In the play Death of a Salesman we are told a story of a man struggling with life, and within these struggles he suffers from thoughts of things that happened in his past reentering his mind and his "present." According to Willy Loman he is a very well liked and well respected person. He takes these thoughts for granted and sometimes contradicts himself with other thoughts and feelings about himself. For example, on page 23 when Willy and Linda are having a dialogue about how well he did in Boston, he basically put himself up and down in the same expression.
"Linda: Well, next week you"ll do better.
Willy: Oh, I"ll knock "em dead next week. I"ll go to Hartford. I"m very well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don"t seem to take to me.
Linda: Oh, don"t be foolish.
Willy: I know it when I walk in. They seem to laugh at me.".
Now this book can be viewed in contrast to the Marxist Literary Theory by taking each social class into consideration and comparing them with the Marxist Theory. The Working class is made up with Willy's family: Willy, Linda, Biff, and Happy. In this family I believe that Willy has the power because it seems that everyone kneels to him and his needs except Biff. When Biff tries to confront Willy about his many problems, Linda and Happy usually stop him or change the subject. On page 105 is a perfect example. This is when Biff is about to confront Willy, his father, about some things that are on his mind that his mother, Linda, and brother, Happy, have been making him hold back.
" Willy: And whose fault is that?.
Biff: And I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody! That's whose fault it is!.
Willy: I hear that!.
Linda: Don"t, Biff!.
Biff: It's goddamn time you heard that! I had to be boss big shot in two weeks, and I"m through with it!".
The next class I will discuss is the "nerds" or the "successful" of the play, Bernard and, Willy's older brother, Ben.
