IndexNotes:BibliographyPrimary sourcesSecondary sourcesAn in-depth analysis of the linguistic features of Death of a Salesman (1949) by Arthur Miller will illustrate how, for a conscientious reader, all this we need to know the performance is provided within the written text. By focusing on the playwright's use of preference structure, silence and turn-taking, it will be revealed that all the vital features of live theater are available in the written words. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayTo facilitate an evaluation of the legitimacy of the linguistic methodology and its results, it is first necessary to consider what can be discerned from the text and performance of the death of a salesman from a non-linguistic perspective. The show was born from the assumption that "the distinction we make between our past and our present is unreal: everything exists simultaneously in our mind". Death of a Salesman shows Willy Lowman's mind as it deteriorates through repeated disappointments and unachieved aspirations. Many factors contribute to this process: stubborn belief in the American dream and the need to prove himself as a hero of the American way of life generate deception of family members and himself. The entire Lowman family is a central character - with perhaps the exception of Happy - and the audience/reader is given great insight into the themes, plot and protagonist through their interactions. Willy's wife, Linda, is a multifaceted character. She has the pretense of a stereotypical housewife in post-war America. The perpetual presence of a laundry basket in his hands, captions like "Linda fills his cup whenever she can." ... Linda holds his jacket' (p.55) all highlight her perceived role in the family. Linda speaks kindly and clearly, when she speaks to her husband, simple lines like "Just rest." Should I sing to you?' (p.54) highlight his calming and protective nature in the delicate management of his mental state. However, her willingness to banish Biff from the house if he does not fulfill her wishes regarding Willy, coupled with her skillful management of the family finances, expose Linda as a strong woman whose depth of perception far exceeds what her behavior implies. . This is evident when he tells his son that Willy "must go to Charley's and borrow fifty dollars a week and pretend to me that it's his pay" (p.45). Linda's broad awareness of the reality of the family situation is evident when she tells her boys in Act I about the "little rubber tube" (p.47) she discovered. This naked truth is juxtaposed with vast deception. Every day I go down and take away that little rubber tube. But when he comes home, I put him back where he was. How can I insult him like that? (p.47)This antithesis summarizes the conflict in Death of a Salesman. Those who allow themselves to see and face the truth are in conflict with those who live in a cloud of illusions, whether by choice or consequence. While Linda hides the truth to protect her loved ones, Happy chooses to deceive himself and others. He exaggerates like his father: when he meets Miss Forsythe in the restaurant scene he lies about his and his brother's occupations. As a marginalized member of the family, Happy's sporadic one-line contributions to discussions are incongruous and do little more than provide comic relief: "I'll get married, Mom." I wanted to tell you." (p.53) He echoes his adolescent mantra 'I'm losing weight, have you noticed, Dad?'(P.26) These self-centered ploys to gain attention illuminate his peacekeeping efforts. When Biff insists on telling Willy an unpleasant truth about his moral character, Happy instructs him to "tell him something nice" (p.83) and follows up by suggesting a nice lie that would suffice. When tension reaches the point of embarrassment, Happy disowns Willy publicly rather than take action: 'No, that's not my father. He's just a boy.' (P.91) Biff's character contrasts with his brothers in its complexity. He shows sensitivity towards nature when he describes the 'inspiring sight of a mare and a new foal' (p.16) in his first appearance on stage. Biff also admits in this scene that he is "confused" and "like a boy" (p.16); this sets the tone for Biff's positive development towards self-awareness, the only character in the play who manages to achieve this. Young Biff's confidence is based on a false and inflated self-image and perception of the world provided to him by his father. Miller contrasts the moment in which Biff first loses all self-certainty with the moment in which he first glimpses the truth about who his father is. The years of disillusionment that follow end as Biff comes to a clear understanding of himself and the danger of lying to himself: How the hell could I ever think of being a salesman there? I believed it too... he looked at me and I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life had been. We've been talking in dreams for fifteen years. I was a shipping clerk. (p.82) Miller's use of the word 'dream' in that Biff speech draws a parallel between banal everyday lies and the "greatest lie of all, that the world is made up of individuals to whom the society is responsible, if you work hard enough success is inevitable." Belief in this maxim contributes largely to Willy's disappointments in himself and Biff. His journey towards suicide is peppered with fragments of hope centered on falsification. At the end