In an analysis of "The Death of a Salesman" from a feminist view, the woman of the play are treated as less important then the men. They are disrespected and are not held as high as the men. One of the primary examples of this is Linda. Throughout the play, Linda is patient, loving, and helpful, yet even these qualities are ignored by the men of the play. Her husband, Willy, treats her with complete disrespect. He constantly cuts her off and ignores her advice. An example is when Willy says,
“Willy: Why do you get American When I like Swiss?
Linda: I just thought you’d like a change—
Willy: I don’t want a change! I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?” (Page 26).
He gets angry with her when she does not do as he commands. He treats her as if she is there to serve him, and in return he provides for her. Yet, Linda, with love and patience, puts up with him. These same qualities are seen in her sons, Biff and Happy. They too cut Linda off and ignore her. Another place where the mistreatment of women occur is in Biff and Happy's relationships with women. The two boys seen to use women to their advantage and pleasure. They often speak lower of women and how they are tools of pleasure. An example of this is when Happy states,
Happy: Yeah, that was my first time—I think. Boy, there was a pig! They laugh, almost crudely. You taught me everything I know about women. Don’t forget that” (Page 29).
This shows their complete disrespect and mindset towards women. Finally, there is the passive role Linda takes against all the abuse she is dealt. Linda is taken for granted constantly, yet she never retaliates, nor does she stand up for herself. She simply takes it and moves on. She seems to accept her role and position in the family. For example, she shows this patience when willy yells at her,
“Willy: Why don’t you open a window in here, for God’s sake?
Linda, with infinite patience: They’re all open, dear” (Page 26).
She is reliant on Willy for income, and in return she takes care of the house when he is gone. She then takes care of the men when they return home, who do not appreciate her for it. Linda, is the prime example of the feminist view in "The Death of a Salesman."
I agree with you that Linda's role is a good feminist topic, and I really like your example of the Swiss cheese, because this especially establishes Linda as the housewife and her dedication for the family, which brings out the contrast between her love and Willy's selfishness and carelessness for the home. I really like this analysis, and I think it would be perfect if you can push one step further into analyzing Linda's own thoughts and her self-positioning, of her thinking about herself. Linda is definitely an antifeminist, and from elaborating this, the application of the feminist lens would be more comprehensive.
ReplyDeleteExcellent choice of details. Women are shown in a variety of inferior positions in Salesman. One avenue for extension would be Miller's point of view--is he neutral, simply portraying the way things are? Or is he somehow supporting or criticizing the view of women that his characters seem to have? Grade on PP.
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