Gender in Death of a Salesman
- Created by: MaggieNaylor
- Created on: 06-04-21 07:29
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- Gender in Death of a Salesman
- Linda
- Voice of truth?
- Understands Willy's personality: 'he make's mountains out of molehills'
- She alone is aware of the terrible financial situation
- Sustainer?
- Mediates between Willy + the boys
- E.g. provides an ultimatum: 'Either he’s your father and you pay him that respect, or else you’re not to come here'
- She is the 'foundation' of the Lomans
- Mediates between Willy + the boys
- Fulfills the need of men at home
- We only learn about Linda's character through interactions with her family (men)
- Character development?
- Her 'iron repression' shows how she makes excuses for Willy's behaviour. She does this throughout the play.
- Seems weak/besotted with her boys at first. However she demonstrates a more independent side
- 'You and your lousy....'
- Voice of truth?
- Willy
- Holds typical male attritbutes
- Belives a man is successful is he is 'well liked', has charisma, and is attractive- a man doesn't need to work hard if he has these things
- Willy is in denial about the lack of success in his life. He seems to think that a man without success is nothing.
- Belives a man is successful is he is 'well liked', has charisma, and is attractive- a man doesn't need to work hard if he has these things
- Holds typical male attritbutes
- Biff and Happy
- Throughout the play Biff is concerned about how he hasn't been able to 'settle down' and assume the typical male role of supporting his own family.
- Sexism, they view women as conquests
- Happy calls a women he got with a 'pig'
- But this doesn't make him Happy: 'I hate myself for it'
- Happy says he has an 'over-developed sense of competition'
- Typical male attributes!
- Happy calls a women he got with a 'pig'
- The Woman
- Shown as a femme fatale
- Seductress
- E.g. She seems inconsiderate when Biff comes to Boston
- Perhaps to exonerate Willy as the 'bad guy'
- Seductress
- She fulfills the needs of men in the bedroom!
- Shown as a femme fatale
- The two women
- No role to play except to demonstrate Happy and Biff's charming attitude
- They get called 'whores' by Linda- internalised misogyny?
- The American Dream
- Promotes stereotypical male attributes
- E.g. competitive
- Promotes stereotypical male attributes
- Role of women
- NO woman has a role to play that isn't dependent on men
- Linda
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