Death of a Salesman

Nov 22, 2008

Christina rated it

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Shelves: required-for-high-school, list-ap-literature, plays, 2008-reads, textbook, classics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I think I would’ve enjoyed seeing Death of a Salesman performed in person, rather than reading the script. This is supposed to be one of the best American plays ever written and my friend, Helen, assures me that seeing it onstage is a very different experience. {And, hopefully, one better than watching the movie.}

My English class read the script aloud and I was disappointed. Helen and two other friends of mine cried at the end of the script, so I know I was supposed to sympathize wit...more

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Jul 10, 2008

Brian rated it

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Its the classical American tragedy...an anthesis to the cliched American dream.

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Jun 18, 2007

RachelAnne rated it

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Hate! Hate! Oh, the hate! Arthur Miller does a beautiful job of conveying the emptiness and meaninglessness of his protagonist's life. It left me wanting to jump off a very tall building if only I could overcome the crushing ennui and the conviction that even ending ones life was too meaningless and futile to contemplate. Maybe that means Miller accomplished what he set out to do, but I don't have to like it.

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Jun 02, 2010

rachel rated it

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Shelves: abandoned, do-not-own

Every page of this felt like being hit repeatedly in the face with an anvil reading "FAILURE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM." Got halfway through, but life is too short.

I'll stick with The Crucible and the hilarious memories I have of it. First, of my Dad renting the film version for my babysitter to show me when I was 10, only to have it shut off by her like three minutes in when the naked ladies popped up. Second, when we actually read it in school and the burly, cheerfully dum...more

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Jul 06, 2008

Mohammed Bantan rated it

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“Death of a Salesman” tells the a story of Love, pride, betrayal and friendship. The struggle of William Loman (Willy), an old salesman in the unforgiving world of modern business, and his relation with his loved ones, his wife Linda and his precious sons, Biff and Harold (happy).
The novel is written in an interesting and unique way, as if all the events happened on a theatrical stage with all of the lighting effects, character themes and background . The author wrote the story in great ...more

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Feb 24, 2008

Christopher added it · review of another edition

"There are some Pulitzer Prize winning novels or plays that are difficult to understand how they garnered such attention and acclaim. Not so, with this drama by Arthur Miller. There are great depths of meaning composed within this drama. While often interpreted as speaking to the myth and oftentimes futility of the American dream, I think the drama speaks to so much more. [return][return]The ghetto of one's own mind and thinking can become a very dark place. In the main character of Willy L...more"There are some Pulitzer Prize winning novels or plays that are difficult to understand how they garnered such attention and acclaim. Not so, with this drama by Arthur Miller. There are great depths of meaning composed within this drama. While often interpreted as speaking to the myth and oftentimes futility of the American dream, I think the drama speaks to so much more. [return][return]The ghetto of one's own mind and thinking can become a very dark place. In the main character of Willy Loman, MIller illustrates how retreating into one's own mind can be a very limiting and treacherous existence. Loman has created for himself a world and an opinion of himself that does not exist. He is also stuck in the past, governed by illusions of the past that were inconsistent with reality. [return][return]The whole of this family's existence was based upon the refusal to see life as it really was. They were content to live in deception, unwilling to face the world honestly. This unwillingness to embrace reality eventually led to Loman's demise, not able to see and be content with life as it really was. [return][return]There are so many points that are borne out in this drama that one could concentrate upon. Since this is a short review, I do not have the time to dwell upon all of them. Two things, however, do come to mind and I will briefly point them out. [return][return]One, as seen in the relationship between Loman and his son Biff, it is plainly obvious that one can not always live up to the expectations of others. By all accounts, Loman was a good father; Biff was a good son. Both had a respect and love for the other that fueled admiration, which, unfortunately, led to unrealistic expectations. Due to this, Biff was forever changed by the confrontation of his father's humanity. This destroyed Biff's belief in the goodness and immutability of his father, which ultimately colored Biff's world. Putting people on pedal-stools never ends well. Realizing that the people around us are human and capable of moral turpitude will go a long way towards warding off disillusionment. [return][return]Second, the only successful character in the story is Uncle Ben. His ""...when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich."" indicated that life requires risk. Being unwilling of taking such risk in life can be stifling. Loman remained in the confines of what he considered safe, and in the end, he led a very unfulfilling life. Not going with Ben, or taking the many chances he was offered to go to Alaska, was something Loman regretted his entire life. [return][return]Lastly, Death of a Salesman possesses the quality that makes literature and the classics live. The ability to speak to multiple layers of life, remaining relevant in any age or climate, will sustain these as priceless treasures. This is a drama that I will read again and again. I can only hope that by listening to its message, I can avoid some of the pitfalls that made this drama tragic."(less)

