Miller, a dramatist in the 20th century's transition of modernism, was inevitably influenced by his aesthetic style. The combination of realist social issues in content and modernist elements in form makes the American tragedy "Death of a Salesman" different from the stereotype of traditional realist dramas, and the spiritual cross-section of the characters presented on the stage makes the audience not only from The intricate contradictions and conflicts between characters and the ups and downs of the storyline can also stimulate emotional bombardment and shock in the scenery and music created on the stage to show the characters' memories of the psychological fantasy. Forcing us to wake up.
The play is based on the American society after World War II. It shows and portrays Willie's inner process of distress, struggle and despair before committing suicide. In the course of the story, his psychological and emotional changes promote his death, and he also makes a kind of story. exposed social criticism. Shaped Willie, a double loser in his life - a failed salesman and a failed father. It can be said that the center of the whole play is Willie's suicide, death. To achieve this ultimate conflict, Miller sets up a complex set of contradictory relationships, highlighting the three main conflicts before Willie's death. In addition, the psychological conflict between Willie's inner soul pursuit and the real social situation constitutes the foundation for Willie's death, showing Willie's heart throbbing at every step toward death.
The first confrontation took place in Howard's office, when Willie was a failed salesman who couldn't even pay for insurance by borrowing money from friends every week. He asked Howard to find a clerk for himself in the office, but was rejected. In the ideal, he could have spent 30 years in the business with his friendship with Howard's father and almost showed his youth, enthusiasm, life's capital and reality. The bitterness, loss, anger, and pain hidden behind Willie are vented in the contrasting narrative of the situation in which he only acts according to the dead rules. He already has extremely inconsistent rules with this society, and has put a heavy burden on society for his death.
When the harsh reality shattered Willie's dream of being a salesman, he turned his hope to his family and, like many fathers, continued his ideals to his son, and a second conflict broke out. When father and son met in a restaurant and heard that his son Biff had failed to borrow money and stole a gold pen, the hopes that had been fantasized on his father's head were shattered. Disappeared without a trace like an instant rainbow. He and his son Biff are caught in a mutual accusation. Biff completely destroyed Willy's ideals in life. In addition, Biff's rebuke made him feel ashamed, and the extreme pain and despair knocked down Willy. "Sorrow is greater than death." At this time, Willie was ready to die.
But when the third conflict that ignited the fuse broke out, Miller changed his style and ended the conflict with warm words and reconciliation between father and son. Although the whole conversation is full of gunpowder, we finally see Biff "crying" and pulling Willy to persuade him to stop suicidal thoughts. Father Willie also expressed his hope that "that kid will eventually have a future". Suddenly, the audience seemed to see a trace of tenderness, but they did not expect that the biggest catharsis was behind the ultimate concern. This end-of-life consolation didn't stop Willie from committing suicide, it just gave him hope when he passed away. So, in the terrifying climax of the play, Willie drove out of the house and committed suicide in the middle of the night.
As the narrative progresses, an important feature is hidden among the many conflicts. It's Willie's psychic fluctuations. Reminiscences, visionary scenes were blended by Miller with an expressionist approach. Reflected by the alienation effect of the stage and the setting of a special character Ben (Willie's brother), different from the conflict of reality, Willie's mentally painful confession is the shining point of Miller's play. Killing Willie's spirit actually stems from the shattering of the myth of the American Dream, the alienation of the American Dream in his heart, and a tragedy of the American Dream. It can be said that the kind of American road to wealth that can be successful by "willing to break through" will not work for Willie. But the reality is that Willie can't survive by virtue of his ability to "build a lot of people, live frugally, and do everything well". He is full of confidence in himself, he believes that as long as the environment is changed, everything will not be like that, which is exactly what Miller's realist spirit lies in, where he is critical. When someone like Willie who is honest, kind, and frankly trying to live a happy life by hard work can't adapt to the current American society, what kind of people does this society need? Miller seems to have given us the answer, and that is Miller's brother Ben, the only one who has made it. A man who appears when Willy has a crisis of belief. What Willie has always been unclear about is that they have different understandings of "willing to break in". This brazen figure seems to be more favored by society. This is also the pain that touches the American nation: a social status quo in which optimistic life beliefs are intertwined with tragic fate. From this, we can see that in addition to Willie's character tragedy, it is the complex society that really directs the drama's soul and drives it to death.
"Death of a Salesman" presents two narrative spaces, the interweaving of the present and fantasy, and the artistic practice of realist ontology criticism, which enriches the drama's observation of life and the expressive power of the stage. It is a rare transcendence. .
View more about Death of a Salesman reviews
