An Interpretation of Ben’s Function in Intensifying Willy’s Tragedy from Aristotle’s Poetics

The play Death of a Salesman is undoubtedly the most influential play of Arthur Miller which depicts a tragic life of Willy Loman, a travelling salesman, induced by his false American Dream of making a fortune out of business. Unlike many other essays focusing on the hero Willy, this one tries to explore Willy’s dead brother Ben’s function in this play so as to demonstrate that Ben plays an important role in Willy’s life by making Willy’s life more tragic in terms of Aristotle’s tragic theory. The first part of the essay illustrates Ben’s importance to Willy and the second part centers on the way Ben pushes Willy to a more tragic situation.     

Disillusionment of American Dream:Willy Loman’s Tragic Dream

Arthur Miller plays an important role in American literature. His works have a great influence on American literature afterWorld War Ⅱ.Willy Loman is the symbol of modern American man. His living state is typical during that time in America. This paperstarts with a survey of Willy’s two dreams-his children can own big future; he can own big business. In the second part, the author contrasts Willy’s unreal dreams with the reality, through this comparison, aims at analyzing the sad elements of Willy’s life, exploring thesource of his sadness. Willy is one convict of American dream. He is influenced greatly by the American cultural mainstream. As an individual drowning in the harsh world, he cannot grasp his own fate by himself.     

On the Uncertainty of“True-being”: from“Chuang Zhou’s Dreaming of Becoming a Butterfly”

This paper tries to make a philosophical speculation towards the“uncertainty”of“true-being”from the following three aspects:first,Chuang Tzu’s philosophy on skepticism and the uniformity of all things reflected on“Chuang Zhou’s Dreaming of Becoming A Butterfly”;second,Descartes’skepticism on the existence of true being;last,the ongoing exploring of the true being.Through the reflections on different philosophers’speculations towards the same proposition,the belt between Chinese and western philosophy is built,providing a broaden horizon and thinking mode towards life.     

Death of a Salesman and American Dream

American Dream refers to the belief of the majority of Americans.Through hard work,thrift,and determination,they can surely achieve a better life and live a comfortable life.Such an American Dream has a profound influence on several generations of Americans.American Dream has a close relationship with people’ s working life and cultural activities.Death of a Salesman is a typical play about the pursuit and the illusionary of the Dream follower.In Death of a Salesman,the American Dream is the main hero as well as Willy Loman’ s spiritual pillar.The pursuit,the realization,and the disillusionment of the American Dream develop with Willy and his family.     

The "Marrow-bone" Wisdom-Yeats’ Lyrics of Transcendence

The lyrics of transcendence by William Butler Yeats is to a greatextent a comprehensive interpretation of Yeats’ views on poet ics and life.According to Yeats,transcendence is essentially a cold,lofty wisdom with which human beings could transcend their innate limitations,incompleteness as well as the secularities of existence,therefore achieving the mastery over one’s fate.The thematic study of Yeats’ lyrics of transcendence offers an unique approach to Yeats’ philosophy in art and life.     

Thoreau’s philosophy of “simplify”

The essay expounds the philosophy of Thoreau’s "simplify" in aspect of meaning and reason.Closely connected with the relationship between human and nature,it enables us to see the point of a brooding,simple and sensible life of Thoreau.The end clarifies on a question:according to Thoreau,what is to have a simplify life? That’s to care for little,listen to one’s heart and do what one likes.The conclusion comes with an advocation that people keep a simple life with little greed,and take it as an ulti mate cure for the bothering life of today.     

On the Disillusionment of Willy Loman＇s Dream in Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller＇s masterpiece Death of a Salesman is regarded as American myth and a contemporary tragedy. Its theme is closely related to American dream. The leading character Willy Loman is a traveling salesman, who lives a life chiefly in pursuit of the dream. This paper mainly probes into the disillusionment of Willy Loman＇S dream from different roles he plays in society as a common people, and in the family as a husband and as a father.     

Analysis of John Dewey’s Philosophy of Education and Its Value

John Dewey was a pragmatic philosopher,psychologist,and educator commonly regarded as the founder of the pro gressive education movement.His philosophy of pragmatic education not only exerts great influence on Western education,but also on China’s education.This paper attempts to make a detailed analysis of Dewey’s philosophy of education and its value.     

A Brief Analysis of Willy Loman’s Tragic Fate in Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller was considered as the most famous dramatist in America after the World War II, and his representative work Death of a Salesman was recognized as the best play in America during the post-war years. It was also considered to be one of the best three plays in the history of American drama; with A Streetcar Named Desire and Long Day’s Journey into Night.Through the failure of two generations, this play addressed the painful conflicts within one family, and it also tackled greater issues regarding to Americans’ national values.As an average person, Willy Loman had experienced hopes and pains, struggles and frustrations as well as dreams and disillusions, at last he chose to commit suicide. Based on the existent materials, the predecessor’s researches as well as her own thinking, the author of this paper gives a brief analysis of the leading role’s tragic fate, which mainly elaborates three important stages of Willy Loman’s tragic life: disillusion of the American Dream, the abandonment and the betrayal, aiming to decode the root of Loman’s tragedy from the perspectives of society, family and the protagonist’s character. In conclusion, the paper tries to explore Arthur Miller’s inner world and the resources of his creation as far as possible, hoping to give readers of this paper certain inspiration.     

A Review of Robert Frost’s Poem:The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken is one of the Frost’ s classic poems in the collection Mountain Interval.The poem betrays the poet’ s deep thought about life philosophy and helplessness towards reality.From the perspectives of content,metaphor,image etc.the writing skills and significant connotation are discussed in this paper in order to help readers to have a better understanding about this poem as well as the artistic techniques the author employed to elaborate the life wisdom through image and common settings.     

