Oedipus Complex

Zhang Li ping

【Abstract】Death of a Salesman，the classic tragedy of Arthur Miller，has aroused world wide critical interest.Various studies and reviews have been made about it from different angles.Different from previous reviews and studies，this thesis tries to probe into a nearly undiscussed issue，analyzing the relationship between Biff and his mother Linda from the perspective of Oedipus complex，which is actually a thread going through the whole play.On the one hand，Biff bears unusually deep and tender love for his mother； on the other hand，Biffs spiritual killing of his father and later his fathers physical death together provide a chance for him to take his fathers place.Unconsciously Biff realizes his Oedipus complex.

【Key words】Death of a Salesman； Oedipus complex； Biff，mother； Linda； father

Arthur Miller is one of the three leading playwrights of the American theatre.Death of a Salesman，one of his masterpieces，a classic tragedy of an ordinary man，has brought him enduring fame and made him a prominent figure in the American literary history.A typical theme of Arthur Millers plays concerns the dilemma of modern man in relation to his family and work.Death of a Salesman，with no exception，also a family play，tells the tragic quandary of a hard-working sixty-three-year-old traveling salesman，Willy Lowman.In the play the family life of the hero is demonstrated from various angles，including the relation between the hero Willy and his wife Linda，the relation between Willy and his two sons Biff and Happy，the relation between the two sons，and also the relation between Linda and the two sons Biff and Happy.Centering on the relations between the family members，the play depicts a flesh-and-blood modern zilch，stuck into a physical and spiritual quandary from which he tries in vain to extricate himself and finally finds no other release than death.The tragedy is representative of modern mans spiritual dilemma.

After the performance of the play，various studies and reviews have been made in the criticism circle both home and abroad.Most of the reviews are mainly about the disillusionment of the American Dream and Arthur Millers views on tragedy in Death of a Salesman； some focus on the theme of the play such as the cruel capitalism or its consumerism； still others concentrate on the topics such as the conflicts between father and son，the betrayal among the family members； another proportion are concerned with the comparison between the play and other traditional tragic plays，or the comparison between Arthur Millers tragic views and Chinese authors tragic views； still a number of the reviews are devoted to dealing with the expressionistic techniques used in the play such as stream of consciousness，and some auxiliary stage devices.According to the above survey，up to now there are still no studies about the Oedipus complex in the play.This thesis tries to analyze the relationship between Biff and his mother Linda from the perspective of Oedipus complex.

In the play centering on the relations between the family members，a noteworthy relation is that between the son Biff and his mother Linda.Reading between the lines，we over and over again perceive the subtle relationship between Biff and his mother.Linda，as a good wife，bears deep love as well as great admiration to her husband，the hero of the play，Willy Lowman.Meanwhile，she is also a good mother to the boys，full of tender maternal love for them，devoting good care-taking to them.As the only female member in the family，to some degree，she is indispensable to the rest three men and the family.She is deeply beloved by her husband and two sons.However，the lines of the play especially the dialogues between Biff and Linda reflect a kind of Oedipus complex borne by Biff to his mother Linda.

I.Biff bears unusually deep and tender love for his mother，whereas Biff shows great dissatisfaction and anger towards his father.

First point is Biffs usual loving calling of his mother Linda as “pal”.Most of the time，when Biff talks to Linda，he uses the word “pal” to call her.The word “pal” is an informal word，usually indicating an intimate relationship between close friends.So such a loving calling just implies unusually intimate relationship between Biff and his mother Linda.Here is a citation of several lines between Biff and Linda which can server as a strong evidence：

BIFF.Why didnt you ever write me about this，Mom？

LINDA.How would I write to you？ For over three months you had no address.

BIFF.I was on the move.But you know I thought of you all the time.You know that，dont you，pal？ （239）

Secondly，Biff imperceptibly shows his dissatisfaction with his father，on the contrary，he unconsciously reveals his subtle and tender love for his mother.In a scene of a conversation between Biff and Linda：

BIFF.Your hair… （He touches her hair.） Your hair got so gray.

LINDA.Oh，its been gray since you were in high school.I just stopped dyeing it，thats all.

BIFF.Dye it again，will ya？ I dont want my pal looking old.（He smiles.）

LINDA.Youre such a boy！[…]one day youll knock on this door and therell be strange people here---

BIFF.What are you talking about？ Youre not even sixty，Mom.

LINDA.But what about your father？

BIFF （lamely）.Well，I meant him too.

