1。2 Introduction to Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman was written by Arthur Miller in 1949。 It revealed the disadvantages of the American Dream。 It showed the painful conflict between members of a family, and analyzes the price people paid for the American Dream blindly。 It panoramically exhibited the tragedy life of a normal citizen living in American society in the thirties of the 20th century。

The hero of the play was a common salesman called Willy Loman who lived in Brooklyn。 He never got rich, never become famous。 He couldn't be pe because he had never been high on top。 Besides, his goal was not that kind of praise, the type of noble。 He hoped to be liked by others and to make some money。 He also hoped that his two sons were both like this。 He was an ordinary people with secular ideal, instead of those people who had big dreams。 However, it was easier to get the strong resonance with this tragedy of a common person, and deeply touched the hearts of the audience。

Death of a Salesman made Miller a master and won numerous awards。 It considered as one of the greatest plays in 20th century。 John Gassner said that “The ecstatic reception accorded Death of Salesman has been reverberating for some time wherever there is an ear for theatre, and it is undoubtedly the best American play since A Streetcar Named Desire。”

2。 Literature Review

Many scholars have studied Death of a Salesman from different angles during all these years and they have made some achievements。

 In Lawrence’s essay, he said “in commenting on Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller has stated emphatically that modern tragedies need not be bound by Aristotelian principles, especially since the tragedies of our time can revolve about an ordinary person, a Willy Loman, rather than one of high status。 It is therefore interesting to note that the vocabulary of Death of a Salesman in several instances suggests an older type of drama。” (Rosinger 231)文献综述

Also many scholars thought that Death of a Salesman is a new type of serious play merging the forms of realism and expressionism to suggest new directions and possibilities for all of the world drama。 Its dealt with various elements such as fall of the grand narratives ,disintegration of family ties, distance between illusion and reality, the sense of isolation, lack of understanding, and the struggle for being。 Bigsby said “There is no crime in Death of a Salesman and hence no ultimate culpability (beyond guilt for sexual betrayal), only a baffled man and his sons trying to find their way through a world of images, dazzling dreams and fantasies, in the knowledge that they have failed by the standards they have chosen to believe are fundamental。 Willy has, as Biff alone understands, all the wrong dreams” (Bigsby 102)。

In our country, there are also some studies on Death of a Salesman。 Do Xinyu pointed out that Miller’s Death of a Salesman expose the doomed result of American Dream and western value。 (Du 33) 

Though these essay really reflect something while they just say something shallow。 My essay will deepen the cause of the death of the salesman。

3。 The Background of Willy’s Broken Dream

3。1 The American Dream

The statement expressed in Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence of 1776, where it was written: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, which among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness。” Death of a Salesman was written under the specific social circumstances of prevailing to the American Dream。来,自,优.尔:论;文*网www.chuibin.com +QQ752018766-

James Truslow Adams was the first person who put forward the term American Dream in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931。 It was said that “It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us have grown weary and mistrustful of it。 It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages me rely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position。” (Adam 27-28) This ideology was based on the principle that one should be responsible for oneself, and hold every opportunity to gain success by courage and hard work。 However, different people have different understandings on American Dream and the ways to achieve their American Dream are also various。 The definition of American Dream can be introduced in broad sense and narrow sense respectively。 For the former one, American Dream means the equality, freedom and democracy on the land of the United States。 The latter one means that everyone in America who works hard and never gives up can achieve his or her dream and live a better life in this piece of land。 That is to say, people should make efforts to realize their dreams rather than depend on the help from others。