Characters analysis in the play "The Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller

Annotated Bibliography

Babcock, Granger. “‘What’s the Secret?: Willy Loman as a Desiring Machine.” American Drama. In Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Literature Resources from Gale. Detroit: Gale, 2.1 (Fall 1992): 59-83, Web. 2008<http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1100052919&v=2.1&u=lincclin_ircc&it=r&p=LitRG&sw=w&asid=375cecf635f64a417b466c945b42af7c>

This article tends to explore the way the death of Death of a Salesman gives an opportunity for Willy Loman, one of the main characters in the play, to be seen as a result of a capitalist culture which only allows for competitive isolation. Babcock realistically approaches the play, to examine the mental otherness of Willy Loman, who is a protagonist in the play. The article delves deeply into the character Willy Loman. Babcock argues that the protagonist, Willy Loman who decided to sell himself as a commodity that gets cast off by the regulations in the economy. According to the author, Willy Loman wants to appear in the business sector. He tries to criticize the victim state in which hiLomans critics place Willy Loman. The author presents a perspective regarding the weaknesses and strength of the character and why by Arthur Miller used him in the play. He argues that Miller created the character Loman to represent the many Americans who have developed mental otherness based on their weaknesses at home and their workplaces. By dwelling much on Willy Loman as a character, this article is relevant for my paper because it would present me with a detailed perspective regarding one of the main characters in the play for better analysis.

Bliquez, Guerin. “Linda’s Role in Death of a Salesman.” Modern Drama 10.4 (1968): 383-386.

In this article, Bliquez argues that Linda Loman had a more forceful role in the play Death of a Salesman than anyone have noted. He states that many analysts have overlooked the role of Linda Loman, particularly in her husband’s pathetic downfall. According to Bliquez, failing to acknowledge her role in the play is like missing one of the most profound levels in the subtle structuring of the tragedy by Arthur Miller. Linda is seen as a facility to prod Willy to his doom, giving the play its direction impetus. The author stipulates that there is more into the Death of a Salesman than just a story. He goes ahead to describe the themes in the play such as family integration in a given social world, resulting from self-blindness and refusal to acknowledge or know other people. He also demonstrates how the fear of responsibilities of knowledge can ruin a family. From the play, Miller renders Linda ironically as the bulwark, and this is going to serve as a turning point in my essay to help me establish the role that Linda played in the play. This article is relevant for use in my essay because it offers a more in-depth examination of the role of Linda in the play that is often overlooked by many.

Erick J. Sterling. Arthur Miller’s Death of a salesman. A&C Black, 2008.

In this book, the author covers topics, major and controversial ones that deal with Miller’s classic play. Some of the topics covered in this book include the traits of the characters used by Miller, feminism and the role of women, the impact of technology on the lives of the characters, capitalism, and business, and the American dream. Additionally, the author focuses on the legacy that the different characters are set to leave in the play. For instance, the legacy that Willy is set to leave to Biff as well as the use of symbolism. He also looks into the strengths and weaknesses of each character in the play, playing down criticisms placed upon some of them. He claims that some of the traits shown by the characters resulted from the atmosphere in which they were living. Some of the characters dream of a life that they know they would not achieve. The author argues that the atmosphere of the country at the time of creation of the play, provided limitless opportunities for prosperity but only a few were able to attain the lofty goals. He attributes some of the traits of the characters to the environment in which they lived such as the changing American dream and advancement in technology, also resulting in the death of the salesman.

Hacht, Ann Marie. “Death of a Salesman.” Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream. Ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 195-208. Literary Themes for Students. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2895300027&v=2.1&u=lincclin_ircc&it=r&p=LitRG&sw=w&asid=15d85736a7670d9595fa97c62bbbf90a&gt

In this article, the author argues that in the hunt for the American Dream, some people are left wandering in a nightmare. She attempts to associate some of the characters in the play with the search for the American Dream to the materialism and the colossal consumerism exhibited in the society today. The author analyzes the characters in the play genuinely to find a connection between their personality traits to the materialism. She argues that the literary work of the Death of the Salesman through the characters used reveal the materialistic ideologies that the society try to portray through the desire to own everything best without considering the personal and economic hardship associated with it. The author continues to find a connection between the characters and consumerism and how the ideology has made the society to suppose that living above their levels and needs, luxuriously, is good enough as long as they possess all that is related to a good life. She faults the characters that facilitate the failures of materialism and consumerism as a result of the American success imagination. With a thorough look into the characters and their connection to the aspect of American success fantasy, the article presents an ideal opportunity for me to analyze the characters from a different perspective.

