Realism In Death Of A Salesman
Realism
Realism is defined as an attempt to reproduce faithfully the surface appearance of life. "Death of a Salesman" can be termed as a realistic play in many ways. The play has characteristics of an everyday-life situation.
"Death of a Salesman" is almost equivalent to some families, in the way of Willy and Biffs disagreement on certain ideas. Willy is upset with Biff because he has not settled down and found a good job. As Happy and Biff are in the bed talking, Biff tells Happy, "I tell ya, Hap, I don't know what the future is. I don't knowwhat I'm supposed to want."(Miller 1642) Biff is unsure of his future. Willy, as he is talking to Linda, says, "How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it's good for him to tramp around, take a lot of different jobs. But it's more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week!"(1639) Willy is upset because he wants Biff to have a more productive life and to be very successful. I may not be as old as Biff is in the play, but I am in college and still trying to figure out my future. My parents are questioning me about my future but I am trying to be patient and decide on a great career. My situation is like Biffs, except my parents are not mad at me for not deciding quickly.
Willy has some mental problems, as many people do, that cause him to do out of the ordinary things. One of his mental problems is that he talks to himself. Willy is sitting in the kitchen by himself and starts talking to Biff as if he were in high school, "Just wanna be careful with those girls, Biff. Don't make any promises. No promises of any kind. Because a girl, y'know, they always believe what you tell em, and you're very young, Biff, you're too young to be talking seriously to girls."(1646) I have known people who are getting old start to talk to a stranger as if that person were their own daughter or son. This...
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