ipl-logo

Expectations And Pressure In Willy Loman's Death Of A Salesman

601 Words3 Pages

Thesis
The father and son relationship is a fundamental theme that resonates across literature, often serving as a source of conflict, growth, and emotional exploration. The protagonists of both plays deal with their own struggles from their relationships with their fathers as they explore themes of expectations and pressure, struggles for personal identity and the consequences of unresolved emotional bonds. The work below seeks to clarify the meaning of these interactions and how they impact the lives of the characters by exploring the similarities and differences between the two .

Expectations and Pressure
In both "Death of a Salesman" and "Hamlet," the fathers place significant expectations and pressures on their sons. Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" constantly emphasizes the importance of success and the American Dream to his sons, Biff and Happy. Willy's relentless pursuit of material achievement leads to the imposition of his aspirations on his children, fostering a sense of disappointment and unfulfillment. Similarly, in "Hamlet," the ghost of King Hamlet compels his son to avenge his murder, burdening Hamlet with the weight of this duty. The pressure to meet societal expectations …show more content…

In "Death of a Salesman," Biff Loman wrestles with his own aspirations and dreams, conflicted between conforming to his father's expectations and pursuing a path that aligns with his true self. Willy's inability to accept Biff's individuality strains their relationship, leaving Biff disillusioned. Similarly, in "Hamlet," the titular character grapples with his own identity in relation to his father. Hamlet's contemplation and existential crisis stem from the clash between his own desires and the duty imposed upon him by his father's ghost. The struggle for personal identity emerges as a recurring motif, highlighting the impact of the father-son relationship on the sons' sense of

Show More
Related

Cornet At Night 'And The Broken Globe'

526 Words | 3 Pages

In the short stories “Cornet at Night” by Sinclair Ross, and “The Broken Globe” by Henry Kriesel, there is an emphasis placed on the relationship between a father and son, and how a different interest inhibits their bond. These two stories showcase contravening passions and identities that the characters have, and how they cause tribulation in the relationship between father and son. In “Cornet at Night” and “The Broken Globe”, the respective authors utilize characterization to show the effect of an individual’s interests and passions clashing with their father’s values, interests, or goals for their child, and how they affect the relationship between them.

Read More

Masculinity In Hemingway's A River Runs Through It

430 Words | 2 Pages

Often when one thinks of the standard father-son relationship, rather stereotypically there’s an essence of rigidity. Masculinity and the stubborn adherence to its tight standards in how men should behave, how they should talk, or how they should even feel about other men, even in their own families. Even the simplest “I love you,” or any variation is replaced between men with awkward or utterly empty silences, censoring the feelings of familial or brotherly or friendly affection between them, even if they are strongly there. In A River Runs Through It, throughout lies a demonstration of such omission of actual feelings about many ranges of feelings and thoughts- which also is a reflection of how often men as individuals who are socialized in certain societies submit to ideas of

Read More

Essay On Foil Characters In Death Of A Salesman

1210 Words | 5 Pages

“The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (33). In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller uses foil characters to elucidate Willy’s flaws that ultimately prevent him and his family from succeeding. The contrast between Charley and Willy and Bernard and Biff serves to highlight how Willy’s obsession with achieving his version of the American Dream impacts both his life and his children’s. His poor values are passed on to his children producing even more failures. ¬¬¬¬Both Charley and Willy work as salesmen, however Charley represents what Willy desired to become – successful.

Read More

The Long Christmas Ride Home Play Analysis

907 Words | 4 Pages

There were several elements of the script that impacted me, but their father’s affair with Sheila is what stood out to me the most. We are able to know his thoughts and feelings throughout the play, and he spends the majority of his time thinking about Sheila rather than his wife and children. The parents do not see the impact they have on their children, who will grow up to reflect their parents in different ways. The father’s affair is not secret, but nobody in the family says it out loud either. The children know, as does their

Read More

Analysis Of Man Vs. Self In Shakespeare's Hamlet

873 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the play, Hamlet is forced to make difficult decisions; as he is conflicted with almost every decision he makes, his uncertainty and unsophisticated thoughts will eventually lead to his downfall. Man vs. Self is a common theme in Shakespeare’s work, and Hamlet is no exception. The most distinct example of this sophisticated concept is Hamlet himself. When analyzed thoroughly, Hamlet is his greatest obstacle and enemy. The earliest of his internal conflicts is when his mother married his uncle, Claudius, in such a short window of time after his father’s death.

Read More

Success In Willy Loman's Death Of A Salesman

1009 Words | 5 Pages

Success is a noun which comes from the latin root word, successes, meaning, "an advance, succession, happy outcome.” Success can therefore be defined as an accomplishment of a desired end (dictionary.com). Everyone has his or her own interpretation or definition of what they think success is, but in this interpretation, there is always a common goal at the end. That goal is to have a happy and good outcome. Willy Lowman’s definition of success was skewed, and for this, he did not achieve a happy and good outcome like he may have planned.

