Abstract

Arthur Miller is considered as one of the most distinguished contemporary American playwrights. His plays explore themes of individual and social commitment, familial relationships, and moral obligation. Death of a Salesman in 1949 brought Miller the Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as the Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award.
Considered a masterpiece by theater critics and historians, the play condemns a society that compels individuals to forsake their natural talents and their dignity in favor of achieving material success. It addresses the painful conflicts within a family, but it also tackles larger issues regarding American national values. The play examines the cost of blind faith in the American Dream.
Among other literary techniques, symbolism plays a vital role in displaying the theme of play. This paper mainly discusses the symbolic meanings of objects, settings and characters in the play as well as their contribution to the enhancement of the theme—illusion of American dream. It is hoped that through this study readers can better understand and appreciate this modern classic of American theatre.

Key words:  symbolism  Death of a Salesman  Willy Loman  American dream  

摘要

阿瑟•米勒是当代美国最著名的剧作家之一,他的作品涉及的主题主要包括个人与社会的义务,家庭关系以及道德责任等方面。阿瑟•米勒凭借《推销员之死》获得了1949年的普利策奖，安托瓦内特•佩里(托尼)奖和纽约戏剧评论奖。
《推销员之死》被戏剧评论家和历史学家视为杰作,该剧谴责社会迫使个人为了实现物质上的成功而放弃他们的天赋和尊严。它突出了家庭成员之间巨大的冲突,也引发了对美国传统价值观的更深层次的思考。《推销员之死》揭示了盲目追求“美国梦”所付出的代价。
象征主义，作为一种文学创作手法，在烘托戏剧主题方面发挥着重要的作用。本文主要讨论《推销员之死》中的象征手法，揭示该剧中道具、场景和人物的象征意义，以及这些象征对于突显主题—美国梦的虚幻性所起到的重要作用。希望通过本文读者能够对这部现代美国经典戏剧有更好的了解。

关键词: 象征手法；《推销员之死》；威利·洛曼；美国梦

Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Introduction to Arthur Miller and His Plays
Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) is one of the most famous American playwrights and essayists. He was a winner of Pulitzer Prize, the Drama Critics Circle Award and Tony Award. His masterpieces include plays such as All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953) and A View from the Bridge (1956), as well as a cinema-novel The Misfits (1961). Among them Death of a Salesman is the most successful one, which firmly established Miller’s outstanding status in American theatre.