Shame (Guilt) in ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’
Shame is an essential component of tragic experience, underscoring both ‘Death of a Salesman’ and
‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’. Shame lies at the very heart of both narratives, as in Tess’ case, her
journey throughout the novel is propelled by shame; her shame towards her parents, shame at her
‘impurity’ and shame for the death of Prince, building towards her tragic fate. Running parallel to
Tess’ situation, Willy Loman is ashamed as a result of his failure as a ‘salesman’ and this sense of
shame fuels the play’s tragedy, driving his suicide in the denouement of the play. Therefore, shame
plays a crucial role in the protagonists’ tragic experience as it outlines the tragic arc of both tragic
heroes and makes their tragic outcomes inevitable as shame directly contributes to their tragic
dénouements.
Tess of the d’Urbervilles Death of a Salesman
Paragraph 1: Tess’ own internal shame: Paragraph 2: Willy’s shame as a result of
Shame that she killed Prince triggers the his failure to achieve the American
tragic action of the novel. Her shame Dream:
enables her mother to persuade her into Can be seen through Miller’s
going to ‘claim kin!’, outlining the tragic ‘concurrencies of the past and
arc of Tess’ tragic journey. present’ – depicted using a blend of
‘Tis all my doing, all mine’. realism and expressionism
‘Well, as I killed the horse… I suppose ‘The grass don’t grow any more, you
I ought to do something’. can’t raise a carrot in the backyard’.
Following ‘The Chase’ scene, the Victorian ‘The woods are burning’
audience experience Tess’ shame yet ‘You end up worth more dead than
again, however this time it is her non- alive’.
virginal shame which is focalised. ‘An angry glow of orange’.
Willy’s psychological turmoil stems
Hardy is deliberately ambiguous when directly from his shame that he has been
depicting Alec’s seduction of Tess – didn’t unable to grasp the American Dream. ‘The
want to offend Victorian morality. Inside of His Head was the original title’.
Double Sexual Standards – Tess blames This shame also tempts him to commit
herself – this serves to further reinforce suicide to ensure the financial security of
her shame – she is no longer ‘a pure his family, cultivating a great sense of
woman’. shame as this was something Willy failed
‘I should not so loathe and hate to do.
myself for my weakness as I do
now!’.
‘I wish I had never been born’.
Paragraph 3: Society’s shame of Tess and Paragraph 4: Willy’s excessive pride, his
also, Angel’s shame of Tess: hubris, which contributes towards his
‘she fancied herself such an shame:
anomaly’. ‘They know me, boys, they know me
‘a figure of Guilt intruding into the up and down’.
haunts of Innocence’. ‘I can park my car in any street in
‘existence living as a stranger and an New England’.
alien here’. ‘Well, I – I did – about a hundred and
Shame is an essential component of tragic experience, underscoring both ‘Death of a Salesman’ and
‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’. Shame lies at the very heart of both narratives, as in Tess’ case, her
journey throughout the novel is propelled by shame; her shame towards her parents, shame at her
‘impurity’ and shame for the death of Prince, building towards her tragic fate. Running parallel to
Tess’ situation, Willy Loman is ashamed as a result of his failure as a ‘salesman’ and this sense of
shame fuels the play’s tragedy, driving his suicide in the denouement of the play. Therefore, shame
plays a crucial role in the protagonists’ tragic experience as it outlines the tragic arc of both tragic
heroes and makes their tragic outcomes inevitable as shame directly contributes to their tragic
dénouements.
Tess of the d’Urbervilles Death of a Salesman
Paragraph 1: Tess’ own internal shame: Paragraph 2: Willy’s shame as a result of
Shame that she killed Prince triggers the his failure to achieve the American
tragic action of the novel. Her shame Dream:
enables her mother to persuade her into Can be seen through Miller’s
going to ‘claim kin!’, outlining the tragic ‘concurrencies of the past and
arc of Tess’ tragic journey. present’ – depicted using a blend of
‘Tis all my doing, all mine’. realism and expressionism
‘Well, as I killed the horse… I suppose ‘The grass don’t grow any more, you
I ought to do something’. can’t raise a carrot in the backyard’.
Following ‘The Chase’ scene, the Victorian ‘The woods are burning’
audience experience Tess’ shame yet ‘You end up worth more dead than
again, however this time it is her non- alive’.
virginal shame which is focalised. ‘An angry glow of orange’.
Willy’s psychological turmoil stems
Hardy is deliberately ambiguous when directly from his shame that he has been
depicting Alec’s seduction of Tess – didn’t unable to grasp the American Dream. ‘The
want to offend Victorian morality. Inside of His Head was the original title’.
Double Sexual Standards – Tess blames This shame also tempts him to commit
herself – this serves to further reinforce suicide to ensure the financial security of
her shame – she is no longer ‘a pure his family, cultivating a great sense of
woman’. shame as this was something Willy failed
‘I should not so loathe and hate to do.
myself for my weakness as I do
now!’.
‘I wish I had never been born’.
Paragraph 3: Society’s shame of Tess and Paragraph 4: Willy’s excessive pride, his
also, Angel’s shame of Tess: hubris, which contributes towards his
‘she fancied herself such an shame:
anomaly’. ‘They know me, boys, they know me
‘a figure of Guilt intruding into the up and down’.
haunts of Innocence’. ‘I can park my car in any street in
‘existence living as a stranger and an New England’.
alien here’. ‘Well, I – I did – about a hundred and
