Abstract This paper introduces a theme relating to ArthurMiller and McCarthyism and then offers an annotated bibliography of six books on the subject. This paper notes how Miller criticized McCarthy indirectly with his play "The Crucible," which stands as an indictment not only of McCarthyism but of any such use of hysteria and falsehood to create and manipulate fear during a time of tension.
From the Paper "The McCarthy era took advantage of existing tensions in the country over changes after world War II and new fears of a Communist threat directed at America. America was seen as a target because of its influence, the fact that it had the atomic bomb, and because of imperialist designs by Russia. Senator Joseph McCarthy took advantage of the hysteria of the time, and it is not clear how much his actions were simply self-promotion and how much true belief. He showed reckless disregard for any damage he might cause by making unfounded accusations, and in this atmosphere a few managed to criticize him and his methods, often indirectly as playwright Arthur Miller did with his play 'The Crucible', which stands as an indictment not only of McCarthyism but of any such use of hysteria and falsehood to create and manipulate fear during a time of tension."
Abstract This paper reviews the idea of community in ArthurMiller's "Death of a Salesman". It then discusses a chapter by Ferdinand Tonnies "The Argument". The paper discusses the way in which Tonnies develops an argument about the nature of community and in the process, makes a compelling argument for the value and worth of true community.
From the Paper " The Idea of Community in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Ferdinand Tonnies' "The Argument" In the chapter "The Argument," Ferdinand Tonnies develops an argument about the nature of community. In the process, he makes a compelling argument for the value and worth of true community. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, by contrast, we see a man existing without any community, in the sense described by Tonnies - although the man is not truly aware of it. In the light of Tonnies' description of community, Willy Loman's implosion becomes understandable. In addition, Loman's notion of society is inferior to Tonnies' notion."
Abstract This paper summarizes, discusses, and analyzes ArthurMiller's play, "Death of a Salesman". The paper explains that the play depicts the life of Willy Loman and his family. The paper describes the main character of Willy Loman as an aging salesman, who is confronted with his past and the errors in judgment that offer him and his family little hope of happiness in the future. A once successful salesman Loman recalls an extramarital affair that his son Biff discovered and that destroyed his relationship with his son. The mistakes Loman made as a father and the marriage that he could not recall without remembering the affair are significant factors that haunt Loman throughout the play. The paper also points out that the pivotal factor in the play is Willy's intention to ask for a transfer to a new territory, so that he and his family can have one more chance at success. Yet, when he makes this request he is fired, and the last element of hope that Willy had for happiness dissolves.
Abstract This is a short analysis of the form, structure and some of the messages inherent in the Miller's Tale, one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The writer describes that The Millers' Tale is the story of a young wife with an older husband, and how he is tricked and cuckolded by the wife's young lover, Nicholas. The writer points out that the tales provide a curious moral message, but are primarily intended as humour or fable.
From the Paper "In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, one of the basic premises is that the class, position and character of each pilgrim determines the type of tale that he tells. The miller distinguishes himself by his common, rude and bawdy nature, and his tale is in keeping with this. That having been said, it is also one of the most amusing tales in the collection, involving a hilarious set of coincidences, trickery, rudeness and slapstick humor. Though we can certainly examine the social implications of the tale and the fact that Chaucer seems to blame certain characters while acquitting others, we should also remember that this is a fable, and as such its purpose it to amuse and titillate."
Abstract This paper analyzes how in his "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", Mark Twain seeks to satirize many of the "romantic" notions about the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It looks at how his depiction of 6th century England reveals a time and a country that is rife with political, economic and social problems where many people are subjugated by fear of the supernatural and forced to lead oppressed lives. It discusses how Twain's novel seeks to tell us as much about the failings of 19th century post-Enlightenment American ideology as it does to criticize the romantic vision of King Arthur.
From the Paper "In his zeal to develop 6th century England into a technologically-advanced republic based on democratic principles, the Yankee unleashes all of the horrors of modern warfare upon the knights that try to stop him. In this final battle, we see the ways in which Twain's satire has increasingly come to question the values of America in the 19th century, and that this critique is just as profound and deep-seated as his earlier attacks on the romanticism of Arthurian England. The Yankee's idea is that it is only the Church and the aristocracy that are opposed to a republic, because a democratic government would not benefit them since they already possess a higher role in the social order under the monarchy. Hank argues that if he and his supporters can just get rid of the upper echelon of British society, then they will have control of the country and can set up a new government."
Abstract This paper discusses how the legend of King Arthur has existed in various forms, passed down from generation to generation to be a dominate part of western literature and society almost fifteen hundred years after Arthur supposedly lived. The story of Arthur and his knights has been told in plays, artworks and even video games; the latest reincarnation being "Tomb Raider: Legend". In order to discover why this story is continually retold, the paper goes back to its inception and looks at its various versions throughout history.
