Drama can be considered a form of written literature intended for performance and which often has the capacity to examine human problems and behavior in a specific social context. . A play that conforms to this is “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. Published and set during this era, it follows the story of Willy Loman, an aging Brooklyn salesman dissatisfied with his life, relentlessly seeking financial prosperity and success while dealing with other troubling aspects of his life; his deteriorated relationship with his eldest son, brought on by his infidelity all of which lead to fluctuations in his emotional state and ultimately his downfall. As women were forced to abandon their wartime occupations and take on more domestic roles, many women felt disenfranchised, with the late 1940s identified as the height of inequality between women. sexes, with women being denigrated and described as “purely domestic creatures”. It is the values ​​as such that are represented in the patriarchal society described in Miller's tragedy. This essay will analyze how the play explores the values ​​of a conventional American patriarchal society after World War II and proposes the idea that these values ​​are flawed, exposing their prejudiced nature by illustrating the injustices faced by women who adhere to the social norms, the toxicity of dominant masculine ideals and implies that men who objectify women struggle with internal conflicts. To do this, it uses different generic conventions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay Miller's piece serves as a critique of this ethic because it proposes that although traditional gender norms have been adhered to by many women, the role assumed by these women prevents them from flourishing. Miller emphasizes the restrictions placed on submissive women by contrasting Linda's faithfulness, kindness, and care toward her husband with the way he treats her. At the beginning of the first act, Willy states, "you are my foundation and my support, Linda", which is ironic because his betrayal is exposed through the visual play "a woman's laughter", with which he had an affair. Although Linda embodies the devoted wife, Willy's actions made a mockery of all her efforts and she did not have the support and admiration of her husband, which in an era as such was important because having a trusted male figure ensured her stability. in the Willy company. The feeling of injustice is also evoked by Linda's internal conflict regarding her inability to confront him about his suicide attempts, asking herself the question: "How can I insult him like this?" Her monologue offers a picture of herself as someone who conforms to many of the expectations of her time as a wife; subservient, but scenes like this highlight his perceived lack of agency to change things, his inability to control his world because of these roles themselves. This makes us sympathize with Linda and brings us back to the larger argument that patriarchal norms harm women because she has not been treated with the respect she shows her husband. Later in the requiem we learn that Linda is distressed over Willy's death, not only through dialogue but also through the stage directions "the flute begins" as she "sobs softly." Willy believes his suicide will solve the disorder in his life when in reality he is denying Linda a debt-free husband and thus anotherimage of a woman rendered helpless or suffering due to the actions of the men around her is created and again as her sobs show her grief. His grief is further emphasized by the symbolic aspect of the flute as it serves as a reminder of the path Willy could have chosen, which also creates a feeling of remorse. In most of Linda's interactions, Miller's tragedy depicts the prejudice they are subjected to and their inability to thrive although they remain obedient and respectful of traditional gender roles. Patriarchal society also operated on customary masculine ideals which the play exposes as being toxic and having the capacity to oppress those who are unable to live up to them. The poem encourages us to sympathize with Willy Loman because he feels humiliated when he works on commission because a "man" earns his living. We learn that ultimately, Willy is unable to maintain his façade of success because he constantly doubts himself by asking Ben, "Am I right?" », in his delirious state. These symbolic objects and the dialogue between the two characters reveal Willy's inability to realize the ideas of society of a successful man, which in a capitalist society, equates to being financially stable and economically capable of supporting one's needs. family, contribute to his tragic downfall as he collapses. the pressure of these ideals due to his fear of being judged, revealing not only the elusive nature of these archetypes but also their harmful impact. Loman's misguided notions of success, which generate a fraudulent and dejected existence, are further accentuated by her relationship with Biff. Through the dramatic aspect of the tension, we learn that Biffs has lost his sense of identity, provided by his proclamation to Willy: “I know who I am!” Why can’t I say that,” when he’s about to “attack his father.” The pressures of feigned desire fueled by Willy's deceptive projections of hegemonic masculinity ultimately trigger Biff's implosion. Biff's breakup, critical of Willy, is expressed in a criminal manner and creates a sense of resentment towards Willy as he is the main cause of Biff's loss of individualism, revealing the harm that unrealistic standards of masculinity can generate. Willy's relationship with Happy is not as significant in comparison to Biff, but Happy is subject to the corollary of their relationship; he makes some efforts to gain approval from Willy who is constantly on Biff. Happy's desire to get his father's attention and please him goes as far as promising to "get married." The constant repetition of this acts as comic relief and is ironic because we know that Happy is a womanizer who compulsively sleeps with women married to successful men due to his "overdeveloped sense of competition." His promiscuity reveals that his (and other men in his position from a patriarchal American society) incompetence to succeed prompts them to seek other methods of gaining power over the men they envy (because of their superior positions in society), some of which are unethical. , overall highlighting the characteristic of unrealistic masculine values ​​as having the potential to corrupt people's minds. "Death of a Salesman" focuses largely on the male members of the Loman family, who are middle class but seem to suffer from their inability to meet current standards of masculinity to express the perniciousness of those standards. . In addition to the potentially cataclysmic nature of male archetypes, a traditional patriarchal society encourages female objection, but the play implies that men who take advantage of this.