Feature Article On 'Death Of a Salesman'

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Crushing Lies At what point is it acceptable to tell a lie? Is it alright when you tell your mum that her unpalatable cooking tastes good? Or perhaps when your dog ‘ate your homework’ and you need an excuse to stop your teacher harassing you for it. Everyone has told a ‘white lie’ sometime in their life, perhaps to deceive one’s self, or to save someone else from the painful truth. But when does this white lie turn black? When does it become detrimental to one’s self, and ultimately ‘crush’ a person? In Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’, Willy is both literally and figuratively ‘crushed’ as a result of his own self-deception. His steadfast belief in the American Dream ultimately leads him to suicide and physical destruction, as a result of his own mental deterioration. However, as we all know that life is not simply black and white, we are able to see that the lies in the play not only affect Willy, but also the people around him, especially poor Biff. Set in the period post WWII, the Loman family’s values are built strongly on the American Dream for success. As many older siblings would be pleased to know, Willy’s older brother, Ben, is the successful one in the family. He epitomises the American Dream, but, ironically, also shows us the lie that it is. He constantly repeats, ’when I was seventeen, I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one, I walked out, and by god I was rich’. The repetition and boastful tone of this statement not only makes us, and Willy, extremely jealous of his success, but also emphasises the fact that he was only successful because of chance. But hold on- that’s not right! According to the American dream, people are supposed to gain success if they are personally attractive or work hard for it. Ben did not gain success as the American Dream defines, and so his experience proves that the Dream does not apply to everyone,

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