Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman are successful dramas produced in 1879 and 1949, respectively. Due to their relevance to contemporary challenges, both writings have garnered high praise from critics and are debated by academics worldwide. Despite being created in various eras and nations, the plays examine concerns about middle-class families. This essay compares and contrasts the two dramas using character analysis, plot development, settings, outstanding feature, and existing themes.
Both dramas, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, use characters to significant effect. In Death of a Salesman, the characters of Willy, Linda, and Biff show the effects of the American Dream on the family. In A Doll’s House, the characters of Nora, Torvald, and Dr. Rank show the impact of a patriarchal society on the family.
Both dramas are tragedies, and both use characters to great effect. In Death of a Salesman, the characters of Willy, Linda, and Biff show the impact of the American Dream on the family (Miller 9). The American Dream is the belief that anyone can succeed in America if they work hard enough. However, the reality is that the American Dream is often out of reach for many people. Willy Loman is a salesman who has worked hard all his life, but he is now nearing his career’s end and struggling to make ends meet (Mambrol). However, he has floundered and is now working as a manual laborer (Miller 31). The character of Willy shows the false promise of the American Dream, while Linda and Biff represent the reality of many people’s lives.
In A Doll’s House, the characters of Nora, Torvald, and Dr. Rank show the effects of a patriarchal society on the family. In a patriarchal society, men are the primary decision-makers, and women are subservient to them. Nora is a wife and mother trapped in a loveless marriage (Ibsen 12). Torvald is a cold and distant man who treats her more like a child than a wife. Nora is also having an affair with Dr. Rank, a married man. The character of Nora shows the restrictions a patriarchal society places on women. Torvald and Dr. Rank represent the men who benefit from a patriarchal society.
Consequently, the two drama plays share some similarities in their plot development. In both plays, the main characters face a crisis leading to a breaking point. Willy Loman struggles to provide for his family in Death of a Salesman. This eventually leads to his downfall as he is fired from his job and takes his own life. Nora Helmer’s crisis in A Doll’s House is based on her secret debt and the lies she has told her husband to keep it hidden (Ibsen 25). This eventually leads to her leaving her husband and children at the end of the play.
While there are some similarities in the plot development of these two plays, there are also some key differences. One of the main differences is how the main characters handle their crisis. Willy Loman tries to ignore his problems and pretend everything is fine, even when it is not. On the other hand, Nora Helmer is much more proactive in dealing with her crisis. She confronts her husband about the debt and lies, leaving her family to start fresh. This difference in handling their crisis leads to different outcomes for the two characters. Willy Loman’s crisis leads to his death, while Nora Helmer’s crisis leads to her freedom.
In Arthur Miller’s play, the main character, Willy Loman, denies that he is no longer successful. He lives in a world of illusions and is unable to accept reality. In contrast, Nora is trapped in a loveless marriage in A Doll’s House. She is unhappy with her life and decides to leave her husband and children to find herself. Both plays deal with the theme of illusion versus reality. Willy Loman cannot face the fact that he is no longer a successful salesman. He lives in a world of fantasies, believing he is still the top salesman at his company. On the other hand, Nora is unhappy with her life and decides to leave her husband and children to find herself. She is willing to face the reality of her situation and make a change.
The play Death of a Salesman is set in the late 1940s in New York City. The play A Doll’s House is set in the late 1800s in Norway. Both settings are in industrialized cities with many opportunities for social mobility (Mambrol). However, the characters in each play have very different attitudes toward opportunity and success. In Death of a Salesman, Willie Loman struggles to make ends meet. He is constantly chasing the American dream but never seems to catch up. He is always looking for the next big sale, but it never comes. His wife Linda is supportive but also exhausted by his constant chasing. Their sons, Biff and Happy, are also caught up in their father’s quest for the American dream.
Biff is the more successful of the two, but he is also the more frustrated. Happy is content with his life, but he is also constantly trying to please his father. In A Doll’s House, Nora is a wife and mother trapped in a loveless marriage. Her husband’s control suffocates her, and she is desperate to escape. Her children are also a source of frustration for her. She loves them but feels like she is just a doll in their lives. It is shocking for everyone when she finally decides to leave her family. The two settings are very different, but the characters in each play are struggling with similar issues. They are both trapped by their circumstances and searching for a way out.
The literary feature that stands out the most in Death of a Salesman is the use of flashbacks. The playwright uses them to show the contrast between the present and the past. Additionally, it highlights key events in the protagonist’s life, Willy Loman. In A Doll’s House, the literary feature that stands out the most is symbolism. The playwright uses it to great effect to communicate the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings and highlight the play’s themes. Both plays use literary devices to great effect. Still, the use of flashbacks in Death of a Salesman is particularly effective in revealing the character of Willy Loman and the events that have shaped his life. The use of symbolism in A Doll’s House is also very effective in communicating the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters and in highlighting the play’s themes.
In conclusion, the two plays, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, are very different in their use of character, plot development, settings, and existing themes. In Death of a Salesman, the characters are more flat and one-dimensional, the plot is more focused on the events leading up to the protagonist’s death, and the setting is more realistic. In contrast, A Doll’s House has more complex and three-dimensional characters, a more convoluted plot that focuses on the protagonist’s search for self-discovery, and a more symbolic and abstract setting. However, both plays share the themes of disillusionment and the search for identity.
Works Cited
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Sheba Blake Publishing Corp., 2022.
Mambrol, Nasrullah. “Analysis of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.” Literary Theory and Criticism, Web.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Revised Edition. Penguin, 1996.