THE ANALYSIS OF THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN
A Play by Arthur Miller
By
AGUS RAHMANSYAH AND FRIENDS (DRAMA’S TEAM 01)[i]
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
ADAB FACULTY
THE STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES
SULTHAN THAHA SYAIFUDDIN JAMBI 2009
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, we would like to thanks to Allah SWT, the Arrahman and Arrahim that owns every spirit and life, that has always been giving the best and the worst in live, an abundant gift, so we can finish this assignment, and also peace be upon him to Muhammad SAW who has brought us from the darkness to the lightness.
Secondly, thanks very much for all who have helped the writer for finishing this paper, especially for our lecturer, Mrs. Hikmah Oktriani, S.S. who has given support and time to the writer for finalizing this paper, and also for all friends in English letter V A thanks very much.
In this paper surely still has many mistaken, as well in writing or in grammatical, because of that the critics and suggestion from all reader is importance for better writing then.
As the writer, we hope this paper could to help for all reader it as well for enrich the knowledge about the play of The Death of Salesman, and also as one of the reference, especially for all friends in English Literature V A, Adab Faculty.
Jambi, January 2009
Writer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT......................................................................................... 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................ 3
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION….…………………………….….……………………………4
CHAPTER II
THE ANALYSIS OF THE DEATH OF SALESMAN…………………………...6
2.1. PLOT
2.2. CHARACTER
2.3. STAGING
2.4. SETTING
2.4. THEME
CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION .……………………………………………….……………….. 14
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………. 15
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter). In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction[ii]. In Oxford Advanced English Dictionary, page 898 explains that Literature is Pieces of writing that are valued as works of art, especially novels, plays and poems (in contrast to technical books and newspapers, magazines, etc.), or pieces of writing or printed information on a particular subject[iii]. Based on the statements we can conclude that literature is the literary work which is the result from literalist or author in form a book or others media.
There are three major types of literature, such as Drama, Prose and Poetry. Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek: δράμα, dráma), which is derived from "to do" (Classical Greek: δράω, dráō). The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective reception.[iv] In others source Drama is a composition, in prose or poetry, accommodated to action, and intended to exhibit a picture of human life, or to depict a series of grave or humorous actions of more than ordinary interest, tending toward some striking result. It is commonly designed to be spoken and represented by actors on the stage[v]. So, we can conclude drama is the performance which combines the literary value and action or perform the literary work in live character, as well in form of comedy, tragic, or tragic and comedy. In this context drama more familiar with the term a play.
Prose is writing that resembles everyday speech. The word "prose" is derived from the Latin prosa, which literally translates to "straightforward". Prose is an unpretentious form of writing; it is adopted for the discussion of facts and topical news. Prose is often articulated in free form writing style. Thus, it may be used for books, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, broadcast media, films, letters, history, philosophy, biography, linguistic geography, and many other forms of communication[vi].
Poetry (from the Greek "ποίησις", poiesis, a "making") is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning. Poetry may be written independently, as discrete poems, or may occur in conjunction with other arts, as in poetic drama, hymns or lyrics[vii].
Arthur Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was born in
The play of The Death of a Salesman is one of his famous works. In an encyclopedia online explains that the Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by American playwright Arthur Miller and is a classic of American theater. The play premiered on Broadway on February 10, 1949 at the Morosco Theatre where it ran for 742 performances, directed by Elia Kazan with Lee J. Cobb starring in the leading role. A caustic attack on the American Dream, Death of a Salesman made both Arthur Miller and the character Willy Loman household names. The play raises a counterexample to Aristotle's characterization of tragedy as the downfall of a great man: though Loman certainly has Hamartia, a tragic flaw or error, his downfall is that of an ordinary man (a "low man"). Like Sophocles' Oedipus in Oedipus the King, Loman's flaw comes down to a lack of self-knowledge; unlike Oedipus, Loman's downfall threatens not the city but only a single, bourgeois household. In this sense, Miller's play represents a democratization of the ancient form of tragedy; interestingly, the play's protagonist is himself obsessed with the question of greatness, and his downfall arises directly from his misperception of himself as someone capable of greatness[ix].
