Interpretation of Tragedy in Death of a Salesman from the Social Perspective

Gao Pei

doi:10.22158/jetss.v2n4p38

Abstract

Death of a Salesman is the representative work of Arthur Miller, a famous modern American dramatist, which creates the character Willy Loman who arouses the strong aesthetic emotion of tragedy. From the perspective of individual, family and society, Willy’s death reflects the tragic connotation of lost individual self-value, distorted role of family pillar and shattered dreams at the bottom of society in American society.

Highlights

Arthur Miller is one of the most famous American playwrights of the last century
Death of a Salesman is the representative work of Arthur Miller, a famous modern American dramatist, which creates the character Willy Loman who arouses the strong aesthetic emotion of tragedy
He has been writing since college, and has published plays such as All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Test, and Broken Glass

Summary

Introduction

Arthur Miller is one of the most famous American playwrights of the last century. He has been writing since college, and has published plays such as All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Test, and Broken Glass. Willie’s suicide is the distorted understanding of the “American dream” pursued by everyone. The play looks at the values of the national problems, analyze the cost of people blindly believing in “American dream”. This paper aims to explore the real cause of death of Willy Loman, that is, his tragedy is the tragedy of itself and the social interaction, and to provide with characteristic interpretation of personal tragedy of postwar American

Objectives

Conclusion