Fantasy in Arthur Miller's Plays

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the plays "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams and "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller share a similar theme in that they both explore themes related to living in reality versus living in a fantasy or a dream life. Both plays feature a main character that is living in a fantasy. In "Death of a Salesman, the main character is Willy Loman, an unsuccessful salesperson who lives in a fantasy world where he believes he is successful. In "The Glass Menagerie" the main character is Laura Wingfield, a young girl who escapes into a fantasy world to avoid the problems of her life. The issues of reality versus fantasy are explored by comparing and contrasting the two main characters of the two plays.

From the Paper:

"The first consideration related to the two plays is why people escape into a fantasy world. For both Willy Loman and Laura Wingfield, it is a means of escaping from the real world. For Willy Loman, it is a way of escaping from his own failures, namely his failures in being able to provide for his family. This is especially related to his perception of what a man should achieve. These views are based on the American dream, which he has come to accept as truth. Loman's dream is simply to be a good husband and provide for his family. It must be noted that Loman's dream is not based on a need to achieve great success, power, or a lot of money. He simply wants to be a good provider for his family."

More papers on Fantasy in Arthur Miller's Plays:

• Comparison Essay # 119219 : "Blanche Dubois and Willy Loman"
• Essay # 49750 : "Death of a Salesman"
• Analytical Essay # 142160 : "Biff in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman"

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