMiller’swork.Lindaviewsfreedomasanescapefromdebt,therewardoftotalownershipofthematerialgoodsthatsymbolizesuccessandstability.Willy’sprolongedobsessionwiththeAmericanDreamseems,overthelongyearsofhismarriage,tohaveleftLindainternallyconflicted.Nevertheless,Linda,byfarthetoughest,mostrealistic,andmostlevelheadedcharacterintheplay,appearstohavekeptheremotionallifeintact.Assuch,sherepresentstheemotionalcoreofthedrama.

IfLindaisasortofemotionalprophet,overcomebytheinevitableendthatsheforeseeswithstartlingclarity,thenCharleyfunctionsasasortofpoeticprophetorsage.MillerportraysCharleyasambiguouslygenderedoreffeminate,muchlikeTiresias,themythologicalseerinSophocles’Oedipusplays.WhereasLinda’sluciddiagnosisofWilly’srapiddeclineismadepossiblebyheremotionalsanity,Charley’sprognosisofthesituationislogical,groundedfirmlyinpracticalreasonedanalysis.HerecognizesWilly’sfinancialfailure,andthejobofferthatheextendstoWillyconstitutesacommonsensesolution.ThoughheisnotterriblyfondofWilly,Charleyunderstandshisplightandshieldshimfromblame.

Themes,Motifs&Symbols

Themes

Themesarethefundamentalandoftenuniversalideasexploredinaliterarywork.

TheAmericanDream

WillybelieveswholeheartedlyinwhatheconsidersthepromiseoftheAmericanDream—thata“wellliked”and“personallyattractive”maninbusinesswillindubitablyanddeservedlyacquirethematerialcomfortsofferedbymodernAmericanlife.Oddly,hisfixationwiththesuperficialqualitiesofattractivenessandlikeabilityisatoddswithamoregritty,morerewardingunderstandingoftheAmericanDreamthatidentifieshardworkwithoutcomplaintasthekeytosuccess.Willy’sinterpretationoflikeabilityissuperficial—hechildishlydislikesBernardbecauseheconsidersBernardanerd.Willy’sblindfaithinhisstuntedversionoftheAmericanDreamleadstohisrapidpsychologicaldeclinewhenheisunabletoacceptthedisparitybetweentheDreamandhisownlife.

Abandonment

Willy’slifechartsacoursefromoneabandonmenttothenext,leavinghimingreaterdespaireachtime.Willy’sfatherleaveshimandBenwhenWillyisveryyoung,leavingWillyneitheratangible（money）noranintangible（history）legacy.BeneventuallydepartsforAlaska,leavingWillytolosehimselfinawarpedvisionoftheAmericanDream.Likelyaresultoftheseearlyexperiences,Willydevelopsafearofabandonment,whichmakeshimwanthisfamilytoconformtotheAmericanDream.Hiseffortstoraiseperfectsons,however,reflecthisinabilitytounderstandreality.TheyoungBiff,whomWillyconsiderstheembodimentofpromise,dropsWillyandWilly’szealousambitionsforhimwhenhefindsoutaboutWilly’sadultery.Biff’songoinginabilitytosucceedinbusinessfurthershisestrangementfromWilly.When,atFrank’sChopHouse,WillyfinallybelievesthatBiffisonthecuspofgreatness,BiffshattersWilly’sillusionsand,alongwithHappy,abandonsthedeluded,babblingWillyinthewashroom.

Betrayal

Willy’sprimaryobsessionthroughouttheplayiswhatheconsiderstobeBiff’sbetrayalofhisambitionsforhim.WillybelievesthathehaseveryrighttoexpectBifftofulfillthepromiseinherentinhim.WhenBiffwalksoutonWilly’sambitionsforhim,Willytakesthisrejectionasapersonalaffront（heassociatesitwith“insult”and“spite”）.Willy,afterall,isasalesman,andBiff’sego-crushingrebuffultimatelyreflectsWilly’sinabilitytosellhimontheAmericanDream—theproductinwhichWillyhimselfbelievesmostfai