Read More

Epitaph For The American Dream In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

1794 Words | 8 Pages

Ultimately, these aspirations lead to negative repercussions. First of all, the pursuit of perfection can be observed by the actions of a particular individual in Death of a Salesman. The main character of the play, Willy Loman, was a man with misguided life goals. A rather insecure person, Willy placed strong emphasis on his reputation and self-image. He wanted more than anything else to be a popular salesman well-liked by everyone around him – it was the perfect portrayal of himself.

Read More

Father Son Relationships In Antigone And The Dead Poets Society

679 Words | 3 Pages

In the play Antigone and the movie Dead Poets Society, the consequences of pressure, control, and a lack of understanding in father-son relationships are illustrated through the mental health of Haimon and Neil. Playwright, Sophocles and screenwriter, Tom Schulman are able to effectively demonstrate the immense pressure that can be put on children in father-son relationships through Mr. Perry and Creon’s interactions with their sons. When Mr. Nolan speaks to Mr. Perry regarding his high expectations for Neil, Mr Perry addresses his son, claiming that “ he won’t disappoint us. Right Neil?” (Schulman).

Read More

Ambition In Willy Loman's Death Of A Salesman

549 Words | 3 Pages

Often individuals are prevented from achieving satisfaction due to a fundamental flaw in their character. In the case of Willy Loman, this flaw is his excessive pride and ambition. For the majority of his life, Willy has been primarily influenced by his brother Ben’s success. This has caused him to develop a sense of ambition that is both unrestrained and idealistic. Over the course of his lifetime, both Willy and his sons fall short of the impossible standards of this dream.

Read More

Mother And Son Analysis

1748 Words | 7 Pages

This boy, paralleling the boy in “From Childhood,” is being smothered so much so that it is impacting his life negatively. Though some might argue that his attention induced embarrassment is typical of a growing child, context clues point to his mother’s overbearing nature as the direct culprit of his discomfort. The relationship between the parties of both “From Childhood” and “Mother and Son” are uncanny. But even so, the way in which the mother in “Mother and Son” acts overbearingly differs to that of the overbearing actions of the mother in “From Childhood,” thus giving this maternal relation its own place on the wide-ranged

Read More

The Fall Of Willy Loman In The Death Of A Salesman

966 Words | 4 Pages

As the old saying goes, not all heroes wear capes. This is especially true for Willy Loman in the Death of a Salesman. Death of a Salesman is a rather tragic tale depicting the fall of Willy Loman and, to some degree, the fall of his son Biff Loman. There are two ways in which one could interpret Death of a Salesman, with Willy as the protagonist, or with Biff as the protagonist. Either way, the story is not made a tragedy by its plot, but rather, it is made a tragedy by its characters.

Read More

Death Of A Salesman Character Analysis

1537 Words | 7 Pages

Tragedy can spread. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is the protagonist, however he not the only person in the play who’s story ends tragically. His view on life spreads to those close to him. Primarily, Willy teaches it to his children who look up to him while his wife simply attaches herself to him, rooting for him in blind support while really she should be waking him up to the cold and dark reality that is their life. Throughout the play, the Loman family evolves differently.

Read More

The Role Of Family In Samuel Beckett's Endgame

1175 Words | 5 Pages

TITLEEE Relationships between parents and their children are very unique and individualized. Some families are very close and have many shared memories. Other families have faced hardship and choose to put distance in their relationships. In fact, Samuel Beckett’s absurd play, Endgame, is full of unique family dynamics.

Read More

How Is Hamlet A Tragic Hero

685 Words | 3 Pages

The stories "Hamlet" and "Death of a Salesman" are two of the most well known tragedy stories. The stories may have been in two completely different eras, and have different plots, but the main characters in the story, Hamlet in "Hamlet" and Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" compare in many different ways. Although the characters can be seen as very similar, there are differences between the characters as well. Hamlet and Willy compare and contrast in the ways as they are both tragic heroes, they both act insane, and both have trouble doing what they say they are gonna do.

Read More

Death Of A Salesman Father Son Relationship Essay

872 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the relationship between fathers and sons have been a purposeful motif used to exemplify different dynamics and levels of success in parenting styles. The relationships between Willy and his two father figures, his biological father and his older brother Ben, are similar in the sense that neither were able to guide Willy into success or adulthood, leading Willy to attempt to succeed to no avail. Willy’s continued admiration of these figures support the concepts that fantasy can blur one’s sense of reality and that the competence and guidance of one’s father figure dictates one’s success in life. The only relationship between Willy and his biological father is fabricated in Willy’s mind, but

Read More

More about Expectations And Pressure In Willy Loman's Death Of A Salesman

Related Topics

Open Document