1986. Some
works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. The
chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or
accelerated. Choose a novel, an epic, or a play of recognized literary merit
and show how the author's manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness
of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot
The
perception of time through a work of literature changes how the audience views
and understands the material. Many
authors use time normally by arranging events chronologically and not having
any emphasis on the passage of time.
However, other authors make shifts in time noticeable and use it as a
part of their work. Arthur Miller uses
time as an important element in his play Death
of a Salesman in portraying the main character, Willy Loman and showing the
condition of life in America.
The
passage of time helps the portrayal of Willy Loman. He is a troubled character who seems to
slowly loose his mind as the play progresses. At the beginning of the play, Willy notices
that while he is driving, he is slowly drifting off into memories and
forgetting to watch the road. This
worries him because he can’t seem to understand why his mind keeps on
wandering. These memories become more
real to him until at the end of the play, Willy slips into events from his
past, talking and acting out the memories as if he were really there. This makes the audience think that Willy is
going crazy. This passing/changing of
time against his will shows his state of mind and how powerless he is to the
world.
This
shifting of time contributes to the work because one of the main conflicts in
this play is Willy struggling to understand everything that is going on in his
life. The changes in time not only help
to show how fragmented Willy’s mind is, but also how bewildered he is in a
world of unknown. After Willy’s
“flashbacks,” he returns to the real world and is confused at what has
happened. People judge him because they
think he is scatterbrained and as a result, don’t want to deal with him. Willy doesn’t understand what he has done to
get disapproval. The flashbacks also
remind him of events in his life that cause him to question things in his life
now. He remembers all the promise Biff
had with football and wonders why Biff has not been successful ever since. He remembers all the promises of a life as a
salesman and wonders why his life hasn’t turned out the way he wanted it
to. The events from his past keep
creating more and more questions for Willy and contribute to his bewilderment.
Willy’s confusion at life and
society helps the effectiveness of the play because it shows how industrial
America destroys dreams and nothing can stop it. Time is an uncontrollable force and nothing
Willy or any of the other characters do can stop it. Willy falls victim to these changes in time
and the only thing he can do is to float along hopelessly. In the commercialism of America, all Willy
wants is money and glory, yet no amount of success can prevent Willy from
destroying himself. In Death of a Salesman, time is used to
portray the character of Willy Loman and helps to show the futility of life in
industrial America.
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