CHAPTER II
THE ANALYSIS OF THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN
2.1. PLOT
In literature, the plot comprises all the events in a story particularly rendered towards the achievement of some particular artistic or emotional effect. In other words, the plot consists of what has happened in the story or novel, such as the conflicts that have occurred. An intricate, complicated plot is known as an imbroglio, but even the most linear plots can give rise to multiple inferences and interpretations. Much can be determined from the narrative which is formed by the plot[x]. In other words we can conclude that the plot is the long process in the story from beginning till finish. So, the analysis of this play such as bellow:
A. Exposition
When Willy Loman arrived to his home after crushed some of
Linda : (Hearing Willy outside the bedroom, call with some trepidation) Willy?
Willy : It’s all right. I come back.
Linda : Why? What happened? (Slight pause) did some time happen, Willy?
Willy : No, nothing happened.
Linda : you didn’t smash the Car, did you?
B. Complication
When Willy Loman was failure with his dream and therefore he want biff be success, and then when his son know that he has affair with the woman and then his son very angry and complain with him. His sons assume that their father was unfaithful with their mother. (In Act I). The quotation of the event is like bellow:
Willy (off stage): What are you walking away for? Don’t walk away! If you‘re going to say it to my face! I know you laugh at me behind my back. You‘ll laugh out of the other side of your goddan face after this game! Touch down! .................
And ………
Willy : (without hesitating) Hurry downstairs and…………
Biff : somebody in there?
Willy : No, that was next door
The woman laughs offstage
Biff : somebody got in your bathroom!
Willy : No, it’s the next room, there a party………
The Woman: (enter, laughing, she lips this) can I come in? There’s something in the bathtub, Willy, and it’s moving! .........................
C. Climax
After Willy was convince from his family he deduce to suicide by the gasses in his car with hope that biff can get insurance and use the money to start own business. (In Act II). The quotation of the event is like bellow:
There is the sound of a car starting and moving away at full speed
Linda : No!
Biff : (rushing down the stairs); pop!
As the car speeds off, the music crasher down in a frenzy of sound, which became life soft pulsation of a single cello string. Biff slowly returns to his bedroom. He and Happy gravely and their jackets…………….
D. Falling Action
In Willy’s family in the grave, Happy said that his father is has beautiful dream, and although Linda knows that her husband has affair with a woman, she still believe with her husband is the man in the world. (In Requiem). The quotation of the event is like bellow:
Biff : Charley, the man didn’t know who he was.
Happy : (infuriated): Don’t say that!
Biff : why don’t you come with me, Happy?
Happy : all right, boy. I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy loman did not die in vain. He had good dream. It’s the only dream you can have – to come number – one man. He though it out here and this is where I’m gonna win it for him.
E. Resolution
Willy’s son try to realize father’s dream with used money insurance to start own business. (In a Requiem). The quotation of the event is like bellow:
Linda : for give me, dear. I can’t cry. I don’t know what it’s, but I can’t cry, I don understand it. Why did you ever do that? ..............
Biff lifts her feed and moves out up right with her in his arms. Linda sobs quietly. Bernard and charley come together and follow them, followed happy. Only the music of the flute…………
2.2. CHARACTER
A character is any person, personal, identity, or entity that exists in a work of art. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterization. Characters may be entirely fictional or based on real, historical entities. Characters may be human, supernatural, mythical, divine, animal, or personifications of an abstraction[xi]. We can conclude that character is describing about the persons who exist in a play. The character of this play like bellow:
A. Willy Loman
Willy Loman is an elderly salesman lost in false hopes and illusions. A sixty year’s old. The sales firm he works for no longer pays him salary. Working on straight commission, Willy cannot bring home enough money to pay his bill. After thirty-four years with the firm, they have spent his energy and discarded him.