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May 28, 2007

علی rated it

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Shelves: plays, great-ones, modern-classic-drama

Most of Arthur miller’s theatre works such as A View from the Bridge, The Crucible, All My Sons, Death of a Salesman etc. are categorized as modern tragedies; the struggles of the everyday man; I would say social American tragedies, focusing on the dark side of the American dream.
A classic play, about guilt, responsibility, and the relationship between fathers and sons in the aftermath of a World War II corruption case (All My Sons),
When two brothers come together to dispose of thei...moreMost of Arthur miller’s theatre works such as A View from the Bridge, The Crucible, All My Sons, Death of a Salesman etc. are categorized as modern tragedies; the struggles of the everyday man; I would say social American tragedies, focusing on the dark side of the American dream.
A classic play, about guilt, responsibility, and the relationship between fathers and sons in the aftermath of a World War II corruption case (All My Sons),
When two brothers come together to dispose of their parents' estate, their divergent attitudes and dispositions become increasingly accentuated (Prise),
exploring the intersection between one man's self-delusion and the brutal trajectory of fate (A View from the Bridge),
revealing the Salem witch trials of the late seventeenth century and the problem of guilt by association, but placed the outrage of McCarthyism in historical perspective (The crucible),
an anguished consideration of mortality and the gulf between men and women (Elegy for a lady),
Re-creating Dante's hell inside the gaping pit that is our history and populates it with sinners whose crimes are all the more fearful because they are so recognizable (Incident at Vichy),
a darkly comic satirical allegory that poses the question: What would happen if Christ were to appear in the world today? (Resurrection blues),
a casual, warm-spirited and innocuous musical chalk talk whose future is likely to reside with amateur church and synagogue theater groups (Up from Paradise),
so simple in style and so inevitable in theme, where Miller has looked with compassion into the hearts of some ordinary Americans and quietly transferred their hope and anguish to the theatre (Death of Salesman), a superb drama though Miller says; "…a love story between a man and his son, and... between both of them and America".

Though Miller’s works have always some social-political back ground in one or another way, but plays such as; “The archbishop’s ceiling” are referring directly to political issues (political situation in East Block in 1950’s and 60’s.) He has also plays which, I believe, are less interesting; “A Memory of Two Mondays”, Danger: Memory; “I can’t remember anything”, “Clara”, “After the fall”, “Some kind of love story”, “The Last Yankee”, “Broken Glass”, “The Creation of the World and Other Business”, “American Closk”, “The Ride Down Mount Morgan”, “American Clock”, etc.

مرگ فروشنده مشهورترین و به اعتبار بسیاری از منتقدان شاهکار نمایش نامه نویسی آرتور میللر است که بارها در خود آمریکا و کشورهای دیگر به روی صحنه آمده و از آن (دست کم تا آنجا که من به یاد دارم) سه فیلم سینمایی مشهور هم ساخته شده که بهترین انها همان آخرینشان است که "داستین هوفمن" که خود در فیلم دیگری از این نمایش نامه نقش پسر "ویلی نومان" را بازی می کرد، در نقش خود فروشنده "ویلی نومان" خوش درخشیده است. بازی داستین هوفمن در این فیلم از سنخ بازیگری شاگردان "استودیو بازیگران" نیویورک است که هنرپیشگان مشهوری چون مارلون براندو و خود هوفمن از فارغ التحصیلان آن مدرسه اند.
این نمایش نامه به اسامی مختلف و توسط مترجمان مختلف به فارسی برگردانده شده و توسط چند کارگردان روی صحنه رفته است. با نام "مرگ فروشنده" توسط عطاء الله نوریان ترجمه و در 1351 چاپ و منتشر شده و با نام "مرگ پیله ور" توسط علی اصغر بهرام بیگی ترجمه و در 1363 منتشر شده است.(less)

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Apr 04, 2007

Nicci rated it

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In this book, Arthur Miller's masterpiece, one finds the reason that Miller was blacklisted during the Red Scare. His undisguised longing for a break from the class system and his disdain for the so-called "American Dream" are nothing short of remarkable.