Moss, Joyce and Wilson, George. “Overview: Death of a Salesman.” Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Vol. 4: World War II to the Affluent Fifties (1940-1950s). Detroit: Gale, 1997. Literature Resources from Gale. Web.

This book provides a synopsis of the play Death of a Salesman and focuses on analyzing the characters used in the play such as Willy Loman, Linda Loman, Biff Loman, Happy Loman, Uncle Ben, Charley, Bernard, the Woman, Howard Wagner, Jenny, Stanley, Miss Forsythe as well as Letta. The authors take an in-depth look into the lives of the many characters that Arthur Miller uses in this play. They also attempt to examine how the post-war prosperity, the increase in consumer credit, anxiety of cold war, and the age conformity resulted in the death of the salesman. This is a comprehensive source that covers broad aspects of the play including an analysis of the themes, characterization, and plot of the play. The authors also analyze what transpired in the play, explaining that the story was written at a time when the American dream was shifting from the colonial times to an era that was characterized by industrial development, technology as well as medical advancements. They argue that the changing American dream is the major ingredient that influences the storyline and impacts on the lives of the characters in the play. This book would provide more information regarding the changing American dream that had a significant influence on the lives of the characters.

Parker, Brian. “Point of View in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.” University of Toronto Quarterly 35.2 (1966): 144-157.

Parker uses his analytical techniques to describe the characters of Willy Loman, the main character in the play and the values that Willy holds, especially how his mind operates. Brian Parker focuses on the main character of the play, Willy Loman. He describes the Death of a Salesman as a modern tragedy that depicts the final days of the life of Willy. Parker describes the scenes where Willy is involved, rotating his analysis on the life and activities of Willy Loman. He argues that the story is built around Parker; therefore, to understand the concept that the Miller wanted to bring forth, it is essential first to understand Willy Loman, his traits and personalities. He describes Willy’s life as one that revolves around lies and denials. He is not able to maintain the strenuous life on the road as a traveling salesman. Describing the events around Willy and how he reacted to them is a perfect opportunity to understand the personalities of the main character in the play. This source is therefore relevant to my paper because it offers a more in-depth analysis of the much bitter life of one of the characters I intend to look into to write my essay.

Ribkoff, Fred. “Shame, Guilt, Empathy, and the Search for Identity in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.” Modern Drama 43.1 (Spring 2000): 48-55. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 179. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web.

The author, in this article, argues that the way to perfection depends on the experience with the sensations of shame that makes one comprehend guilt and be at a level where they develop a more definite sense of identity and be capable of empathizing with other people. At the same time, the author goes further to look at the characters used in the play, their strengths, and weaknesses. The characters in the play are portrayed by the author to have different abilities, intentions, desires, and ambitions. With the advent of technology and the changing American dream, the author describes the scenarios that lead to the death of the death of a salesman. Some of the characters in the play put ahead of their personal gains ahead of the general needs of the society. The aspect of greed is emphasized by the author arguing that this had a role to play in the death of the salesman. The author also tries to explain the difference and the relationship between shame and guilt, attributed to some of the characters. According to him, guilt starts with a sense of inferiority and wrongdoing, resulting in a more profound personality conflict. It is shown in this article that the inspiration of a role model in the arrangement of a family can bear children with similar personality traits. Those characters with poor personality traits are a poor role model for their young family. He further explains in greater details, the personality similarities and sentimentality in among the characters in the play. The comparison between the traits of the different characters will offer me a more comprehensive view of the traits of each character for better analysis and comparison.

Work Cited