Hegel’s Philosophical Discourse of Political Ethics and Spirit of Enchantment

Philosophy of Right as the text of Hegel’s thought of practical philosophy has been the most important academic dominance on Hegel.The differences of ethical spirit between Phenomenology of Spirit and Philosophy of Right were lack of attention.The former focuses on historical consciousness in formation of modern spirit.The latter which is construction practice is based on the former.This concern will enable us to maintain a clear understanding of the particularity behind universal ethical values in globalization era and multi-cultural dialogue.     

Freedom: Perquisite of Emerson’s Individualism

Emerson established a systematic philosophy of individualism at his early stage. The basic three elements of individualism described in Emerson’s works are: freedom, self-identity and independence to others. Freedom, including the freedom to think and act, is the perquisite of the realization of individualism.     

My Understanding of Wordsworth’s‘Immortality’in His“Ode:Intimation of Immortality”

William Wordsworth was the representative of the British "Lake poets" In his poems he aimed at simplicity and purity of the language,fighting against the conventional forms of the 18th century poetry.He transformed his observation of the landscape into the revelation of the beauty of nature in poetry,and thus expressed his nature philosophy.In this article the author briefly analyses the organization of his poem: "Ode: Intimation of Immortality" and mainly elaborates her understanding of the poet’s na-ture-philosophy in four points:(a) Man is sensitive to all natural influences in childhood.(b) Nature has a moral and spiritual sig-nificance and helps the poet understand the mystery of human life.(c) Life is but a stage.(d) All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings;it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.     

The Effects of World War Ⅱ:Analysis of Kensuke’s Kingdom

Kensuke’s Kingdom is a highly readable British survival novel written by Michael Morourgo. It is not only a survival novel, but also a realistic novel for the children. By the two disparate characters, the writer wants to discuss the effects of the war, which is the deeper meaning of this novel. Writing war and the effects of the war is a heavy but necessary topic for children’s literature. Books like Kensuke’s Kingdom can be woven into young readers’ developing senses of themselves, extending their imaginations and helping them to understand the world from unaccustomed points of view.     

Reality,Imagination and Art-On Wallace Stevens’s Art of Poetry

Wallace Stevens is a distinguished American modern poet.He come up with the idea of Supreme Fiction,in which he holds poetry as the union of reality and imagination,brings power,order,and wisdom to the world,which features his work with philosophy and poetic wisdom.Stevens’s perspectives on poetry writing and the needs of spiritual enrichment share some similarities with Friedrich Nietzsche on art and aesthetics-Art is the final form of sublimation of the souls of human beings.     

On the Theme of Coexistence of Opposites in The Left Hand of Darkness

As one of the best-known literary works of the American novelist Ursula K.Le Guin,The Left Hand of Darkness is not only successful in its splendid plots and beautiful language but also in the important function of its readers in reading.In the thesis,one of its themes,coexistence of opposites,is analyzed in the reader response perspective in order to reveal Le Guin’s reader-consciousness.The theme exists on a higher level in the novel and expresses Le Guin’s attitude towards life and universe.Le Guin unified her own philosophy in the novel and tried to call for the reader’s resonance.     

Guarding the Pure Land of the Heart—A Comparison of Outlooks on Life in Walden and Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi is the masterpiece of Zhuangzi, and Walden is the masterpiece of Henry David Thoreau. This paper intends to study the similarities of Zhuangzi’s and Thoreau’s outlooks on life by analyzing Thoreau’s origin with Taoism and the absorption from Taoism in Walden. By making a large amount of analysis and comparison of the texts in these two works, the paper comes to such a conclusion: both Thoreau and Zhuangzi advocate to simplify people’s material life and to seek voluntary poverty; they are willing to enjoy the solitude and pursue the spiritual independence and freedom; they prefer to return to nature, live harmoniously with nature and therefore reach the realm of"unity of heaven and humanity". They pay more attention to human existence and their spiritual state. In the complicated modern society, people devote themselves to seeking a materially rich life. However, they do not attach enough importance to spiritual richness. As a result, the whole human society is facing a serious spiritual crisis in modern times. Thoreau’s and Zhuangzi’s outlooks on life can lead people to go through various difficulties of life and guard the pure land of the heart.     

All Walk Free:Portia’ s Illiteracy of Law

In Shakespeare’ s Merchant of Venice,Portia is portrayed as a legal expert.Considerable scholarly work has been devoted to the discussion of the play,and Portia’ s ruling appears to be supported by a majority of scholarly commentary.However,a number of important legal issues regarding the contract represented in the play require immediate attention.This article attempts to re-evaluate Portia’ s ruling and the conventional views on Portia as a legal expert by considering the issues in question within a recent framework of law,and will argue that Portia’ s role as a legal expert is questionable.Antonio,Bassanio,and Shylock can all ’ walk free’.     

An Ecocritical Reading of Tess of the d’ Urbervilles

Tess of the d’Urbervilles,Tomas Hardy’s masterpiece,was published in 1891,marking a turning point in Hardy’s literary life.This essay attempts to analyze Tess of the d’Urbervilles in the light of Ecocriticism and seeks to throw a new light on this novel.Through a close study of the relationship between Tess and nature,the essay interprets the process of Tess’s tragedy as the inharmonious relationship between nature and the modern civilization which is represented by Alec and Angel.In this way,this thesis tries to provide a fresh perspective that may enable us to realize the importance of environmental protection and have a better understanding of this novel.