Within Willy Lowman resides the typical American Dream with no reality. Overtaken by industrialism and materialism, this character represents the absolute failure of society's promise of economic prosperity. His life e...more

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Aug 02, 2011

Scot Quaranda added it · review of another edition

Though this two act play is a little dated due to the fact that the image of the itinerant salesman no longer seems to be as recognizable an icon in America today, just like other Miller plays like the Crucible, the character roles and setting are more of a back drop for a larger inner struggle. My misconception upon picking up this book is that it was focused on the dying art and lifestyle of the salesman, but no transactions took place. In fact the selling part didn't really matter. This wa...more

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Jan 28, 2012

John E. Branch Jr. rated it

Shelves: literature-history-criticism, play-project-1, drama-american

When I saw, some years ago now, a production of Sam Shepard's Buried Child, it inspired me with, among other things, the hope that it might culminate and so bring to an end the whole fixation of American playwriting on the family drama, which still seems to me only a niche in the possibilities of the theater. That fixation appeared to be an offshoot of the 19th-century bourgeois drama and of naturalism, especially some aspects of Ibsen, and Shepard had crystallized it, not leaving nothing to be ...moreWhen I saw, some years ago now, a production of Sam Shepard's Buried Child, it inspired me with, among other things, the hope that it might culminate and so bring to an end the whole fixation of American playwriting on the family drama, which still seems to me only a niche in the possibilities of the theater. That fixation appeared to be an offshoot of the 19th-century bourgeois drama and of naturalism, especially some aspects of Ibsen, and Shepard had crystallized it, not leaving nothing to be said, but leaving nothing more that needed to be said. I was wrong, of course; the fixation refused to die, just as some odds and ends of leftover Romanticism have (one quick example of the latter is the immense popularity of the movie Black Swan). One of the many plays that rooted it in our soil is this one.

What is it about? The back cover of this edition describes it as a "Pulitzer Prize–winning drama about the tragic shortcomings of an American dreamer." True, it did win a Pulitzer; omitting that point would've been astoundingly modest for text that is, after all, intended to sell something. And that has something to do with the play; in America, nothing succeeds like success (a nice prize under your belt, for instance), and Willy Loman, the salesman of the title, isn't much of a success, at selling or at much else. But whether the term "tragic" can be applied not only to Willy's deficiencies but also to the play itself remains open to question. In my view, based so far only on reading the text, it cannot, but opinion varies on that point; Arthur Miller himself, in a short piece called "Tragedy and the Common Man" included in this volume, implicitly argues otherwise. I won't debate that here, though I will admit that seeing Death of a Salesman on a stage, which is after all where it deserves to be encountered, might change my mind.

While I'm indulging in what a former professor called my iconoclasm, I'll add that the much-quoted line “Attention must be paid” doesn’t seem to me the most provocative line. Prescient, maybe: since 1949, American culture has progressed to many further demands for attention, and not usually for attention to others, as this line expresses, but for attention to oneself. But Linda, Willy's wife, who delivers that line, has another that seems more pertinent to the play: "Well, dear, life is a casting off." Willy seems incapable of putting up and shutting up, of making do with what one has and can do, of acceptance, adjustment, and reduced expectations, or of any kind of recognition as the term usually applies in classic tragedy, yet his struggle isn't in the least heroic. That--call it tragic if you will--is the kernel of the drama Miller presents.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012

Feerena rated it

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Shelves: own-this-book

Y'know, we had to read this book for school, in my English class. I don't want to complain, I've read worse books, for sure, but I ain't a big fan of this one either. Of course, the failure of the American Dream is described more than well, but the story really does depress you throughout the process of reading. Maybe I did not understand everything correctly since English is not my native language but I definitely got the characters' attitudes, and they really bothered me. Sometimes I just want...more

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Dec 29, 2011

Erika Miller rated it

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I vaguely recalled reading the book back in high school and on a whim saw it sitting on the B&N summer reads and decided to grab it. Obviously, I was unable to truly appreciate the play that I was assigned to read and part of that could be is that I've never really cared for assigned reading. I'd much rather have the option of picking my own book/play to read.

