deathofasalesman推销员之死》英语详细分析.docx

deathofasalesman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's

houseandyard[inBrooklyn]and...variousplaceshevisitsin...

NewYorkandBoston”

FALLINGACTION?

The“Requiem”section,althoughtheplayisnot

reallystructuredasaclassicaldrama

TENSE?

Present

FORESHADOWINGW?

illy'sflutethemeforeshadowstherevelationofhisfather'soccupationandabandonment;Willy'spreoccupationwithLinda'sstockingsforeshadowshisaffairwithTheWoman;Willy'sautomobileaccidentbeforethestartofActIforeshadowshissuicideattheendofActII

TONE?

ThetoneofMiller'sstagedirectionsanddialoguerangesfrom

sinceretoparodying,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,spiritualunderstandingofhimself

asaliteral“loman”or“lowman.”Willyistoodrivenbyhisown

“willy”-nessorperverse“willfulness”torecognizetheslantedrealitythathisdesperatemindhasforged.Still,manycritics,focusing

onWilly'sentrenchmentinaquagmireoflies,delusions,andself-deceptions,ignorethesignificantaccomplishmentofhispartialself-realization.Willy'sfailuretorecognizetheanguishedloveofferedtohimbyhisfamilyiscrucialtotheclimaxofhistorturousday,andtheplaypresentsthisincapacityastherealtragedy.Despitethisfailure,WillymakesthemostextremesacrificeinhisattempttoleaveaninheritancethatwillallowBifftofulfill

Ben'sfinalmantra—“Thejungleisdark,butfull

theAmericanDream.

ofdiamonds”—turns

Willy'ssuicideintoametaphoricalmoralstruggle,ambitiontorealizehisfullcommercialandmaterial

act,accordingtoBen,is

notlikeanappointmentatall

”butlike

Willyisabletoachievea

doesexperienceasortof

a“diamond...roughandhardtothetouch.

realdegreeofself-knowledgeortruth,tangibleresult.Insomerespect,Willyrevelation,ashefinallycomestounderstandthattheproducthesellsishimself.ThroughtheimaginaryadviceofBen,WillyendsupfullybelievinghisearlierassertiontoCharleythat“afterallthehighways,andthetrains,andtheappointments,andtheyears,youendupworthmoredeadthanalive.

BiffLoman

UnlikeWillyandHappy,Bifffeelscompelledtoseekthetruthabouthimself.Whilehisfatherandbrotherareunabletoacceptthemiserablerealityoftheirrespectivelives,Biffacknowledgeshisfailureandeventuallymanagestoconfrontit.Eventhedifferencebetweenhisnameandtheirsreflectsthispolarity:

whereasWillyandHappywillfullyand

happilydeludethemselves,Biffbristlesstifflyatself-deception.Biff'sdiscoverythatWillyhasamistressstripshimofhisfaithinWillyandWilly'sambitionsforhim.Consequently,WillyseesBiffasanunderachiever,whileBiffseeshimselfastrappedinWilly'sgrandiosefantasies.AfterhisepiphanyinBillOliver'soffice,Biff

determinestobreakthroughtheliessurroundingtheLomanfamilyinordertocometorealistictermswithhisownlife.IntentonrevealingthesimpleandhumbletruthbehindWilly'sfantasy,Bifflongsforthe

territory（thesymbolicallyfreeWest）obscuredbyhisfather'sblind

faithinaskewed,materialistversionoftheAmericanDream.Biff's

identitycrisisisafunctionofhisandhisfather'sdisillusionment,

which,inordertoreclaimhisidentity,hemustexpose.

HappyLoman

HappysharesnoneofthepoetrythateruptsfromBiffandthatisburiedinWilly—heisthestuntedincarnationofWilly'sworsttraitsandtheembodimentofthelieofthehappyAmericanDream.Assuch,Happyisa

difficultcharacterwithwhomtoempathize.Heisone-dimensionalandstaticthroughouttheplay.HisemptyvowtoavengeWilly'sdeathby

finally“beat[ing]thisracket”providesevidenceofhiscritical

condition:

forHappy,whohaslivedintheshadowoftheinflatedexpectationsofhisbrother,thereisnoescapefromtheDream'sindoctrinatedlies.Happy'sdiseasedconditionisirreparable—helackseventhetiniestsparkofself-knowledgeorcapacityforself-analysis.

HedoesshareWilly'scapacityforself-delusion,trumpetinghimself

astheassistantbuyerathisstore,when,inreality,heisonlyanassistanttotheassistantbuyer.HedoesnotpossessahintofthelatentthirstforknowledgethatprovesBiff'ssalvation.Happyisadoomed,

utterlydupedfigure,destinedtobeswallowedupbytheforceofblindambitionthatfuelshisinsatiablesexdrive.

LindaLomanandCharley

LindaandCharleyserveasforcesofreasonthroughouttheplay.LindaisprobablythemostenigmaticandcomplexcharacterinDeathofaSalesman,oreveninallofMiller'swork.Lindaviewsfreedomasan

escapefromdebt,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

Willybelieveswholeheartedlyinwhatheconsidersthepromiseofthe

AmericanDream—thata“wellliked”and“personallyattractive”maninbusinesswillindubitablyanddeservedlyacquirethematerialcomfortsofferedbymodernAmericanlife.Oddly,hisfixationwiththesuperficial

qualitiesofattractivenessandlikeabilityisatoddswithamoregritty,morerewardingunderstandingoftheAmericanDreamthatidentifieshardworkwithoutcomplaintasthekeytosuccess.Willy'sinterpretation

oflikeabilityissuperficial—hechildishlydislikesBernardbecause

heconsidersBernardanerd.Willy'sblindfaithinhisstuntedversionoftheAmericanDreamleadstohisrapidpsychologicaldeclinewhenheisunabletoacceptthedisparitybetweentheDreamandhisownlife.Abandonment

Willy'slifechartsacoursefromoneabandonmenttothenext,leavinghimingreaterdespaireachtime.Willy'sfatherleaveshimandBenwhenWillyisveryyoung,leavingWillyneitheratangible（money）noranintangible（history）legacy.BeneventuallydepartsforAlaska,leavingWillytolosehimselfinawarpedvisionoftheAmericanDream.Likelyaresultoftheseearlyexperiences,Willydevelopsafearofabandonment,whichmakeshimwanthisfamilytoconformtotheAmericanDream.Hiseffortstoraiseperfectsons,however,reflecthisinabilitytounderstandreality.TheyoungBiff,whomWillyconsiderstheembodimentofpromise,dropsWillyandWilly'szealousambitionsforhimwhenhe

findsoutaboutWilly'sadultery.Biff'songoinginabilitytosucceedinbusinessfurthershisestrangementfromWilly.When,atFrank'sChopHouse,WillyfinallybelievesthatBiffisonthecuspofgreatness,BiffshattersWilly'sillusionsand,alongwithHappy,abandonsthedeluded,

babblingWillyinthewashroom.

Betrayal

Willy'sprimaryobsessionthroughouttheplayiswhatheconsidersto

beBiff'sbetrayalofhisambitionsforhim.WillybelievesthathehaseveryrighttoexpectBifftofulfillthepromiseinherentinhim.When

BiffwalksoutonWilly'sambitionsforhim,Willytakesthisrejectionasapersonalaffront（heassociatesitwith“insult”and“spite”）.Willy,afterall,isasalesman,andBiff'sego-crushingrebuffultimatelyreflectsWilly'sinabilitytosellhimontheAmericanDrea