Themes of Fatherhood and Wealth in Death of a Salesman and Things Fall Apart

Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Themes in Death of a Salesman and Things Fall Apart The play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe demonstrate similar themes that are matched to the cultural backgrounds of the communities. In the play, Miller demonstrates the relationship between fathers and their sons as a way of modeling children to a brighter future. Willy wants Biff to have bigger financial goals that will ensure his freedom as indicated by his capitalist ideals (Miller 21). On the other hand, Okonkwo wants his children to follow in his footsteps to avoid the family shame the family had faced in the past. Additionally, the theme of wealth is matched to the character’s cultures with the play focusing on the consumer culture developing in the United States. Willy’s pursuit for wealth matches the attempts of a man who wants to be independent and teaches his children to abide to similar principles. Okonkwo views wealth as a show of strength based on the traditional cultural perspectives on the role of men as the providers of their families (Achebe 61). The play Death of a Salesman and the novel Things Fall Apart by employ the themes of parental relationships with children and wealth based on the cultural backgrounds of the charcaters. Both authors describe the relationship between parents and their children in their work showing how such interactions demonstrate changes in life. In Death of a Salesman, the author shows how Willy relates with his son Biff and the impact their relationship has on the fam