Literature Flashback

Question: The play makes use of regular flashbacks. How are they utilized? How does willy use the past, and his memory of Ben, to cope withhis anxieties and failures? Explain. Answer: Introduction A flashback in literature is an occurrence where a character in a play remembers an event that occurred earlier that the current point of the story (LiteraryDevices). Flashbacks are important in playwriting as they link the current event with the past so as to provide the reader or the audience with a better understanding about the direction of the play. Flashback of Willy in Death of a Salesman In death of a salesman, the author uses flashbacks to relate to the memories of Willy Loman. The play presents what takes place in the last two days of his life where we see Willy reminiscing to allow the audience to understand what happened in the past and why things are the way they are now. For example in the memory of Ben, we see that willy uses flashback in Act 1 (Miller), where he remembers Ben as a Bookworm, as a child who is striving to be like is father but willy finds him too soft for the business world. Here Willy makes his contrast of ben very explicit, due to his liking of books Ben has become one of the countrys top lawyers. The flashback thus presents a relief for Willy as he had always predicted that Biff would surpass the anemic Bernard in success since he was likeable. The flashback thus depicts some of Willys failed predictions. Bernard is more prosperous than Biff to the extent that Willy is forced to borrow money from Beards father whom he always envied. Also in Act 1, the 2nd Flashback, depicts Willys too much obsession of the past over the present. In Act 2 we find Willys inability to come to face with the truth as we find him refusing Bens offer because he always thought he would be a successful businessman (Miller). Conclusion In conclusion, the use of flashback is important as it reveals to the reader Willys journey and his struggle to compete with his ideologies and his peers about what he stands for. Works Cited LiteraryDevices. Flashback. 2016. 18 May 2016. https://www.literarydevices.com/flashback/. Miller, Arthur. Death of a salesman: Certain private conversations in two acts and a requiem. . Harmondsworth: Penguin., 1961.