From the Paper "While Geoffrey of Monmouth's history had been written with the Anglo-Norman kings in mind, the French romances that came next were perhaps aimed at the female audience, queens in particular. With the classical stories of Ovid and Horace as their guidebooks, the French writers added on to Geoffrey's writings and brought the Arthurian legend into a new transition, with a purpose of retelling for the sake on entertainment through courtly love and lust (Miller 146). More characters were added and stories of the Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot love triangle, by their nature were written and retold to include women, most prominently, Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter Marie de Champagne. Miller compares this to a modern soap opera: "when damsels in distress suffer succour, a glamorous champion comes ... Formula fiction multiplies easily" (Miller 146). "
Abstract This paper examines Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale" as a fable or fabliau and explains why it is a tale that has a moral to it as well as bawdy humor.
From the Paper "The Miller's Tale is a little fable or fabliau a medieval verse tale characterized by comic ribald treatment of themes drawn from life and is one of several such stories in The Canterbury Tales Fabliau. Most of the tales are ..."
Tags: Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Miller's Tale, fabliau, moral
Abstract An analysis of the character of Daisy and the American character as portrayed in the Henry James novel, "Daisy Miller." The paper connects the evaluation of Daisy to themes of larger concerns held by James, and discusses the importance of the social context for the themes in the novel.
From the Paper "This research examines the character of Daisy Miller in the novella of the same name by Henry James, with a view toward linking evaluations of that character to the larger themes of James's concern, including James's own assessment of the content of the American character. The importance of social context for the themes of Daisy Miller is difficult to overstate."
Abstract This paper summarizes the story of "The Miller's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer. The paper describes the events in the book, as well as analyzing some of the characters who are portrayed in the story.
From the Paper "Literature Studies: A Summary of "The Miller's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer "The Miller's Tale" begins with the description of the Miller's (Old John) profession of carpentry, which plays a role in how Chaucer describes his place in society. He is wealthy and of old age. He has taken the young lady, Alison, as his wife. The Miller also runs a boarding house of sorts, and a young man named Nicholas is staying with him. He is an astrologer, but is also called "Fly Nicholas" because he is sexually promiscuous. When the Miller decides to leave town for a business trip, it is Nicholas that seduces Alison to renounce her marital fidelity. The next stage of the tale has Old John returning home, but only after Alison has met Absalon, a young clerk at the local parish. Alison finds Absalon attractive, but remains loyal to her husband."
Abstract This paper examines how the ethical difficulties involved in the case of Enron and Arthur Anderson, the accounting firm that had been responsible for auditing Enron accounts, are both numerous and overreaching. From the initial process of setting up the special purpose entities (SPEs), to the accounting bias fueled by large fees that Enron provided to Arthur Anderson, it looks at how the failure to testify truthfully about the Enron scandal in a court of law, showed a lack ethical decision making.
From the Paper "The ethical difficulties involved in the case of Enron and Arthur Anderson, the accounting firm that had been responsible for auditing Enron's accounts, are both numerous and overreaching. From the initial process of setting up the special purpose entities (SPEs) to the accounting bias fueled by large fees that Enron provided to Arthur Anderson, to the failure to testify truthfully about the Enron scandal in a court of law, participants showed a lack ethical decision-making. Freeman, in his stakeholder theory of business ethics, argues that businesses do bear social responsibilities for their actions. This paper will examine the actions of both companies against the strictures of the stakeholder model of ethics. "
Abstract This paper explains that the parallels, in the plot of ArthurMiller's "The Crucible" and the "Red Scare" of the 1950s, bring to light the unconstitutional lawlessness committed by Senator Joseph McCarthy and his House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC), a committee designed to identify and persecute Americans who were members of the Communist party. The author points out that, from the play, John Proctor's character and principles and how he persists in carrying them out directly pertain to ArthurMiller's role in the HUAC hearings. This paper states that ArthurMiller wrote "The Crucible" to keep the detrimental effects of mass hysteria in the conscious minds of Americans and people everywhere because the moment that these mistakes are forgotten they are doomed to be repeated. This paper includes a playwright chronology.
From the Paper "Understanding why Miller writes about the mass hysteria and paranoia of the Salem witch-hunts can partly come from reflecting on his life during the Red Scare. Although Miller himself was not a communist when he was subpoenaed in 1956 by HUAC, he refused to name names when the HUAC asked him about people who attended the same meetings as he once did. "I declined to make any such statement, which I found demeaning; what right had any organisation [sic] to demand anyone's pledge of loyalty?" The HUAC asked Miller very specific questions about the others who participated in what McCarthy and his followers perceived as disloyal to America."