of the first act optimism surrounds Willy's impending trip to see Willy's boss, Howard, of whom he states "Everything's going to be okay." (p.54) The following morning is also the day of Biff's visit to Oliver for an unrealistic business proposal. Willy tells Linda that Biff is "going towards a change... He could be... anything with that dress!" (p.55). When all the ventures fail, Willy's difficulty distinguishing appearance from reality and the past from the present degenerates:Biff: So I'm done with Oliver, you know? Are you listening to me? Willy: Yes, of course. If I hadn't failed- (p.87) Here you can see guilt over past bad behavior interfering with current judgment. Willy's older brother Ben, who only appears in the flashback sequences of Willy's memories, symbolizes his father's glorious past and achievements (as indicated by the accompanying flute music) and therefore also the importance of family bonds. Ben also embodies the American dream. It is therefore significant that he is the one who lures Willy to the final decision of suicide. Desmond Wilcox states: "Miller denied that the work is an indictment of American capitalism or an analysis of family relationships gone wrong, although any reader or viewer is bound to feel that these are elements in it" It is appropriate that Wilcox includes the reader and viewer on equal footing in his statement about understanding Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller's linguistic analysis of the manipulation of turn-taking mechanisms - based on V. Herman's modification of the formulation of Sacks et al. as described by Levinson (1983) – in an excerpt from the end of the first act (see appendix), supports many of the character and theme inferences mentioned above. Theresequence involves Linda, Biff and Happy discussing Willy's condition. Of the 37 turns in total, Linda has 19, Biff 13, and Happy only 5. Immediately the reader understands that in the co-text of Linda's usual, rare and short calming turns, this indicates an unexpected depth of her character. Linda is the dominant character in this sequence, she selects herself 8 times keeping the topic and focus on Willy's misfortune despite Biff's attempts to close the conversation on turns 10 and 16, and her turn skips every time Linda urges him for a truthful answer; 10, 16 and 18. On turn 7 Linda makes a long turn of 16 lines without any advance declaration for the floor. His speech is full of thought-provoking rhetorical questions that tell the reader much of the story of Willy's circumstances and deterioration, "no one knows him anymore, no one welcomes him." And what goes through the mind of a man who drives seven hundred miles home without having earned a cent?' The repetition of "no one" emphasizes the atmosphere of isolation that afflicts Willy and permeates the show: the same isolation that filled the Lyric Theater during the show I attended. The atmosphere was aided by Miller's notes on the set design calling for "imposing angular forms... encircling all sides" (p.7), which they imposed on the audience as well as the actors. The loneliness evoked that evening is equally present in the texture of Linda's speech at Turn 7. Miller uses naturalistic language with poetic syntax to convey atmosphere and tone in the speech. The repetition of 'old', 'why' and 'how long' resonates with disillusionment and weariness. The description of his unsuccessful efforts exemplifies how the American dream is mythical and Willy's dedication to it detrimental to his well-being. Happy's superficial nature is evident in Linda's cutting remarks in turn 3 and her insult which prompts him to end turn 7 by interrupting her. with its characteristic brevity. She responds with a term of endearment in turn 9 to soften the scorned accusation, then turns her attention to Biff, Miller indicating in the captions that he is the one chosen as the next speaker. He asks a direct question, but the adjacency pair remains open, Biff skips the turn at turn 10 and at the same time attempts to close the conversation. Linda, who will clearly despise both aspects of her son's response, self-selects and denies him the power to close the conversation while ensuring that the current topic is maintained. In rounds 11-14, mother and son take turns equally and talk honestly. Turns 13 and 14 are an adjacent pair (QA) that exposes a truth about the past and alludes to Willy's secret affair that Biff dares not mention to his mother. Biff's guilt, sensitivity, and protective nature become evident in his handling of Miller's turn here. When Linda scolds Biff for using metalanguage to explain further in turn 15, he responds with a multi-clause turn skip with further attempts to abruptly end the conversation "I'm going to bed." And then tries to leave the room. Linda chooses herself again in line 17 with a dramatic and truthful comment that angers Biff but does not prompt him to question her, illustrating the avoidance of truth that characterizes this family. Instead he responds to the reproach with the question: "Now what do you want?" Linda resists his counterrebuke by instead opting for Turn 19 to force the truth about Willy into the conversation. He selects Biff in the turn, which indicates the inequity between the three characters, Happy "turns quickly to her, shocked" but does not turn to grab despite Biff's attributable silence on turn 20. Biff's silence may be due to, 1978.