Death of a Salesman is a 1949 drama written by the American playwright, Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for the Best Play. The drama premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances, and has been revived on Broadway four times, winning three Tony Awards for the Best Awakening. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest dramas of the 20th century.
Willy Loman came home exhausted after the business trip she had canceled. Worried about Willy's state of mind and a recent car accident, his wife Linda suggested that she ask her boss, Howard Wagner, to let her work in her hometown so she does not have to travel. Willy complains to Linda that their son, Biff, has not made a good living. Although Biff showed promise as an athlete in high school, he failed in mathematics and was unable to enter university.
Biff and his brother, Happy, who while living with Willy and Linda after Biff's unexpected return from the West, reminisced about their childhood together. They discussed their father's mental degeneration, which they had witnessed in the form of constant and daydreaming doubts about the boy's high school years. Willy came in, angry that the boys had never meant anything. In an effort to appease their father, Biff and Happy told their father that Biff was planning to make a business proposition the next day.
The next day, Willy goes to ask his boss, Howard, for a job in town while Biff goes to make a business proposition, but both fail. Willy gets mad and gets fired when the boss tells her she needs a break and can no longer represent the company. Biff waited for hours to see a former master who did not remember him and refused. Biff impulsively steals a pen. Willy then went to her neighbor's office, Charley, where she met Charley's son Bernard (now a successful lawyer); Bernard told him that Biff originally wanted to do well in summer school, but something happened in Boston when Biff went to visit his father who changed his mind. Charley gave Willy money now unemployed to pay for her life insurance premium; Willy surprised Charley by commenting that in the end, a man "is worth more than life."
Happy, Biff and Willy met for dinner at the restaurant, but Willy refused to hear bad news from Biff. Happy tried to make Biff lie to their father. Biff tries to tell what happened when Willy got mad and sneaked into a flashback of what happened in Boston on the day Biff came to see him. Willy had an affair with the receptionist on one of her sales trips when Biff suddenly arrived at Willy's hotel room. A Biff is shocked angrily at his father, calling him a liar and a fraud. From that moment on, Biff's view of his father changed and made Biff's adrift.
Biff left the restaurant in frustration, followed by Happy and the two girls Happy had taken. They left a confused and upset Willy behind the restaurant. When they later returned home, their mother angrily faced them for leaving their father while Willy remained outside, talking to herself. Biff tried unsuccessfully to make peace with Willy, but the discussion quickly rose to another argument. Biff made it clear to his father that he was not meant for something great, insisting that they were just ordinary men who were meant to lead ordinary life. The feud reached a clear peak with Biff hugging Willy and crying as he tried to make Willy let go of that unrealistic expectation. Instead of listening to what Biff actually said, Willy seemed to believe that her son had forgiven him and would follow in his footsteps, and after Linda climbed up to sleep (though she urged her to follow her), deviated once into hallucinations, thinking she saw her brother Ben , which Willy idolized. In Willy's mind, Ben approved the scheme Willy had dreamed of committing suicide in order to give Biff his insurance policy money. Willy came out of the house. Biff and Linda screamed in despair as Willy's car warms and fades.
The last scene took place at Willy's funeral, which was only attended by his family, Charley and Bernard (Bernard did not say anything at the funeral, but in the direction of the stage, he was present). The vagueness of mixed and unhelpful emotions persists, especially as to whether Willy's choices or circumstances are outdated. At the funeral, Biff maintains his belief that he does not want to be a businessman like his father. Pleased, on the other hand, chooses to follow in his father's footsteps, while Linda regrets her husband's decision just before his last payment at home.
Video Death of a Salesman
Themes
Reality and Illusion
Death of a Salesman uses flashback to bring Willy's memory during reality. Illusions not only "show the past, but also present a lost pastoral life." Willy had dreamed of her lifelong success and made lies about her success and Biff. The more he gets involved in the illusion, the harder it is for him to face reality. Biff is the only one who realizes that the whole family lives in a lie and tries to face the truth.
American Dream
The American Dream is a gaming theme, but everyone in the game has their own way of depicting their American Dream.
Willy Loman
Willy Loman dreams of becoming a successful salesman like Dave Singleman, someone who has wealth and freedom. Willy believed that the key to success was favored, and her flashbacks often showed that she measured happiness in terms of wealth and popularity. A playful analyst wrote: "People try to teach that, if the rich and liked, they will be happy, because of this, Willy thinks that money will make him happy, he never bothered to try to be happy with what he has...". Willy also believes that to achieve success, one must have the right personality. According to other analysts, "He believes that his selling skills are based on the 'character traits of sterling' and 'a pleasant personality.' But Willy does not have the sterling qualities required: people do not like him as he thinks it needs to be successful. "
Uncle Ben
Ben represents another type of successful American Dream for Willy: capturing opportunities, conquering nature, and gaining wealth. The spell reads: "Why, boy, when I was seventeen I went into the forest, and when I was twenty-one I went out. (He laughs.) And for God's sake I'm rich."
Biff
After seeing his father's true identity, Biff did not follow his father's "dream" because he knew it, as the two analysts said, "Willy sees his future but in a blind way.That means that he I can and < i> can not see at the same time, because the way he sees or visualizes the future is completely wrong. "
Bernard and Charley
One thing that is clear from the Death of a Salesman is the hard work and dedication of Charley and Bernard. Willy criticized Charley and Bernard throughout the drama, but it was not because he hated them. Instead, he argues that he is jealous of the successes they enjoy, which are beyond their standards.
