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An Analysis of the Illusionary Image “Ben” in Death of a Salesman
1 Introduction
1.1 An Introduction to Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller (1915-2005) was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and The Crucible. Miller won Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949, and got the Kennedy Center Honors in 1984.
Arthur Miller was born in New York, a Jewish merchant family. During the Great Depression, his father went bankrupt, the family livelihood was hard. After graduating from high school, Miller studied at the University of Michigan and began writing plays. His works point out problems and are outspoken.
1.2 An Introduction to Death of a Salesman
In Arthur Miller's many works, Death of a Salesman (1949) brings Miller international fame, and becomes one of the major achievements of modern American theatre. This work receives numerous awards. It is thought the drama of the 20th century. The work of Death of a Salesman has high value of literature and art. Its expressionist technique breaks through the time and space constraints and makes the psychological realism come true.
The play narrates an ordinary American family, based on the performance of a failed middle-aged. It shows the modern American tragedy by performing a failed salesman‘s memories, hopes and dreams. The play's hero Willy Loman believes that he can be successful by relying on personal charm and tireless efforts. Willy works hard all the time, but he is dismissed because he grows old and infirm. His real life is bad. Willy feels hopelessness so that he always lives in his own memories and fantasy. Nevertheless, he still naively decides to leave a fortune for his son by means of suicide. He hopes his son can realize their dreams. This is a story to show a human’s tragedy about the common American dream that "everyone can succeed."
Death of a Salesman not only condemns the American business system, but reveals the disillusionment of the American dream through showing the tragic fate of this little salesman Willy Loman. Miller shows us the American society was sick in the 1950s. Human pursue the money and dreams blindly, and they ignore that the American dream is spurious.
2 Literature Review
As we all know, Arthur Miller is considered as one of the most famous playwrights in America. His representative work Death of a Salesman is one of the best plays after World War I. Death of a Salesman shows its unique features on ideas and artistic expressions, and it wins many awards. A lot of scholars have chosen this drama to study on its theme, artistic expressions and characters.