"Death of a Salesman"

Book Review # 116292

Drama and Theater > American

An examination of father-son relationships in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman".

2,071 words () | 8 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Author Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman," and looks at the various father-son relationships in the play. More specifically, the paper examines how these relationships demonstrate the different legacies that can be imparted from a father to a son and the unique impacts these legacies have. The paper discusses four different father-son relationships in the play and the effect these relationships have on the sons. The four relationships that take place in the play are the following: 1. Willy and his father, 2. Biff and Happy and their father Willy, 3. the neighbor Charley and his son Bernard and 4. Willy's boss Howard and his father. The paper then examines the last three of these relationships, showing the various elements that compose a relationship and how the actions of the fathers influence the lives of their sons. The paper relates that, when examined together, these relationships show the maladies that plagued the central relationship between Willy and his two sons, Biff and Happy.

Outline:
A Bad Beginning: Willy and his Father
The Mirror of Perfection: Bernard and Charley
Inheriting the Tangible: Howard and his Father
Where It All Went Wrong: Willy and his sons, Biff and Happy

From the Paper:

"Willy Lohman is the central character of the play "Death of a Salesman" and is the axis of two father-son relationships: one between him and his father, and the other between him and his two grown sons. Towards the last half of Act 1, it is revealed through Willy's daydream that his father abandoned the family when Willy was only three or four years old and his older brother Ben was about seventeen. Willy's father leaves him and Ben when Willy is very young, leaving Willy neither a tangible nor an intangible legacy. Willy and Ben are left without any money or even a history of who their father was. This sudden desertion by his father left a scarring image on Willy and the feelings of inadequacy and abandonment that will haunt Willy throughout his lifetime. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Ardolino, Frank. "Like Father, like Sons: Miller's Negative Use of Sports Imagery in Death of a Salesman." Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 25 (2004): 23-35.
"Death of a Salesman Study Guide." Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/death.html>.
"Death of a Salesman: Themes, Motifs & Symbols." SparkNotes. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/salesman/themes.html>.
Featherstone, Brid. "Fathers matter: a research review." Children & Society 18.4 (0): null.
Haas, Werner. "Fathers, Sons, and Death of a Salesman - Associated Content." The People's Media Company - Associated Content. 15 Dec. 2006. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/100525/fathers_sons_and_death_of_a_salesman.html>.