Society at the Crossroads: Tradition, Modernity, and Urbanization in Asghar Farhadi's The salesman and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman; A Virilian Analysis

Subject Areas :

Seyehedeh Keyhaneh  Kafshchi ¹ (Department of English Language and Literature, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran)
Roohollah  Reesi Sistani ² (Department of English Language, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran)
Hassan  Shahabi ³ ( Department of English Language and Literature, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran)

Received: 2023-09-12 Accepted : 2023-10-07 Published : 2024-05-31

Keywords: Postmodern Urbanization, Tradition vs. Modernity, Paul Virilio, Urban Transformation, Human Identity, Technological Impac,

Abstract :

This article offers a comparative analysis of the societal implications stemming from postmodern urbanization. It employs Asghar Farhadi's The salesman and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman as dual narrative prisms, grounded in Paul Virilio's theoretical paradigm. The study intricately examines the interplay of technology, culture, and societal dynamics within evolving urban landscapes. Meticulously exploring this terrain, it uncovers the nuanced tension between tradition and modernity, shedding light on the erosion of traditional values in rapidly modernizing cities like Tehran and New York. Characters' responses lay bare the dissolution of familial bonds and shifting social roles, reflecting broader urban trends. Through the lens of Virilio's "critical space" concept, the investigation reveals the transformation of urban environments into "cities of the beyond," marked by a swift influx of information and communication technologies. Additionally, the research underscores the pivotal role of cultural production, spanning literature, art, and film, in revealing societal perspectives on postmodern urbanization. By dissecting the reverberations of these shifts, the study offers invaluable insights into potential policy interventions that promote sustainable, equitable, and innovative urban progress. This article provides a comprehensive perspective on the multifaceted repercussions of postmodern urbanization, adeptly bridging literary works, theoretical constructs, and real-world societal dynamics. The urgency of comprehending the consequences of technology-driven urbanization resonates within Iran's post-war context and extends globally. The findings illuminate the intricate process of reconciling tradition with modernity, serving as a foundational basis for interdisciplinary research aimed at forging more inclusive and sustainable urban landscapes.

References:

Bauman, Z. (2013). Liquid Modernity. John Wiley & Sons.
Bigsby, C., & Bigsby, C. W. E. (1997). The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller. Cambridge UP.
Billington, R., et al. (1991). Culture and Society: A Sociology of Culture. Macmillan Education.
Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2000). Introduction. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (pp. 7-18). Chelsea House.
Brucher, R. T. (1983). Willy Loman and the Soul of a New Machine: Technology and the Common Man. Journal of American Studies, 17(3), 325-336. doi:10.1017/s0021875800017795
CTheory. (2023). The Silence of the Lambs: Paul Virilio in Conversation. http://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/ctheory/article/view/14317/5093
Derian, J. D. (1998). The Virilio Reader. Wiley-Blackwell.
Farhadi, A. (Director). (2009). About Elly.
Farhadi, A. (Director). (2011). A Separation.
Farhadi, A. (Director). (2013). The Past.
Farhadi, A. (Director). (2016). The salesman.
Etemad. (2016, June 12). Etemad. https://www.etemadnewspaper.ir/fa/main/detail/45215
Feldman, S. P. (2003). Journal of Business Ethics, 44(4), 391-404. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1023619917469
Pohl, R. (2018). An Analysis of Donna Haraway’s a Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century. Macat.
Harvey, D. (1989). The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Wiley-Blackwell.
Hayles, N. K. (2008). How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics. The University of Chicago Press.
James, I. (2007). Paul Virilio. Routledge.
Jameson, F. (1991). Postmodernism, Or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. Duke University Press.
Jerz, D. G. (2003). Technology in American Drama, 1920-1950: Soul and Society in the Age of the Machine. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Kaplan, D. M. (2009). Readings in the Philosophy of Technology. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Kellner, D. (n.d.). Virilio, War, and Technology: Some Critical Reflections.
Krasner, D. (2010). Introduction. In C. Bigsby (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller (pp. 116-133). Cambridge UP.
Marx, L. (2000). The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America. Oxford UP.
Miller, A. (1996). Death of a Salesman. Penguin Books.
Miller, A. (2013). Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem. Penguin UK.
Redhead, S. (2004). Paul Virilio: Theorist for an Accelerated Culture. Manchester UP.
Rose, M. (2017, January 26). The salesman - A Look Inside Life in Modern Iran. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-salesman-a-look-inside-life-in-modern-iran_b_588a9d14e4b0020b224b4359
Sassen, S. (2005). The Global City: Introducing a Concept. The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 11(2), 27-43. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24590544
Sepinwall, A. (2016, September 12). Toronto: Asghar Farhadi on 'The salesman,' Love of Billy Wilder and Importance of Empathy. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/toronto-asghar-farhadi-[salesman]
Shabani, E. (2018, February 23). The Makings of a Salesman's Death: The salesman (2016) Reviewed by Elham Shabani. Film Matters Magazine. https://www.filmmattersmagazine.com/2018/02/23/the-makings-of-a-salesmans-death-the-salesman-2016-reviewed-by-elham-shabani/
Sicher, E., & Skradol, N. (2006). A World Neither Brave nor New: Reading Dystopian Fiction After 9/11. Partial Answers, 4(1), 151-179. doi:10.1353/pan.0.0057
Sterling, E., & Sterling, E. J. (2008). Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Rodopi.
Valentin, M., et al. (1996). The Illusion of the End. Substance, 25(2), 128. https://doi.org/10.2307/3685334
Virilio, P. (2009). Aesthetics of Disappearance, New Edition. Semiotext (e).
Virilio, P. (1995). Art of the Motor. U of Minnesota Press.
Virilio, P. (2005). City of Panic. Berg.
Virilio, P. (2002). Ground Zero. Verso.
Virilio, P. (2009). In the Cities of the Beyond. E-Flux, 7. https://www.e-flux.com/journal/07/61337/in-the-cities-of-the-beyond/
Virilio, P. (2000). Landscape of Events. MIT Press.
Virilio, P. (2010). Le Futurisme de l'instant: Stop-Eject. Galilée.
Virilio, P. (2005). Negative Horizon. Burns & Oates.
Virilio, P. (2008). Open sky. Verso.
Virilio, P. (2005). The information bombs. Verso.
Virilio, P. (1991). The Lost Dimension. Semiotext (e).
Virilio, P. (1994). The vision machines. London British Film Institute.
Virilio, P., & Polizzotti, M. (2006). Speed and politics: an essay on dromology. Semiotext (E.).
Virilio, P., & Richard, B. (2012). The administration of fear. Semiotext (E.).