The slow breakdown of self and family really touched me this go round. Empathizing with Biff in his struggle to find himself, ha...more

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Nov 14, 2011

Lydia rated it

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Never ever ever. Never read this unless forced, which considering it was somehow mistakenly identified as a "classic", you will one day be forced to do. I hated every character in the entire play, save one. The main character is a travelling salesman, on the edge of emotionally abusive to his son, and he cheats on his wife, a fact that in and of itself is impressive considering he was able to obtain a wife AND mistress considering his personality. Cheery, eh? It gets better. He's also ...more

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Nov 02, 2011

Justin Levine rated it

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Shelves: the-great-plays, all-plays

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 17, 2011

Ryan Barnes rated it

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Arthur Miller's captivating story of the dramatic life and tragic death of a traveling salesman replicates the trials and tribulations of lower middle class in the 1940s and even today. By moving between reality and Willy's daydreams, this made-for-the-stage drama details two sides of the main character, his vulnerable and poetic side and his ambitious and self-sufficient side, in his two sons and epitomizes a steady, office job. This appears to be Arthur Miller's overall purpose in writing "...moreArthur Miller's captivating story of the dramatic life and tragic death of a traveling salesman replicates the trials and tribulations of lower middle class in the 1940s and even today. By moving between reality and Willy's daydreams, this made-for-the-stage drama details two sides of the main character, his vulnerable and poetic side and his ambitious and self-sufficient side, in his two sons and epitomizes a steady, office job. This appears to be Arthur Miller's overall purpose in writing "Death of a Salesman," or rather displaying the detrimental effects of living a life based on travel, commission, and continuous failures. Willy's son, Biff, represents his soft side, so to speak. His major downfalls are put at the fault of this 34-year-old; since Biff is Willy's eldest son, he expected Biff to be a major success to make up for what he could not accomplish because of his low-paying job. Also, there are a couple times throughout where the characters question the family's ability to pay their bills. Willy already has to borrow money from his generous neighbor, Charley, to get by every week. However, with a constant job like the one his neighbor holds, being a lawyer in the city, Willy would be able to provide better accomodations at no trouble for the family.

Of the few themes running in the household, the most prominent is that success is hard to come by. It is based on occupation and in Willy's case, pure luck. Depending on commission, a salesman needs the right combination of persuasion, demand for the product, and price. If any aspect is lacking, the deal gets a smaller chance of success; furthermore, if the buyer does not like the price, he can simply walk away from the deal, and the seller is out of luck. No one in the family has been successful because they have not been lucky.

Without a doubt, this book is written in a dramatic format because it was written as a play, but its narration doubles as a paper format effectively. The story is even more interesting on paper because the reader can see the stage directions and get a much clearer picture for how the play is supposed to be run, not just how it is run. This format also allows the reader to imput whatever emotions deemed necessary. The drama is effective because it displays a relateable character for anyone across the ages. At some time ineveryone's lives, a serious self-evaluation will occur, and we will all determine if success was achieved.

In general, I like this book a lot more after having written this review. I realized more complexities in the plot than I had previously noticed, such as the relation between Willy's sons and his own facets. I like how the story jumps between Willy's daydreams and reality and how totally plausible it all is. In an average day, distractions do appear in my thoughts, and Arthur Miller really did a good job of showing these random transitions. The story is also real in that the family frequently explodes on each other. I am only giving the book a 4-star rating because it is not the kind of story I really adhere to. I am more for action and adventure than this tale of a "housewife." Otherwise, I would honestly rate this book a five, so there is nothing I severely disliked. Along the same course, there is nothing for me to change if there is nothing outstandingly wrong or misplaced. Finally, I do not think this book or the story inside is similar to many other books I have read. I also doubt this kind of story is too common in book at all.(less)

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Oct 07, 2011

Miles Zarathustra rated it

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Thought provoking, for sure. If you like tragedy based on the themes of denial, betrayal, self-deception, regret, and so on, this book (or play) is for you.

