Eros Repression and Assault Instinct in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

As one of the greatest playwrights, Arthur Miller was honored by people as the conscience of America in the twentieth century for he bravely faced the problems of society and gave sharp criticism to the issues about humanity, morality and justice. By using two of Marcuse’s critical theories—Eros repression and assault instinct, this paper holds that Willy and his family, who are living in a morbid society, suffered from Eros repression and as a consequence, their assault instinct is stimulated, which leads to his tragedy.