A Psychiatric Analysis Of Willy Loman's Borderline Personality Disorder In Death Of A Salesman

Arthur Miller was one of the most distinguished American playwrights of the 20th century.He has been acknowledged as a social playwright because his plays mainly focus on the social morality,guilty conscience and sense of responsibility of common American citizens.Death of a Salesman is widely regarded as one of the representative plays of Arthur Miller.This play is considered to be a cornerstone of contemporary American drama.In this play,the playwright depicts Willy Loman's self-destruction due to the crisis of mental world.This thesis aims to help readers understand Willy Lowman's symptoms of personality disorder and its causes,which will be in line with the diagnosis in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V.It clearly demonstrates that Willy's inner world contradicts itself between intrapersonal and interpersonal aspect.This thesis can be divided into five chapters.To begin with,in the first chapter,the playwright is introduced briefly,including his life experience and major achievements.Meanwhile,it briefly summarizes the major plot of the play,Death of a Salesman,and introduces the research objective and the significance of the thesis.Then this thesis conducts a general statement on the academic circles about this play.The second chapter is mainly about the theory of borderline personality disorder(BPD),including its definition,criteria and causes.Based on chapter two,the third chapter analyzes and summarizes Willy's behavior,thinking pattern and language,which are consistent with the diagnosis,in order to demonstrate Willy's BPD symptoms.Then we can ascertain that Willy Loman,the protagonist,has borderline personality disorder.In the fourth chapter,based on the given evidence,this thesis explores the root of Willy's BPD from two perspectives,the social influence and the family influence.The last chapter is the conclusion which concludes the previous points.All these points give us a clear picture about an individual,who suffers from mental disorder,living in a modern society.By analyzing the protagonist's BPD,this thesis elucidates a new observation into Arthur Miller's play.Digging clues and hints from the background,themes,dialogues and interpersonal relationship,this thesis demonstrates more accurate and profound understanding of the protagonist's unique personality.What's more,we will know this play is still worthwhile to read again and its value does not detract with time gone.