My basic issue with this story is that I didn't find the main character believable. Willie Loman, the salesman, is so much larger than life, and his character seems so contrived to fit a particular archetype or metaphor for "the American way" that psychologically it did not make sense.

Trying to pinpoint why...more

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Sep 08, 2011

Nina rated it

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This book was good. It was about a man named Willy and his wife Linda, living with thier two sons, Happy and Biff. Willy and Biff really didnt get along and Linda and Happy would always have to settle their fights. Willy thought that Biff didnt like him and Biff thought the Willy didnt like him. They would always be arguing about not important little things until one day a big fight arose because of something bad that Willy did. This was a serious situtaion and Biff had a right to get mad at his...more

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Sep 01, 2011

Molly rated it

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**Spoilers**

I believe that the reason this play is so iconic is because it truly deals with the problems of "every man." Willy Loman had no super powers, he wasn't going through headline invoking problems. His issues and those of his family are things that many people seem to cope with in their day to day lives but they tend to turn a blind eye to seeing how it can truly break down someone's character. All of the characters were very intriguing yet there were things left ou...more**Spoilers**

I believe that the reason this play is so iconic is because it truly deals with the problems of "every man." Willy Loman had no super powers, he wasn't going through headline invoking problems. His issues and those of his family are things that many people seem to cope with in their day to day lives but they tend to turn a blind eye to seeing how it can truly break down someone's character. All of the characters were very intriguing yet there were things left out in the text that I wish would have been touched upon more. Miller emphasized the way that Biff and Willy kept disappointing each other. The story told me that Willy lived his life with regret in regards to wanting to be someone and providing an end result rather than the journey. I understood that Biff felt suffocated by his father and then ashamed of him when he saw that Willy was not the hero everyone painted him out to be. Their home life was painted with quite a few lies in order to cover up the bigger regrets in life. I understand that having Biff walk in on Willy with another woman was the first complete crack in this little life the Loman's painted for each other, but I was expecting something a little more scarring. I was hoping that Bernard was right, and that Willy told Biff not to take summer school and that is why Biff's life went down a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I understand why Biff left, having realized so much of his life and his hero appeared a fake, but I was hoping for something a little juicier. And maybe the fact that it wasn't that juicy just adds to the everyman iconic appeal. I wish we knew more about Linda. Why does she stay with him? Why does she put up with him? Why does she love him? The beginning when we first see Linda and how much she cares for Willy and how Willy knocks her aside was intriguing because I wanted to see how their relationship got to that point, but then I never really found much of that in the text. Perhaps the reason Willy treats Linda so horribly is because of the stocking incident with the woman and Biff in the hotel room? Yet Linda must need a reason as to why she would put up with him. I just wanted to hear a little bit more of her story. And Happy. There was so much there to play with in regards to Happy! He was always the peon, shoved aside. It was heartbreaking in the flashback scenes when he was trying to show Willy how he lost weight and he was just completely ignored. And Willy tried so hard to keep the Loman family facade going, despite all of this. I just wanted to know why, why did he try so hard? Why did he stay? Why was his name changed from Harold to Happy in school? Yet maybe, because he is ignored by everyone in his family, the audience must ignore him as well? I was really really hoping for a huge twist at the end though where Happy was the one who died and the title came from the fact that Happy spent so much time "selling" the picture of a happy family to everyone so he was the family that died. I felt like Miller put all of these juicy characters and relationships on stage (Charley and Willy, what happened to them? What is Charley's relationship to Ben?) and then he just sort of left them. Maybe that was the point all along? I'm not sure.
(less)

