Death of a Salesman(《推销员之死》)英语详细分析

KeyFactsFULLTITLE•DeathofaSalesman:AUTHOR•ArthurMillerTYPEOFWORK•PlayGENRE•Tragedy,socialcommentary,familydramaCLIMAX•ThesceneinFrank’sChopHouseandBiff’sfinalconfrontationwithWillyathomePROTAGONISTS•WillyLoman,BiffLomanANTAGONISTS•BiffLoman,WillyLoman,theAmericanDreamSETTING(TIME)•“Today,”thatis,thepresent;eitherthelate1940sorthetimeperiodinwhichtheplayisbeingproduced,with“daydreams”intoWilly’spast;alloftheactiontakesplaceduringatwenty-four-hourperiodbetweenMondaynightandTuesdaynight,exceptthe“Requiem,”whichtakesplace,presumably,afewdaysafterWilly’sfuneralSETTING(PLACE)•Accordingtothestagedirections,“WillyLoman’shouseandyard[inBrooklyn]and...variousplaceshevisitsin...NewYorkandBoston”FALLINGACTION•The“Requiem”section,althoughtheplayisnotreallystructuredasaclassicaldramaTENSE•PresentFORESHADOWING•Willy’sflutethemeforeshadowstherevelationofhisfather’soccupationandabandonment;Willy’spreoccupationwithLinda’sstockingsforeshadowshisaffairwithTheWoman;Willy’sautomobileaccidentbeforethestartofActIforeshadowshissuicideattheendofActIITONE•ThetoneofMiller’sstagedirectionsanddialoguerangesfromsinceretoparodying,but,ingeneral,thetreatmentistender,thoughattimesbrutallyhonest,towardWilly’splightTHEMES•TheAmericanDream;abandonment;betrayalMOTIFS•Mythicfigures;theAmericanWest;Alaska;theAfricanjungleSYMBOLS•Seeds;diamonds;Linda’sandthewomon’sstockings;therubberhoseAnalysisofMajorCharactersWillyLomanDespitehisdesperatesearchingthroughhispast,Willydoesnotachievetheself-realizationorself-knowledgetypicalofthetragichero.Thequasi-resolutionthathissuicideoffershimrepresentsonlyapartialdiscoveryofthetruth.Whileheachievesaprofessionalunderstandingofhimselfandthefundamentalnatureofthesalesprofession,Willyfailstorealizehispersonalfailureandbetrayalofhissoulandfamilythroughthemeticulouslyconstructedartificeofhislife.Hecannotgraspthetruepersonal,emotional,spiritualunderstandingofhimselfasaliteral“loman”or“lowman.”Willyistoodrivenbyhisown“willy”-nessorperverse“willfulness”torecognizetheslantedrealitythathisdesperatemindhasforged.Still,manycritics,focusingonWilly’sentrenchmentinaquagmireoflies,delusions,andself-deceptions,ignorethesignificantaccomplishmentofhispartialself-realization.Willy’sfailuretorecognizetheanguishedloveofferedtohimbyhisfamilyiscrucialtotheclimaxofhistorturousday,andtheplaypresentsthisincapacityastherealtragedy.Despitethisfailure,WillymakesthemostextremesacrificeinhisattempttoleaveaninheritancethatwillallowBifftofulfilltheAmericanDream.Ben’sfinalmantra—“Thejungleisdark,butfullofdiamonds”—turnsWilly’ssuicideintoametaphoricalmoralstruggle,afinalskewedambitiontorealizehisfullcommercialandmaterialcapacity.Hisfinalact,accordingtoBen,is“notlikeanappointmentatall”butlikea“diamond...roughandhardtothetouch.”Intheabsenceofanyrealdegreeofself-knowledgeortruth,Willyisabletoachieveatangibleresult.Insomerespect,Willydoesexperienceasortofrevelation,ashefinallycomestounderstandthattheproducthesellsishimself.ThroughtheimaginaryadviceofBen,WillyendsupfullybelievinghisearlierassertiontoCharleythat“afterallthehighways,andthetrains,andtheappointments,andtheyears,youendupworthmoredeadthanalive.”BiffLomanUnlikeWillyandHappy,Bifffeelscompelledtoseekthetruthabouthimself.Whilehisfatherandbrotherareunabletoacceptthemiserablerealityoftheirrespectivelives,Biffacknowledgeshisfailureandeventuallymanagestoconfrontit.Eventhedifferencebetweenhisnameandtheirsreflectsthispolarity:whereasWillyandHappywillfullyandhappilydeludethemselves,Biffbristlesstifflyatself-deception.Biff’sdiscoverythatWillyhasamistressstripshimofhisfaithinWillyandWilly’sambitionsforhim.Consequently,WillyseesBiffasanunderachiever,whileBiffseeshimselfastrappedinWilly’sgrandiosefantasies.AfterhisepiphanyinBillOliver’soffice,BiffdeterminestobreakthroughtheliessurroundingtheLomanfamilyinordertocometorealistictermswithhisownlife.IntentonrevealingthesimpleandhumbletruthbehindWilly’sfantasy,Bifflongsfortheterritory(thesymbolicallyfreeWest)obscuredbyhisfather’sblindfaithinaskewed,materialistversionoftheAmericanDream.Biff’sidentitycrisisisafunctionofhisandhisfather’sdisillusionment,which,inordertoreclaimhisidentity,hemustexpose.HappyLomanHappysharesnoneofthepoetrythateruptsfromBiffandthatisburiedinWilly—heisthestuntedincarnationofWilly’sworsttraitsandtheembodimentofthelieofthehappyAmericanDream.Assuch,Happyisadifficultcharacterwithwhomtoempathize.Heisone-dimensionalandstaticthroughouttheplay.HisemptyvowtoavengeWilly’sdeathbyfinally“beat[ing]thisracket”providesevidenceofhiscriticalcondition:forHappy,whohaslivedintheshadowoftheinflatedexpectationsofhisbrother,thereisnoescapefromtheDream’sindoctrinatedlies.Happy’sdiseasedconditionisirreparable—helackseventhetiniestsparkofself-knowledgeorcapacityforself-analysis.HedoesshareWilly’scapacityforself-delusion,trumpetinghimselfastheassistantbuyerathisstore,when,inreality,heisonlyanassistanttotheassistantbuyer.HedoesnotpossessahintofthelatentthirstforknowledgethatprovesBiff’ssalvation.Happyisadoomed,utterlydupedfigure,destinedtobeswallowedupbytheforceof