DeathofaSalesman..docVIP

The positive effect of the death of the salesman on his sons ------Viewpoint from Althur Miller’s Death of a salesman [ Abstract] Arthur Miller is not only one of the greatest dramatists in American history of the theatre but also one of the greatest dramatists in the world history of the theatre. His most famous work is Death of a Salesman which successfully reflects social and family crisis, expressing the common problems of the commoners and arousing the sympathetic response of Americans who are deeply tormented by the great depression and American dream. At present, most of the research of the Death of a Salesman in China stays at the analyze of the protagonists characters as well as the analysis of the causes of Willy’s tragedy and most research of this book in foreign countries is in collection with the American dream. However, this thesis is reversal of past behaviour, deeply analyzing the positive effect of the death of the salesman on his sons. [ Key words] Death of a salesman; Willy Loman; Biff; Happy 1、The tragedy of Willy Roman and his American dream Aristotle once defined“tragedy”in his Poetics:“Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action which is serious, complete, and of some magnitude ……with each of it through a course of pity and fear effecting the purgation of those emotions.” (Aristotle, 1999:40) Death of a salesman describes the tragedy of a common man ----Willy Roman, and arouses deep sympathy in the audience. It also encourages people to think about the true meaning of life and to pursuit the real happiness. In the drama, Willy Loman was a frustrated salesman who represented the common man who strived for the success under the pressure of the American Dream. He believed that he could succeed if he worked hard, but unfortunately it was impossible for this to happen under the standard of success that had been ingrained in the minds of the American people. In the American critic, Willy Loman was called the“American Everyman”, because he was so co