The business success models provided in the play are all debated against Willy's "personality theory." One was Charley, Willy's neighbor and only friend. Charley does not have time for Willy's business theories, but he provides for his family and is in a position to offer Willy a job that is nothing to keep him earning a salary. (Bloom 51)
Maps Death of a Salesman
Reception
In the United States
Death of a Salesman first opened on February 10, 1949, to great success. Dramatic critic John Gassner wrote that "the joyful reception given by the Death of Salesman has echoed for some time wherever there is an ear for theater, and it is undoubtedly the best American game since A Streetcar Named Desire . "
In the United Kingdom
The drama reached London on July 28, 1949. The London response was diverse, but largely profitable. The Times criticized him, saying that "the strongest drama of the New York theater season should be transferred to London in the deadliest week of the year." However, the public's understanding of the ideology of drama is different from that of America. Some people, like Eric Keown, think of the Death of a Salesman as "a potential tragedy diverted from the true course of Marxist sympathy."
In German
The drama was hailed as "the most important and successful night" at the Hebbel-Theater in Berlin. It is said that "it is impossible to make the audience leave the theater" at the end of the show. Berlin's production is more successful than New York, probably because of better interpretation.
In India
Compared to Tennessee Williams and Beckett, Arthur Miller and his Death of Salesman are less influential. Rajinder Paul says that " Death of a Salesman has only an indirect influence on Indian theater practice." However, it was translated and produced in Bengali as ' Pheriwalar Mrityu ' by the Nandikar theater group. Director Feroz Khan adapted the game in Hindi and English under the name "Salesman Ramlal" played brilliantly by Satish Kaushik and with the role of his son described by Kishore Kadam.
In Chinese
The death of a Salesman is welcome in China. There, Arthur Miller directs the drama itself. As Miller says, "It depends on the father and the mother and the children.That's what happens: The salesperson is what he does to stay alive, but he can be a farmer, he can, anything." Here, the drama focuses on family relationships. It's easier for the Chinese people to understand the relationship between father and son because "One thing about the very Chinese drama is the way Willy tries to make her son succeed." Chinese father always wants his son to be a 'dragon'.
Productions
The original Broadway production was produced by Kermit Bloomgarden and Walter Fried. The drama opened at the Morosco Theater on February 10, 1949, closed on November 18, 1950, after 742 performances. The drama stars Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman, Mildred Dunnock as Linda, Arthur Kennedy as Biff, Howard Smith as Charley and Cameron Mitchell as Happy. Albert Dekker and Gene Lockhart then played Willy Loman during the original Broadway show. It won the Tony Award for Best Play, Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Arthur Kennedy), Best Scenic Design (Jo Mielziner), Producer (Drama), Author (Arthur Miller), and Director (Elia Kazan), and 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Criticism Round for Best Play. Jayne Mansfield appeared in drama production in Dallas, Texas, in October 1953. Her appearance in the drama attracted Paramount Pictures to hire her for studio film production.
The drama has been revived on Broadway four times:
- June 26, 1975, at Circle in the Square Theater, run for 71 performances. George C. Scott starred as Willy.
- March 29, 1984, at the Broadhurst Theater, runs for 97 shows. Dustin Hoffman plays Willy. In the engagement again, the production reopened on September 14, 1984, and ran for 88 shows. Production won the Tony Award for the Best Awakening and the Drama Desk Award for the Great Awakening.
- February 10, 1999, at Eugene O'Neill Theater, runs for 274 shows, with Brian Dennehy as Willy. Production won Tony Award for: Revival of a Play; Best Actor in Play; Best Lead In Play (Elizabeth Franz); Best Direction of a Play (Robert Falls). This production was filmed.
- February 13, 2012, at Ethel Barrymore Theater, for a limited period of 16 weeks. Directed by Mike Nichols, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Willy, Andrew Garfield plays Biff, Linda Emond plays Linda, and Finn Wittrock plays Happy.
It was also part of the inaugural season of Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1963.
Christopher Lloyd describes Willy Loman in 2010 production by Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont, who has toured several places in New England.
Broadway Revival 2012
- Tony Award for Best Awakening from Play (win)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play - Mike Nichols (win)
- Tony Award for Best Actor in Play - Philip Seymour Hoffman (nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Leader in PlayÃ, - Andrew Garfield (nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Lead in Play - Linda Emond (nominee)
- Tony Award for the Best Lighting Design of a Game - Brian MacDevitt (nominee)
- Tony Award for the Best Sound Design of a Game - Scott Lehrer (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Extraordinary Actor at Play - Philip Seymour Hoffman (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for an Awakening Awakening from a Play (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Extraordinary Director Play - Mike Nichols (win)
- Drama Desk Award for Exceptional Lighting Design - Brian MacDevitt (win)
See also
- Congratulations Lowman
References
Further reading
Edition
- Miller, Arthur The Death of a Salesman (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1996) ISBN 9780140247732. Edited by introduction by Gerald Weales. Contains full text and essential essays.
Criticism
- Hurell, John D. (1961). Two Modern American Tragedies: The Reviews and Criticism of the Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire . New York: Scribner. pp.Ã, 82-8. OCLCÃ, 249094.
- Sandage, Scott A. (2005). Born Losers: A History of Failure in America . Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-01510-X.
External links
- The Death of a Salesman on the Broadway Internet Database
- Character Analysis of Willy Loman
- Linda Loman Character Analysis
- The Death of a Salesman : Celebration at Wayback Machine (archived September 4, 2006), by Joyce Carol Oates
- The Death of a Salesman Reviews
In Playbill Vault
- First Resurrection -1975
- The Second Resurrection - 1984
- Third Awakening - 1999
- Fourth Awakening - 2012
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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