2001. One definition of madness is "mental delusion
or the eccentric behavior arising from it." But Emily Dickinson wrote
Much madness is divinest Sense-To a
discerning Eye-Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a
"discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a character's
apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a
well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric
behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the
significance of the "madness" to the work as a whole. Do not merely
summarize the plot.
WHAT
IS WRONG WITH WHILLY LOMAN? He talks to himself, undoubtedly has anger
management, and couldn’t see the truth if it slapped him in the face. But why?
What was Arthur Miller doing when he created this mindless, irrational
character? The answer is simple; Willy’s madness is not madness. It is a tool
used by Miller to emphasize aspects of the work. Through setting, imagery, and
characterization Miller shows that betrayal can lead to devastation and
downfall.
Willy’s
problems are the result from the society he is surrounded by. The setting of
the book, The East Coast in the early 20th century, places Willy in
a time where happiness and power came from wealth. His madness was born to
represent what happens to the everyday hero when they are placed in a world
such as ours. Willy exemplifies Northup Frye’s version of a tragic hero,
someone who falls because of society. Willy started out a “normal” man. He had
a good family, a good job, a good life. But, people betrayed Willy over the
years. His brother left, his company was taken over by his boss’s son, and he
believed he was betrayed by Biff. He was stuck, surrounded by wealthy,
successful individuals like his neighbor Charley, while being betrayed by
people he felt closest to. He coped with this betrayed by transforming into
this somewhat psychotic being.
Willy’s
flashbacks, constant rambling, and hallucinations stand as enormous parts of
the play. Miller uses his sporadic flashbacks to show the reader the truth of
the past. The imagery wrapped up in these flashbacks give the reader a clue as
to what is really wrong with Willy Loman. His hallucinations of his brother
represent an important element of Willy’s childhood. We see how he feels
betrayed by big brother Ben and his father. The flashbacks to Happy and Biff’s
childhood let us see why and how he feels betrayed by them too. Without the
imagery found in the play, we wouldn’t have a sense as to why Willy feels
betrayed and therefore we wouldn’t understand his downfall and devastation.
Miller used Willy’s madness to expose the dysfunction in the Loman household.
His character is the key to the reader that there is something wrong in their
broken down house. With Linda characterized as a mother figure to Willy, we see
deeper into his devastation and downfall as a man. The personality of Biff and
his inability to please his father is one of the key aspects of betrayal. This
idea is a huge piece in Willy’s downfall. The characters in the book and their
betrayal of one another are what drive the message of the play.
In Death of A Salesman, Miller uses characterization, imagery, and setting to
show that betrayal can lead to devastation and downfall. Through the story of
the Lomans, a middle-class American family, the reader sees the downfall of a
common man.
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