Arthur Miller's "The Price"
Arthur Miller's "The Price" is a novel about two estranged twins, Victor and Walter Franz, who reunite after their father's death. Walter is a successful business owner, while Victor is a police officer with few opportunities (Miller). Their years apart have strained their relationship, with Victor feeling comparatively short of Walter due to his success. Walter attempts to assist his pal, but he does not seem to be interested in his assistance. Moreover, the brother s intrigued why his brother will not accept his help given that the play was staged in the early 20th century in the periods of the 1929 stock market crash.
The Inheritance Conflict
The two heirs to their father’s fortunes must come to a consensus regarding the inheritances. On Victor’s arrival, he views the ancient objects within his father’s abode as if they were haunted but his attention is caught up on a phonograph and a grand cracked harp. In the process waiting for his wife (Esther), he puts a favorite comedy form his boyhood that immediately makes him laugh. However, the laughter is mixed with despair; as if from someone trying to cling to any happiness in a period of grief. His wife additionally places pressure on him, frustrated by his inability to tower over his brother. More specifically, the wife forces him to retire his job and seek another that is more suited to his aspirations. In that regard, she eyes the father’s fortune as a chance to make it in life and therefore places her emphasis on it.
The Standoff between Victor and Walter
Walter’s arrival to the scene sees Victor adopt a disdainful look on his face as he sees Walter’s attempts as theatrics to cover up for past mistakes. The richer brother does not care about the price of the furniture. The standoff that ensures between the two adopts a dramatic twist as each of the siblings adopts an accusatory conversation that is further complicated by a complexity in giving a point of view (Bigsby 18). While Victor feels that he has done everything for his father while his brother was chasing his dreams, Walter declares that he sees nothing wrong asserting his position as a career man. However, the wealth accumulated in his work depicts his emotional emptiness.
The Ambivalence of the Play
The play’s ambivalence makes it relatively hard to side with any of the brothers without feeling some guilt. Taking Victor’s side, there is the general concern why he never aspired to reach his aspirations unlike Walter who has reached the heights of his career. Additionally, one cannot help but pity him given his unsatisfied wife who admires his brother and makes open comparisons about them (Bigsby 17). For Walter, his efforts at achieving his dreams and accepting the fate of his family are well accorded. He does not allow himself to be sucked up into the family and ends up meticulous and successful at the same time.
The Lack of Understanding between the Brothers
The main problem is rooted in their lack of understanding of each other’s viewpoints. Over the span of their arguments, each of the brothers is convinced that they paid a greater price than the other. Solomon the salesman exploits thus agenda and even though balance was achieved, neither Walter nor Victor was sympathetic. From a personal perspective, none of the brothers should be more justified than the other in terms of their duties to the family. The prices paid were relatively equivalent and the crossfire that ensured served as a significant reminder of the challenges faced.
Bibliography
Bigsby, C. W. E. “What Price Arthur Miller? An Analysis of The Price.” Twentieth Century Literature 16.1 (1970): 16-25. Online.
Miller, Arthur. The Price. London: Penguin Books Limited, 2011.
