Play Comparison

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses two literary works and focuses on the hopes and wishes of the mother in each story for her family. The paper compares and contrasts Amanda Wingfield from Tennessee Williams's "The Glass Menagerie" and Linda Loman from Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman", in terms of how they wish their families to be treated. The paper contends that both women are passive-aggressive toward their children, refusing to see or accept them as they are. The paper explains that as a result, both women damage and eventually destroy, their much-cherished relationships with those they love most.

From the Paper:

" Linda Loman, Willy's long-suffering wife in Death of a Salesman, although less out of touch than Amanda, is unable to confront Willy, the most important person in her life, about the depth of his misery, or his plan to commit suicide. When Linda finds evidence in the garage of Willy's plan, instead of insisting that Willy level with her, and then should seek outside help, Linda merely confides Willy's suicide plan to Biff, who is as emotionally helpless as his father. At the beginning, Linda tells Willy, when he feels confused and exhausted, "But you didn't rest your mind. Your mind is overactive and the mind is what counts" (Miller, Death of a Salesman, p. 1674). Here, Linda is on the right track, but only briefly. Soon afterward, she fails to note Willy's obviously exhausted and confused mental state when he says "Biff is a lazy bum" and then, a few lines later: "There's one thing about Biff-he's not lazy" (p. 1674)."

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