Willy’s son, Biff and Happy are also failure, but Willy doesn’t want to believe this. He wants his sons, especially Biff, to succeed where he has not. He believes his boys are great and cannot understand why they are not successful. This is a major source of conflict throughout the play.
Willy has trouble distinguishing between in the past and present – between illusion and reality – and is often lost in flashback where much of the story told.
B. Linda Loman
A woman who is beautiful, she is Willy’s wife and mothers of Biff and Happy. Linda Loman is the person who supports Willy Loman. She is a faithfully wife, because although her husband is short, fat, and ugly, but Linda very loves with him, and she said that her husband is a man the most handsome in the world.
C. Biff Loman
The thirty-four year, the elder son of Willy Loman. Biff is an athlete quarter back the best in
D. Happy Loman
He is the younger son of Willy and Linda. His Original name is Harold but more like called with Happy. He is Younger two years than Biff; generally He supports his father, and concern for him.
E. Charley
He is willy’s neighbor and father of Bernard. Charley is a successfully businessman. Willy and Charley always quarrel each others. Willy ever said that Charley is not liked, he liked but he is not- well liked (see act I). From this it’s meant that although Willy doesn’t like Charley, but he still keeps charley as his partner, because Willy has much debt with him.
F. Bernard
He Charley’s son, younger than biff, he is friend’s biff in senior high school and the college. He is intelligent and more than success than willy. Because he is intelligent, he can enter in famous college, but different with Biff, biff that can joint because he is quarter back the best in
G. Uncle Ben
Ben is Willy’s dead brother who appears to Willy during his flashbacks and times of trouble. Ben was a rich man who made it big in the diamond mines of
H. Howard Wagner
The thirty-six year man, he is old son of Wagner. His father is Willy’s boss. Howard now occupies the same position as his late father. Although Willy just call his name Howard, Howard is forced to fie Willy for his erratic behavior. Howard is preoccupied with technology when Willy meets his new boss; he spends most of the meeting to demonstrating his new wire recorder
I. Jenny
She is Charley’s secretaries.
K. Stanley
L. Miss Foresythe,
She is a woman at restaurants when Biff and Happy meets their father. This woman is likely a prostitute.
M. Bill Oliver,
He is boss of Biff When Biff goes from home.
N. The woman,
She is mysterious woman of Willy, she has affair with Willy in The Boston.
O. Wagner
He is father of Howard; he was death in age eighty-four year.
2.3. STAGING
Staging is the process of selecting, designing, adapting to, or modifying the performance space for a play or film. This includes the use or absence of stagecraft elements as well as the structure of the stage and its components[xii].
Staging is also used to mean the result of this process, in other words the spectacle that a play presents in performance, its visual detail. This can include such things as positions of actors on stage (often referred to as blocking), their nonverbal gestures and movements (also called stage business), the scenic background, the props and costumes, lighting, and sound effects. Besides costume, any physical object that appears in a play has the potential to become an important dramatic symbol. The first thing that the audience of a play sees is the stage set, the physical objects that suggest the world of the play. The stage set is usually indicated by the playwright, but the degree of detail and specificity of this rendering vary from one playwright to another and from one literary period to another. In film, staging is generally called set dressing.[xiii] In other word staging is designing, costume and something which importance in stage. The perfection of staging is very important, because it able to describe about the real condition where the story occurred.
The staging of this play is at home, the house’s kitchen, with a dinette set (table and three chairs) in the middle and a refrigerator, sink, and counters against the back wall. In the back wall is open door with blacks concealing “living room”. To the right on the kitchen, on level raised two feet, is a bedroom Willy and Linda. There is a bedstead on the straight chair, on a shelf over the bed a silver athletic trophy stands. A window open and the apartment at the side. Behind the kitchen, is the boy’s bedroom with two beds, with a dormer window or two set in a half-height wall at the back of platform. To stage left is landing from which stairs descend to the kitchen and back yard. For detail, see the explanation bellow:
a. Lighting
Act I : # Only the blue light of the sky fall upon the house as the symbol peaceful.
