PROMPT REVISION

1981. The meaning of some literary works is often enhanced by sustained allusion to myths, the Bible, or other works of literature. Select a literary work that makes use of such a sustained reference. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain the allusion that predominates in the work and analyze how it enhances the work's meaning.

PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON: A wealthy man had two sons. One day, the younger son asked his father for his portion of the inheritance. Without a say, the father gave him what was going to be passed on to him. Soon after, the son left to a distant place away from his father's home to live off on his home. He spent all the money given and had nothing left. As the country also faced a famine, he desperately asked around for work. A farmer was willing to hire him and sent him off to feed the pigs. Surrounded by pigs, he couldn't hold his hunger and ate the pod alongside the pigs. He realized that servants at his father's house live in a better condition than him. He decided to go back; in the meantime, the father saw his son from a distance and ran to him with joy and threw him a feast to celebrate his arrival. During the celebration, his older son refused to celebrate, for he was the one that stayed by his father's side and never left. His father replied to him saying that everything he has is already his older son's but that they should be happy that his younger brother came back. 

     According to Thomas C. Foster, when in doubt, literature is enhanced by sustained allusion to myths, the Bible, or even other works of Literature. In that case, one can assume that Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller contains allusions from one of the parables in the Bible. The relationship between Willy Loman, Biff, and Happy relate to the prodigal son. With the surface meaning from the parable, Biff resembles the prodigal son, which leads Willy with higher expectations in addition to character contrast that enhances the plot of the Death of a Salesman.

     When comparing the play with the parable, the play follows the surface story and meaning of the parable with slight changes. In the parable, the son leaves to live off on his own and comes back after facing reality. This corresponds to Biff leaving at an early age to the west and living on a farm. Upon Biff's arrival, readers notice Willy's higher expectations for biff, which can be referred to the feast that the father held for his long lost son. Because Willy rarely faces reality, he thinks that the higher expectations will make Biff into a greater person; he feels that this is the best for Biff's arrival.Through this incident, the story unfolds with Biff being forced into the business world. 

     The allusion to the parable also creates a contrast between Biff and Happy. According to the parable, as the son arrives, the other son refuses to celebrate for his brother. He finds it unfair that he's been by his father's side the whole time period, but his brother gets the attention. In response, the father says that everything already belongs to the son that stayed with him. This connects perfectly to Happy and Biff. Throughout the play, it's obvious to see that Happy doesn't receive his parent's love. In fact, Happy is a very passive character who continues to joke and keep peace within his family. Although he doesn't get angry or upset like the the older son in the parable, one can definitely see differences in how Biff and Happy are treated. With Biff's arrival, Willy doesn't expect much from Happy because he is settled in the business environment. Moreover, When the father in the parable says that everything belongs to this son already, one can see that all the "belongings" in the play is Willy's personality itself. Happy resembles all the traits of Willy: business world, many women in his surroundings, and false dreams. With this aspect in the play, it provides the readers with deeper understanding of Willy and both his sons.

    Most importantly, the "inheritance" given to the leaving son in the beginning of the parable appears at the end of Death of a Salesman; this reference to the parable serves as an important purpose in the play. Unlike the parable, Biff never asks Willy for his inheritance but it's still given. That is because Willy leaves near the end of the play to kill himself and get his family the insurance money. In reference to the parable, Willy's "inheritance" is the price of his life. With the slight change in sequence between the two stories, Death of a Salesman ends with a powerful message. Through his death "inheritance", one can analyse Willy's character which further explains his relationship with people throughout his life.
     Although the biblical allusion isn't vividly evident, it's hard to ignore it. The correspondence between the parable of the prodigal and Death of a Salesman helps readers compare and see from the point of an outside source. Willy's relationship with people, his false dreams/ expectations, and the contrast between the Loman brothers serve as a recurring topic in the play. Willy's materialistic views are displayed all throughout the similarities from the parable. By comparing the play to the parable, it enhances the play's meaning by emphasizing the theme of  the American dream.