[…]

LINDA.Biff，dear，if you dont have any feeling for him，then you cant have any feeling for me.

BIFF.Sure I can，Mom.

[…]

BIFF.Stop making excuses for him！ He always，always wiped the floor with you.Never had an ounce of respect for you.（239-40）

When Biff talks to Linda about her gray hair，his unconscious action and his facial expression fully reveal his tender and considerate love for his mother.However，when Linda changes the topic to the father，Biff changes his attitude and tone to be “lamely”，an obvious indication of a less loving attitude towards his father，even some kind of indifference.And the last three lines of Linda and Biff from the above citation imply Biff does have little feeling for his father.Especially the last line is no other than a direct expression of Biffs dissatisfaction with his father.Associated with the context，we can comprehend the feeling of dissatisfaction borne by Biff to his father.Another citation of Biffs lines also can be a convincing proof of his tender love for his mother：

BIFF （kissing her）.All right，pal，all right.[…]But now Ill stay，and I swear to you，Ill apply myself.（Kneeling in front of her，in a fever of self-reproach.）[…]（241）

In order not to hurt his mothers heart，Biff compromises to agree to stay.His generous and tolerant love for her renders his self-sacrifice for her.His action of “kissing her” and “kneeling in front of her，in a fever of self-reproach” exemplify Biffs masculine love for his mother as a female.

II.Biff has undergone a striking change in his attitude towards his father：from admiration，respect and love to disillusionment，anger and even resistance.

Biff has undergone a deep and profound change in his feeling towards his father：from admiration，respect and love towards his father at his young age to disillusionment，anger and even resistance towards his father at present.At his young age Biff，like many little boys，shows great admiration and respect towards his father Willy，believing that father is a great hero.But a turning point changed this dramatically，leading to Biffs spiritual killing of his father.When Biff is still young，by accident he finds out his fathers affair with another woman.This incident awakens him and forces him to rediscover his ever respectable and great father.The son Biff felt disillusioned at the father，producing the feeling of anger and dissatisfaction towards his father.Unfortunately，resulting from Biffs great disappointment at his father and loss of faith in him，the image of the great father collapses and is cast away.In a sense，the destruction of the perfect image of the father in young Biffs heart is symbolic of a spiritual killing of his father.From then on no such an omnipotent father exists.

Biff shows anger at his father and masculine protection of his mother against his fathers shouting.In the play，in the scene of family discussion，when Biff and his father Willy are talking，sometimes Linda gets in a few words but she is usually violently stopped by Willy，at this moment，Biff will shout at his father “Dont yell at her” or such kind of words.Biff has become a masculine protector of his mother from his father.

III.Biffs resistance towards his father，finally leading to the fathers death.

In a fact Biff has no interest in business，but the father Willy hopes the son Biff could join in the business circle.It is under the fathers pressure that Biff takes up business.Being forced by the father，Biff could not focus on his own interest，which is also one of the sources of the contradiction between the father and the son.

Biff offers spiritual support and comfort to his mother after his fathers death，just like a patriarch，a real “father”.At the very end of the play，at the funeral of the father，its Biff who has been always around his mother to support her both physically and spiritually.When Linda is deeply stuck into the sad memory of Willy，Biff comes slowly towards her and “lifts her to her feet and moves out up right with her in his arms.”

Biffs Oedipus complex is a thread going through the whole play.On the one hand，Biffs unusually considerate and tender love for his mother deeply impresses readers； on the other hand，Biff spiritually kills his father，and later his fathers suicide---physical death，happens to provide a chance for him to take his fathers place.In this way，Biff unconsciously realizes the Oedipus complex.

References：

[1]Bigsby，Christopher，ed.The Portable Arthur Miller：The American Clock，The Last Yankee，Broken Glass.New York：Viking Press，1993.

[2]Bigsby，Christopher，ed.The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller.Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press，2001.

[3]Martin，Robert A.，ed.The Theatre Essays of Arthur Miller.New York：Viking Press，1995.

[4]Miller，Arthur.Death of a Salesman.New York：Penguin，1976.

[5]Miller，Arthur.Death of a Salesman：Text and Criticism.Ed.Gerald Weales.Harmondsworth：Penguin，1982.

[6]Murphy，Brenda.Miller：Death of a Salesman.Cambridge： Cambridge University Press，1995.

作者簡介：

张利萍（1980-），河南驻马店人，河南工程学院外语学院讲师，硕士，研究方向：英美文学、英语教学。