Portrayal of Women in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman...

Portrayal of Women in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Although Death of a Salesman is mainly about a salesman named Willy Loman, the almost hidden presence of the women in the novel goes all too often unnoticed. Linda Loman seems to be the glue that holds the Loman clan together, as Willy, Biff, and Happy are all deluded in one way or another. Arthur Miller depicts Willys wife in a very specific way, and this is a very crucial part of the story. He depicts the other women in the story in ways that complement Lindas distinct nature. Although Lindas role as a woman in society is extremely limited, she is a heroic character, both wife and mother to some very sad and twisted characters. Linda is technically the female†¦show more content†¦Here is the dialogue that tells us about her- and her relation to her husband. HOWARDS VOICE. Go on, say something. (Pause.) Well, you gonna talk? HIS WIFE. I cant think of anything. HOWARDS VOICE. Well, talk--its turning.~ HIS WIFE (shyly, beaten). Hello. (Silence.) Oh Howard I cant talk into this . . . HOWARD (snapping the machine off). That was my wife. (1199) There is, in fact, a third woman in Howards life, maid. Howard says that if he cant be at home when the Jack Benny program comes on, he uses the wire recorder. He tells the maid to turn the radio on when Jack Benny comes on, and this automatically goes on with the radio.... (1199). In short, the women in Howards world exist to serve (and to worship) him. Another woman who seems to have existed only to serve men is Willy Lomans mother. On one occasion, in speaking with Ben, Willy remembers being on her lap, and Ben, on learning that his mother is dead, utters a platitudinous description of her, Fine specimen of a lady, Mother (1183), but thats as much as we learn of her. Willy is chiefly interested in learning about his father, who left the family and went to Alaska. Ben characterizes the father as a very great and a very wild-hearted man (1185), but the fact that the father left hisShow MoreRelated Women in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire and Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman956 Words   |  4 PagesWomen in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire and Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman The part of Stella and Linda are both archetypal female figures in that they follow the typical fictional role of the submissive wife and mother. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stella DuBois (renamed Mrs. Stanley Kowalski) supports and forgives her husband, defending him against any criticism. 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