The Conflicted Linda Loman in Arthur Millers Death of a...

The Conflicted Linda Loman in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Watching a solitary blade of grass will never tell you the direction of hurricane, just as one characteristic can never describe Linda Loman. In Death of a Salesman, Linda Loman is a woman torn between guilt, retaliation, and pity. Her guilt stems from the fact that she prevented Willy from pursuing his true American Dream; she retaliates in response to Willys failure; she feels sorry for Willy, because he is a pitiful lone adventurer of the road (47). As the battling motivations blow from opposing directions, the reader is left to decide to which one motivation Linda will succumb. Willy is a source of guilt for Linda, because, in part, she blames herself for†¦show more content†¦Willy undermines her authority with the boys. He denies any negative comments out of her mouth when their children are discussed. He interrupts her. He shouts at her. Linda reacts with veiled hostility to Willy?s disrespect. She laughs at the idea of planting a garden, pointing to Willy?s past failures at growing a garden. Every time Linda pokes at his failures, she is retaliating against Willy?s failures and the fact that she has been pulled into Willy?s dead end dream against her will. When Linda refers to Willy as a little boat looking for a harbor, another wind blows against Linda, pushing her to act with pity (1247). To her, he is nothing more than a small, helpless old man. She blames the business for forgetting Willy in his old age, and passing him over like an orange peel. Toward the end of Act I, Linda presents a sorry image of Willy, describing his past greatness as a salesman and ending with a sad description of treachery. She tells her sons that Willy is exhausted from driving 1400 miles without earning a penny, and that his reward from the ones he loved the most, his sons, is spite and rejection (1237). The picture she paints of her husband is on filled with pity and sorrow. All the motivations conflict with each other constantly. On one hand, Linda more than loves her husband, she admires him (1213). She wants to follow his dreams to the end, but at the same timeShow MoreRelatedDeath of a Salesman Directors Vision1128 Words   |  5 Pagesproduction of Arthur Miller’s classic â€Å"Death of a Salesman.† As the title suggests, the book is about the death of a salesman named Willy Loman. However, through my production, it is not the inevitable ending that will be remembered by the audience. It will be the processes that led to Willy’s conflicted mind that will resonate in the audience’s mind. The underlying values of blind faith in the American dream and the narrow-minded definition of success, which are exemplified in Willy Loman, combine toRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman And The Crucible2615 Words   |  11 Pagestimes. Arthur Miller’s writing style focuses on how his characters deal with external and in ternal problems and how their reactions to these problems reflect their characterization. Arthur Miller uses external conflict, internal conflict, and indirect characterization, in Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, to show how ideas of society do not always agree with the ideas and beliefs of others which can lead to a fatal action. There are three major external struggles brought forth in Miller’s novelRead More The Character of Uncle Ben in Death of a Salesman Essay2550 Words   |  11 PagesThe Character of Uncle Ben in Death of a Salesman The character of Ben in Arthur Millers Death of A Salesman serves a complex dramatic function.   He is Willy Lomans real brother, the idealized memory of that brother, and an aspect of Willys own personality, and these distinct functions are sometimes simultaneous.   Through his aggressive actions and vibrant speech, the audience is given a strong contrast to Willys self-doubt and self-contradiction.   In addition, the encounters between Ben