I found the piece, Tragedy and the Common Man by Arthur Miller rather intriguing. The texts starts off by saying that contrary to popular belief from years ago, we as common people are not “below tragedy -- or tragedy above us” but instead, that we and anyone else are worthy of tragedy. Tragedy is not just fit for those who are highly placed, like kings. Just because we do not have as much as those with higher status does not mean we have less to lose. I relate this to everyday life. You cannot compare your happiness, nor your sadness to others’. If one person who is wealthy and often receives gifts is happy because they received a new iPhone and another person who is just above the poverty line is happy because they just received a letter in the mail from their great grandmother, neither is happier than the other because of what they now have in their possession.
My favourite part of the entire piece was the line, “Tragedy enlightens -- and it must, in that it points the heroic finger at the enemy, of man’s freedom. The thrust for freedom is the quality in tragedy which exalts…. In no way is the common man debarred from such thoughts or such actions.” What I interpret from this is that tragedy has the power to relieve internal tension. Not only this, but also that that the common man is not below having tragedy in his life.
My favourite part of the entire piece was the line, “Tragedy enlightens -- and it must, in that it points the heroic finger at the enemy, of man’s freedom. The thrust for freedom is the quality in tragedy which exalts…. In no way is the common man debarred from such thoughts or such actions.” What I interpret from this is that tragedy has the power to relieve internal tension. Not only this, but also that that the common man is not below having tragedy in his life.