Preface
Capitalism and modernism are crucial components of the contemporary world. Where all of us, dream about life, liberty, and pursuits of happiness. Among that dreamers is Biren Pratap – the protagonist of the drama “death of the salesman” is the one.
The play recalls the dream of the renowned life of the protagonist and his family. It indicates the protagonist’s eagerness to provide happiness, success, and welfare to his wife and sons. That eventually leads him to hope for the betterment of them their old age.
Dreaming is one of the beautiful aspects of imagination. But while dreaming, if a human cannot recognize their ability to fulfill it then that leads humans into chaos. Those chaotic circumstances are witnessed and experienced by the main character in the play. Thus he is one of the representatives of the common man of society who knows how to dream but does not know how to fulfill it.
Everything is fragile and in a decaying form in this world. So, the end is the eventual, natural, and ultimate goal of life. Knowing such truths even humans could not stop dreaming and hoping. They dream and try to achieve it but it is not certain that every dream will be successful. There are high chances of failing it. And these marks are not the bottom line of life. People rise and dream again. And that dream holds success, happiness, prosperity, and wealth for the common man. Hence, the drama presents the daily lives of the common man while pursuing his ambition he is lost between satisfaction and success. Moreover, he is not able to distinguish which one is the better way to run life smoothly. And that rough journey of the protagonist is the tragedy of the common man in the modern world.
The drama is written by Arthur Miller in 1949 and it was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play.
Trans creator’s Note
Viplop Pratik
It has been more than three years since I was involved in translating “Death of a salesman “. With the proposal of Mr. Anup Baral and the approval of Mr. Govind Parajuli, I get the opportunity to be part of this process.
I feel privileged to translate this play into Nepali and that provides me with an enriched experience in the journey of my writing. This translating journey supports me to get familiar more about the play and various aspects of the literary genre. Hence, I do not have enough words to express my feeling about the work.
While translating I often related to the characters of the play. At that moment, I laughed, sob, and even cried. At some point, I stayed neutral while reading and letting myself go with the flow. It is not possible to share everything I have gained on this path but I believe that my collective experience has helped the play to become contextual.
I also equally believe that this performance will be a sparkle in the field of Nepali Theatre. Nepal is a multi-lingual and multicultural country where Nepalese have their own distinct experience of life. So, relating to that scenario, I hope that the play gives meaningful messages to the audiences and encourages Nepali Dramatists to become more innovative to express themselves.
About Go Win Productions
Go Win Productions is a theatre & film production company. Established in 2021 to produce and curate high-quality visual arts in a sustainable and aesthetic approach. Go Win Productions is committed to developing artwork that gives amazing experiences to viewers through visual and live performances. The Productions also facilitate theatre & filmmaking in different aspects through it’s’ services like pre-production designing, production process, and post-production. Besides, it assists in developing business plans for art-based organizations, institutions, and productions such as films and plays.