# Glow of orange as the symbol an angry.
# When in boy’s room, light is risen.
Act II : # Same with Act I, just light has risen.
A Requiem : # In the last play in the grave after funeral’s Willy light on the darkening.
b. Sounds f music:
Act I : # A melody flute is heard.
# Sound Man’s laugh → this is Willy
# Sound the Women’s laugh → this the Women who affairs with Willy.
# If Ben raised, there are special Ben’s music is heard.
# The music, rolling tone a high.
# Music insinuates.
Act II : # Music is heard, gay and bright.
# Ben’s music again.
# Sound the Women’s laugh.
# Music is heard Willy’s theme.
# The gay music of the boy’s is heard.
# The music crashes down in a frenzy of sound.
Requiem : Only the music of flute.
c. Costume
Costume for the characters is standard clothes in 1949 because this ply produced a published in 1949 too.
Willy loman : a Salesman, so he uses shirt- sleeves, sans coat and tie, usually like dress salesman, and when Willy at home uses t-shirt, pants and pajamas for sleep.
Linda Loman : She is mother who house wife so Linda use wears a blouse in light, warmer red and a pleasant skirt with ribbon in her hair.
Biff : Because Biff is a quarterback so he uses t-shirt and athletic pants, and pajamas in high school sweater and football pants.
Happy : Almost same with Biff just shirt and knickers, and jacket an soon…….
d. Staging
In Act I:
The kitchen, there is a kitchen table with there chairs and generator. At the back of the kitchen there is a dropped entrance, with leads to the living room, to the right on the kitchen. On a lever raised two feed, is a bad room furnished only with a brass bedstead and a straight chair, on a shelf over the bed a silver athletic trophy stands. Behind the kitchen, on a level raised six and a half feet, is the boy’s bedroom with two beds and at the back of the room a dormer window. At the left a stairway curves up to it from the kitchen.
In Act II:
Almost the event at home’s Willy loman
A. Requiem:
Stage made like at the grave because this event when funeral’s Willy loman and come back to house again.
2.4. SETTING
Setting of a story includes the time, location and circumstances in which it take place. Broadly speaking, the setting provides the main backdrop for the story. Sometimes setting is referred to as milieu, to include a context (such as society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. In some cases, setting becomes a character itself and can set the tone of a story. The term is relevant or various forms of narrative expression, whether considered literature or not, including short stories, novels, dramas, and screenplays[xiv]. For easy to understand we can say that setting is the place or location where the story occurred.
Base on the analysis, the setting of the play is in
Time : Modern Age (1940’s period)
Place : The action takes place in Willy lamon’s house and yard in various places he visits in the
To more than specific, we will mention every act :
ACT I: Willy loman’s House in:
· Linda and Willy’s Bedroom → when Willy go home after did trip business
· Boy’s Room →Biff and happy talking a bout his father and job of Biff.
· Kitchen → when Willy and Bernard talking about Biff and then Willy hallucinates events in
ACT II: In the kitchen → when the Willy wants to go work.
At the office of Howard Wagner → when Willy wants to added salary.
At restaurant → Willy has appointment with his sons and he leaves in there.
At Hotel in
Biff.
Come back again to house in the kitchen → Willy to quarrel with biff.
At the end Willy decide to suicide.
At the bedroom of Willy and boy’s room.
A Requiem: at the grave → Willy’s funeral.
2.4. THEME
A theme is a broad idea in a story or literary work a message or lesson conveyed by a written text. This message is usually about life, society or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas. Most themes are implied rather than explicitly stated. The theme is different from the superficial outlay of the text; it is normally the meaning of the text on a more abstract level[xv]. In others word, we can say theme is the message or idea which able we take from the story which give the wise or good contribution for our live.
