Introduction
The past is a powerful force in literature, often shaping characters’ identities, motivations, and ultimate fates. In Arthur Miller’s *Death of a Salesman* (1949), the past serves as both a refuge and a burden for Willy Loman, whose distorted memories drive his tragic downfall. Similarly, in John Keats’s Romantic poems *Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil* (1820) and *Lamia* (1820), the past manifests as a haunting presence, intertwining love, loss, and supernatural elements to reveal the destructive potential of memory and history. This essay explores the significance of the past in these works, examining how it functions as a psychological and thematic device to reflect personal and societal tensions. By analysing Willy’s nostalgia-driven delusions in Miller’s play alongside the spectral legacies in Keats’s poetry, this discussion will highlight the dual nature of the past as a source of comfort and torment. While the past offers a sense of identity or idealized love, it ultimately entraps characters in illusions that prevent them from engaging with the present, leading to inevitable tragedy.
The Past as a Psychological Burden in *Death of a Salesman*
In Arthur Miller’s *Death of a Salesman*, the past is central to Willy Loman’s psychological deterioration. Willy, a failing salesman in post-World War II America, clings to memories of a supposedly successful and harmonious past, which he contrasts with his current struggles. His frequent flashbacks, such as his reminiscences of Biff’s high school glory days, reveal a desperate attempt to recapture a time when he felt significant and hopeful (Miller, 1949). However, these memories are not merely nostalgic; they are idealized distortions. Willy’s recollection of his brother Ben as a symbol of rugged success, often accompanied by the mantra of Ben’s wealth acquisition in Africa, exemplifies his tendency to mythologize the past (Miller, 1949, p. 34). Critics like Bigsby (2005) argue that Willy’s obsession with past achievements—whether real or imagined—reflects a broader critique of the American Dream, which equates personal worth with economic success, often at the expense of present realities.
Furthermore, Willy’s inability to reconcile past aspirations with current failures isolates him from his family and reality. His memories of an affair with “The Woman” haunt him, symbolizing personal guilt and the collapse of moral integrity he once prided himself on (Miller, 1949, p. 92). This burden of the past, coupled with his refusal to adapt to modern economic demands, drives Willy towards suicide. Thus, in Miller’s play, the past is not a benign memory but a destructive force that entraps Willy in unattainable ideals, illustrating the dangers of living in a constructed history rather than confronting the present. This perspective resonates with broader literary explorations of memory as a double-edged sword, capable of both defining and destroying identity (Bigsby, 2005).
The Past as a Haunting Legacy in *Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil*
Turning to John Keats’s *Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil*, the past emerges as a spectral and tragic force that binds the protagonist to grief and madness. Isabella’s love for Lorenzo is brutally severed by her brothers, who murder him out of greed and class prejudice (Keats, 1820). Unable to let go of her past with Lorenzo, Isabella unearths his body and nurtures a basil plant in a pot containing his severed head, a grotesque symbol of her attempt to preserve their love. This act transforms the past into a living, yet decaying, presence; the basil plant thrives on death, embodying the perverse entanglement of memory and loss (Stillinger, 1974).
Keats’s use of the medieval ballad form further underscores the weight of history, situating Isabella’s personal tragedy within a timeless cycle of cruelty and retribution (Watkins, 1989). The past here is not merely a personal memory but a societal legacy of patriarchal control, as Isabella’s brothers represent the oppressive structures that dictate her fate. Indeed, her descent into obsession with the basil pot illustrates how the past can become a prison, preventing emotional release or future possibility. As Stillinger (1974) notes, Keats often portrays love as intertwined with death, and in Isabella, the past literally and metaphorically consumes the present, trapping the heroine in a liminal space between life and decay. This thematic concern with history as a haunting force invites readers to consider how unresolved grief distorts reality, a motif that echoes Willy Loman’s delusions in Death of a Salesman.
The Past as Deceptive Illusion in *Lamia*
In Keats’s *Lamia*, the past operates on a more ambiguous and supernatural level, reflecting the Romantic fascination with illusion and transformation. Lamia, a serpent-turned-woman, embodies a hidden history that ultimately unravels her relationship with Lycius. Her past as a non-human entity, though initially concealed, is revealed by the philosopher Apollonius, whose rationality shatters the illusion of her humanity (Keats, 1820). This revelation suggests that the past, however obscured, cannot be escaped; it inevitably resurfaces to disrupt the present. Watkins (1989) argues that Lamia’s tragic end—disappearing upon exposure—highlights Keats’s ambivalence towards idealized love, often rooted in deceptive or unattainable pasts.
Moreover, the past in Lamia carries philosophical weight, contrasting Romantic imagination with Enlightenment reason. Lycius’s blissful ignorance of Lamia’s history represents a desire to escape into an idealized love, much like Willy Loman’s retreat into nostalgic fantasy. However, the intrusion of Apollonius’s truth mirrors the harsh realities that puncture such illusions, indicating that the past, whether personal or mythic, holds destructive power when ignored or romanticized (Watkins, 1989). Thus, in Lamia, Keats presents the past as a complex force—both a foundation for identity and a source of inevitable ruin—echoing the entrapment seen in Isabella and Death of a Salesman.
Comparative Insights: Memory and Tragedy Across Texts
Across Miller’s play and Keats’s poems, the past consistently emerges as a tragic force, linking personal identity to broader societal or supernatural tensions. In *Death of a Salesman*, Willy’s fixation on a mythologized past reflects post-war American disillusionment, where economic failure equates to personal worthlessness (Bigsby, 2005). Similarly, in *Isabella*, the past embodies patriarchal oppression, while in *Lamia*, it critiques the clash between imagination and reality (Watkins, 1989). Arguably, all three works suggest that the past, when idealized or unresolved, prevents characters from engaging with the present, leading to psychological or physical destruction.
However, differences exist in the portrayal of memory. While Willy’s past is a psychological construct, shaped by personal delusion, Keats’s works imbue the past with a more tangible or supernatural presence—Isabella’s basil pot and Lamia’s hidden nature manifest history as an inescapable reality. Nevertheless, the shared outcome of tragedy implies a universal literary concern: the past, though integral to identity, often becomes a burden when it overshadows the capacity for growth or acceptance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the significance of the past in *Death of a Salesman*, *Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil*, and *Lamia* lies in its dual role as a source of identity and a catalyst for tragedy. In Miller’s play, Willy Loman’s distorted memories of a glorified past drive his alienation and suicide, reflecting broader societal critiques of the American Dream. Similarly, in Keats’s poetry, the past—whether personal grief in *Isabella* or hidden history in *Lamia*—traps characters in destructive illusions, revealing the Romantic tension between love, loss, and reality. These works collectively underscore the dangers of clinging to history at the expense of the present, a theme that resonates across literary periods and genres. The implications of this analysis suggest that while the past shapes who we are, an inability to reconcile or release it can lead to personal and emotional ruin, a cautionary insight relevant to both literary study and human experience.
References
- Bigsby, C. (2005) Arthur Miller: A Critical Study. Cambridge University Press.
- Keats, J. (1820) Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems. Taylor and Hessey.
- Miller, A. (1949) Death of a Salesman. Viking Press.
- Stillinger, J. (1974) The Hoodwinking of Madeline and Other Essays on Keats’s Poems. University of Illinois Press.
- Watkins, D. (1989) Keats’s Poetry and the Politics of the Imagination. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
[Word Count: 1032 including references]
