Death of a Salesman Literary Analysis Essay - 991 Words

Trent Beebe Beebe 1 Mr. Arena 4th hour AP Lang Comp 12/17/09 Death of a Salesman Essay The story, Death of a Salesman, is a story that has many literary devices that help to make it the deep and riveting story that has become an American classic. The use of symbols in the story adds to the overall effect and theme and also creates a different mood that the reader must infer from it. The symbols not only represent something in the story as literally a symbol, but of much importance because of the numerous times they appear in the work. There are countless symbols in the story that help to give the reader a different feeling for it but there are a select few that really represent the most important themes and†¦show more content†¦He was missing just one thing; His academics. He flunked math and was not able to graduate, meaning he could not play college football unless he passed. Biff’s friend and â€Å"study buddy†, Bernard, assured Biff that if he didn’t study he would flunk math and not graduate. Biff ignored this idea and instead went to practice to become a better football player. This event comes full circle when Biff eventually becomes a bum all due to the fact that he never passed math and Bernard is a big successful lawyer. A decade after this whole ordeal went down, Willy goes to visit his neighbor Charley, at his office. Willy is surprised to see Bernard there and has a quick chat with him about how he became so successful. Through this process, Willy noticed that Bernard had a tennis racket, and asked Bernard what he needed it for to go on this trip. Bernard eventually told him that it was to play tennis at one of his friend’s house in Washington D.C. Willy is surprised by this and feels happy for Bernard. The whole point to that part of the story was to use the tennis racket as a symbol showing the significance that hard work has on people. The old saying goes, â€Å"you work hard, you play hard†, and Bernard worked hard and is now getting to play hard and Biff never worked hard and now his life is dull, boring, and he has become a bum mooching off of his parents. A third symbol used in the story as a literary device was the thought of getting richShow MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman Literary Analysis768 Words   |  4 PagesFormal Essay 2: Drama Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is based in post-World War II America where a man named Willy Loman has the hopes and dreams of becoming a well-esteemed, successful salesman. However, throughout the play, it becomes evident his pride and delusion interfere with this dream and having the model family. The playwright uses symbolism and several forms of irony throughout the play to deepen the plot and intensify the conflict, as well as further illustrate the characters. ThroughoutRead MoreLiterary Analysis: Death of a Salesman Essay1705 Words   |  7 Pagesyou end up worth more dead than alive, (Miller, 98). This quote was spoken by the main character of the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman. This tragedy takes place in Connecticut during the late 1940s. It is the story of a salesman, Willy Loman, and his family’s struggles with the American Dream, betrayal, and abandonment. Willy Loman is a failing salesman recently demoted to commission and unable to pay his bills. He is married to a woman by the name of Linda and has two sonsRead MoreLiterary Analysis: Arthur Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman† – A Tragedy?1416 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is man’s focus in life? What is man’s purpose in life? Is it materialism and/or the prospect of how others may view him? Should man put their trust in God’s Word the Bible or leave it up to himself? 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(Kennedy Gioia, Pp. 1203) Aristotle s Concept of Tragedy The analysis of Aristotle on tragedy formed the guideline for later poets in the Western civilizationRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1470 Words   |  6 Pagesto American soil to try at a chance of a better life, and in doing so, they too venture on a path to achieving this so commonly understood â€Å"American Dream.† Arthur Miller, a well-known literary writer in America, seems to disagree with this national phenomena, offering a different view in his play Death of a Salesman. In this play, he demonstrates through the life of an average American family, how this so called â€Å"dream† is much more complicated than the world is lead to believe. By using the Loman