Arthur Miller and the New Tragedy
Arthur Miller and the New Tragedy
Arthur Miller is considered one of the greatest play writers in
America after WW-II, in this play, he focuses on the fall of a great man with
high value. The works of Miller have independence of event, they stand in
contrast to American tradition, but he as a playwright knows that the theater
must dedicate itself to public matters. He recognizes his audience as a person,
his play ought to make sense to common-sense people. The dominant theme in the
general drama of the twentieth century is a tragic apprehension about the human
condition.Arthur Miller and the New Tragedy
The American drama tries to light and record the kind of crises
in our times. As a result of living in a capitalist society that emphasizes
material values, Miller had written a short story about a failed salesman when
he was young, he transformed the story into one of the most successful dramas
in the history of America. He conveys one of the major themes in this drama,
Loman denies his present and takes pleasure in his past. He believes that it is
difficult to accept the present as he is and so he spent more time restoring
his life system and making himself an alternative reality even if he had to
live in the past only.
Miller focuses on the relationship between society and the
individual's concept of self, Willy Loman has a flawed sense of self. He is
obsessed not only with financial success but also, more specifically, with
appearances and impressions with an important mind, and "loved" by
others. Willy passes these surface values on to his sons, Biff and Happy. In
the play, Biff becomes more aware of his real needs and feelings and frees
himself from this upsetting concept of himself that his father caused. Miller
aims to describe the real life of people in society and ordinary American
families, with the effect of economic and political changes. Willy Loman falls,
but also his family. In this idea, Miller writes about the modern tragedy
rather than the classical one. He changes according to the new cultural needs
after the 1930s, When the American dream changed to be a nightmare, and the
chance to live in peace turned to be of despair. He conveys to us how
capitalism moves people to false dreams and vaults that lead to tragic death
and reveals that America, which demands freedom and consolation, passed through
dark ages of persecution and abuse. In reading Death of the Salesman, it's important
to get the message of how life should be lived, it depends on the idea of
realism. Nobody can imagine and live, we should accept shocking and good, and
face the worst circumstances to avoid reaching the pessimistic end.
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