According from the analysis before, we conclude the theme of this play is “An American dreams and the struggle of life”. We say the theme American dream because it is about the American people who want successfully in live, we can see in this play who describes the people who always dream to success. In this play Willy wants to be rich and a man who successful but actually Willy failure. And the struggle of life because this plays told about the struggle live of Willy to be a successful salesman.
CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION
Base on the analysis above, we can give the conclusion that In our life we should work harder to get our dream, because our work harder has the important position in getting the successfulness, and also we have to satisfied with the result from our hard worker, because it can makes our soul more calmness and avoiding from the disappointed deeply. Our dream is not always to be real, but still only illusion. We can see that Willy loman who always think to be success man, he has a dream to be successful salesman. He has obsession to be successful salesman as the describing of American dream. He always images the successfulness another people although really they are not surely success. He always imagines to the past time. This drama/play can be considering as describing the illusion of a salesman’s American dream. As we know from the analysis Willy Loman has to face the reality in his life that is not success, and then he more to chose to suicide himself to get some money for his family, because he think his family will receive money from his life insurance.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTERNET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature [Accessed on Tuesday at 09.33 Am. January, 13th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama [ Accessed on Tuesday at 09.51 Am. January 13th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Miller [ Accessed on Saturday at 10.00 Am. January 10th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_a_Salesman [ Accessed on Tuesday at 10.00 Am. January 13th, 2009]
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/literature [ Accessed on Tuesday at 09.44 Am. January 13th, 2009]
http://www.brainyquote.com/words/dr/drama157122.html [ Accessed on Tuesday at 09.58 Am. January 13th, 2009]
http://www.mohawk.mtrsd.k12.ma.us/site/ms/explorers/language_arts.htm. [ Accessed on Tuesday at 09.42. Am. January 13th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prose [ Accessed on Thursday at 02.12 pm. January 15th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_(narrative) [ Accessed on Thursday at 20.52 pm January 15th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(arts) [ Accessed on Thursday at 02.49 pm. January 15th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staging_(theatre) [ Accessed on Thursday at 02.54 pm. January 15th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_(literature) [ Accessed on Wednesday at 11.42. Am. January 16th, 2009]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setting_(fiction). [ Accessed on Wednesday at 11.41. Am. January 16th, 2009]
DICTIONARY
Hornby, A. S. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 7th Edition,
End Notes
[i] Agus rahmmansyah,, Suci Fatmawati, Diana, Donas Irfanda, Erna Yurista, Handayani, Nini Munasari, Raden Fakhrurrozi, Surmayadi, dan Uswatun Hasanah)
[ii] Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature. Accessed at 09.33 Am. Jan. 13th 2009
[iii] A.S Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English,
[iv] Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama. Accessed at 09.51 Am. Jan. 13th, 2009
[v] Available in http://www.brainyquote.com/words/dr/drama157122.html. Accessed at 09.58. Pm. Jan. 13th, 2009
[vi] Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prose. Accessed at 02.12 pm Jan. 15th, 2009
[vii] Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry. Accessed at 10.06 Am. Jan. 13th, 2009
[viii] Biography [On Line] available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Miller. Accessed at 10.00. Am. Jan 10th, 2009.
[ix] Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_a_Salesman. Accessed at 10.01. Am. Jan. 13th, 2009
[x]Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_(narrative). Accessed at 20.52. Pm .Jan 15th, 2009.
[xi]Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(arts). Accessed at 02.49. Pm. Jan 15th, 2009.
[xii]Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staging_(theatre). Accessed at 02.54. Pm .Jan. 15th, 2009
[xiii] Ibid.
[xiv] Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_(literature). Accessed at 11.42. Am 16. Jan. 16th, 2009
[xv] Available in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setting_(fiction). Accessed at 11.41. Am. Jan 16th, 2009
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