"Competing To Succeed" As Revealed In Willy’s Reveries In Death Of A Salesman

The thesis closely revolves around how the concept of "Competing to Succeed" is revealed in the reveries of Willy, the major character of Death of a Salesman. In this thesis, "Competing to Succeed" is shortened to "CtS"The thesis consists of six chapters. The first gives a brief introduction to Arthur Miller’s personal experiences and an outline of Death of a Salesman. It is followed by an introduction to Social Darwinist ideas and the jungle image, which serve to trace the origin of "CtS". The thesis argues that competition and success are coupled in the play which brook no division:competition is an important way to success, while success is supposed to be the purpose of competition. The two are mutually reinforcing, and forms as one notion, as is named in the thesis, "CtS". The author proposes that "CtS" is closely related to Willy’s childhood experiences as well as his career as a salesman. The end of the chapter is devoted to an introduction of relevant theories, which further analysis depends on.The second chapter provides a literature review of studies about the play, which follows national and international lines. Significance of the thesis is included as well.The following three chapters focus on analysis on how "CtS" is revealed in each reverie. It starts with a review of Willy’s most recent experience, trailed by an inquiry into how "CtS" is presented, and strengthened by his manifest dream content. To end each chapter, some important notions and images are also discussed to enrich the argument. The thesis assumes that "CtS", which runs through all the three reveries, can be tracked down to his personal experiences where his conviction in competition and success is recurrently strengthened. The thesis further observes that the blind worship of the jungle law may be responsible for his conviction. Therefore, for Willy, success and survival bear no fundamental difference. In different chapters of the thesis, some important concepts are discussed, such as Willy’s "well-received" notion and his relation with Ben; images of fob and seeding are also concerned. Several areas such as Willy’s intention to overwhelm Ben, the deceptive nature of fob, narcissism and solitude under his "well-received" notion, as well as the seeding act which gives credit to the argument that Willy does not die from total desperation, are also touched upon. The author suggests as well that he dies from desperation about himself, and great promise for the future generation, rather than from total despair. All the efforts above mean to show the "CtS" ambition in his reveries.The conclusion falls on the argument that "CtS" is the latent dream content in reveries. It is "CtS" that he strives for, and wants to defend in the reveries.