A Modern Version Of Oedipus Complex

Arthur Miller, in Death of a Salesman, develops the ancient Oedipus theme through the interaction between Father and Son in a modern family. Through the Oedipal confrontations within the Loman family and other social conflicts that fall into this pattern, Miller provides a good material for readers not only to get a better understanding of father-son relationship and generation gap in general, but also to explore the Oedipus complex that resides in human beings and to apply this complex to explain some of the social conflicts that people have to face and suffer from.This paper intends to probe this Oedipus theme through three parts. Chapter one analyzes the development of the disguised ancient Oedipus theme in this modern play. Chapter tow discusses the causes of the Oedipal confrontations. Chapter three explores the inevitability and social significance of Oedipus complex reflected in the play.