Abstract In this article the the writer studies how ArthurMiller treats the issue of tension in the play 'A View From The Bridge'. The writer notes that ArthurMiller takes an already claustrophobic setting in which the characters are struggling to suppress their ever mounting problems with each other and throws in a catalyst to explode the situation and force characters to confront their problems. The writer looks at the different characters and their functions in the play and discusses how Miller uses them to create dramatic tension in particular in act one of the drama.
From the Paper "Using a choric figure to encourage the viewer to contemplate the morals of the play is just one of the many elements Arthur Miller has used to re-create Greek Tragedy. He also uses techniques such as the play being set in a small, claustrophobic area and the action happening in a short amount of time to create this effect. Arthur Miller has put his own mark on the play by using the un-educated, working class character of Eddie to be the tragic protagonist, as Greek tragedy has traditionally always traced the downfall of a person who was rich or had a high position in society, suggesting it was only these people who felt deep emotions and passions worth writing about."
"One of Arthur Miller's greatest achievements as a playwright and contributions to literature is the fact that he has used a simple central character from a rough area to be the tragic hero, consumed by his one fatal flaw: his incestuous love for his niece Catherine. He has succeeded in proving poor people too can have a destiny that cannot be escaped; previously only people of noble birth were considered worthy of having their problems dramatised on stage."
Abstract This paper studies the term "tragedy" and defines it using the thoughts of Plato and Aristotle and plays written in ancient Greece and by ArthurMiller's works. In order to do so the paper proceeds to examine each of these thinkers and writers and their works. It details Aristotle's notes that defined tragedy and his play 'Antigone' and 'Oedipus Rex', ArthurMiller's 'On Tragedy', 'The Crucible' and 'Death of a Salesman'.
From the Paper "The simplest, most reasonable definition of tragedy is that found in dictionaries and the definitions of laymen and theater -goers everywhere: ?a story with a sad ending.? However, literary theorists and critics would quickly be out their jobs if they simply left the common law of art alone. Thus for centuries there have been disagreements as to what constituted "true" tragedy. In ancient Greece, both the merits and ideal qualifications of tragedy were under debate. Plato suggested that tragedy might be best defined as people pretending to be villainous or sad for no good reason, and thus corrupting society. Aristotle, on the other hand, said that tragedy was a form of social good, for it allowed the rational soul to vent its emotions in a process he referred to as a ?catharsis.? He went on to define the trademarks of a tragedy it in some detail, including such plot elements as the noble birth of the protagonist, and the inevitability of the ending. Works that followed his model, such as Oedipus cycle, set the standard for centuries to come. Aristotle's conventions became a measuring stick for literary critics, though they were not always followed by poets and playwrights. In the modern era, many of these conventions were challenged, and this was particularly noticed in the case of Arthur Miller. After his play, Death of a Salesman, was lambasted by critics for not being a "real" tragedy, he responded with a seminal work on the modern adaptation of tragic conventions. The ideas put forth in his "On Tragedy" were deeply important to parts of his later play The Crucible. It is fascinating to see that despite the fact that many critics saw Miller's works as antithetical to ancient ideas of tragedy, and assumed that ancient tragedies would not be based around the ideals embraced by Miller, in many ways there are distinct parallels in thought between such works as The Crucible and older masterpieces such as Antigone. The inevitability of each play is iron-wrought, and each is driven by the inseparable division between the straight edge of power and the personal freedom of choice and self-definition. "
Abstract An examination of the themes of illusion and the American Dream in "Death of a Salesman" by ArthurMiller. The play repeatedly shows the main character Willy Loman deluding himself into believing he is successfully pursuing his view of the American Dream ? financial success through business. Miller does this in two ways in particular. First, he constantly has the characters rewriting events so that when they are retold they reflect how they wish their lives really were instead of the reality of what happened. Second, as Willy Loman loses his grip on reality, he relives events from his past. By the end of the play, so many of Willy Loman's illusions about himself have been shattered, but his illusions about his son Biff are stronger, and he imagines that his suicide will guarantee his son's business success.
From the Paper "Willy has also constructed illusions around his sons, especially Biff, who truly was well liked in high school. Willy puts more emphasis on Biff's athletic talents and personal charm than is realistic, and encourages Biff to do the same. Chasing athletic fame for his son, Willy isn?t concerned when Biff steals a football from the team he plays for, and encourages him to steal sand to aid in a home renovation project. Biff's friend Bernard reminds Biff that he needs to study for exams or risk not graduating, and both Biff and his father make fun of him for this. He encourages his sons to do dishonest thing, suggesting that Willy's views about how to get ahead include setting personal values aside."
Tags: Willy, Loman, illusion, delusion, success, business