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Jan 18, 2011

Bruce rated it

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In the mid-20th century, when this play was first produced, it was probably seen as an indictment of consumerist society and the endless grind for riches. Today some of that seems a bit dated, at least in its details, although to be sure the materialism of our society has not changed, and the pressure for this kind of success still exists, if the expectations may now be dampened. What struck me most in this play were the interactions within the family, the endless miscommunications, the diffic...more

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Dec 27, 2011

Venus rated it

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Shelves: literature

ويلی: تو اينجا چكار مي كنی؟
چارلی: خوابم نمي برد. قلبم داشت آتش مي گرفت
ويلی: خوب، معلومه غذا خوردن بلد نيستی! بايد يه چيزی راجع به ويتامين و اين حرفها ياد بگيری.
چارلی: اون ويتامين ها چه فايده ای داره؟
ويلی: اونا استخوناتو درس می كنن.
... چارلی: آره، اما قلب آدم كه استخون نيست...!

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Nov 03, 2009

Alec Curtis added it · review of another edition

The play Death of a Salesman is written by Arthur Miller. This play is about a man in his mid to late 40s and is a salesman. This man's name is Willy Loman. Willy is the main character and the play goes through Willy's life and depicts how strange his life really is. In his life he is living two lives. One life is the life that he has in the real world. The other life is the life that he wants to live, when everything is perfect. The second life is also about the life that he already had and eve...more

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Oct 19, 2009

Billie Pritchett rated it

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Death of a Salesman is a play about the fall of Willy Loman, a traveling salesman who in the eyes of his company is growing more insignificant with age. He has a difficult time aligning his public persona and private self. He exudes a public character that is largely BS--that is, he embellishes his abilities and his son's abilities so that he always appears to people as confident. However, he privately knows that he is not as great as he makes himself out to be, and other people know it well, to...more

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Jan 08, 2012

Charlotte Coldwell rated it

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“Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him.”

When I first approached Death of a Salesman, I did have slight reservations. I wasn’t sure whether or not the story would have much premise, or if it would just be a channel to reflect on how consumerism affected life in America in the 1940s. It does achieve the latter, but it manages to do it via ...more“Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him.”

When I first approached Death of a Salesman, I did have slight reservations. I wasn’t sure whether or not the story would have much premise, or if it would just be a channel to reflect on how consumerism affected life in America in the 1940s. It does achieve the latter, but it manages to do it via an interesting story depicting the deterioration of the Loman family.

Willy Loman completely infuriated me. He lived entirely in his fantasy world and was afraid of hearing the truth, especially about his son Biff, who was always his greatest trophy. He clung to minor accomplishes – even imaginary ones – and built them up in his head to be something fantastic. It’s all very well to have dreams, but Willy’s stopped him from taking proper care of his family, and he left it to his wife, Linda, to be the support. As well as always putting his wife down, he also ruined his sons lives. He convinced them that they had to work in business like he did, but this only made them miserable, and in turn made Willy miserable too. Willy also kept having flashbacks and there wasn’t always a clear indication of when these started and stopped, so it did get quite confusing. I think these flashbacks would be much clearer if you actually watched the play. It doesn’t really hinder the story too much, and you do get used to it quite quickly.

For me, the best part of the story was Linda. I really admire women who stick with the person they love, no matter how much shit they put them through, and how often they treat them badly – and believe me, Willy treated Linda badly more than often. There were so many times I just wanted to slap him for yelling at her when she was trying to help. All she ever wanted to do was prevent her family from breaking down, but Willy just made it so damn hard. I just loved Linda, in all her determination and silent strength. She was perfect, and almost made up for her impossible husband.

I do believe that the moral of the story is still relevant today, and that Miller does a brilliant job of giving his opinion without preaching. I’d quite like to see a production of it, as I think it would make the flashbacks a lot clearer, and it is something I’d like to return to again (I mean, I’ll have to because I’m studying it at A-Level, but that’s beside the point). I’m giving it four stars simply because it didn’t utterly engross me, but I did enjoy it and find it poignant and moving in places.

“Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am!”(less)

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Oct 03, 2011

David Grimaud rated it

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PLAYWRIGHT, Arthur Miller, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949 for DEATH OF A SALESMAN. It was a pivotal time for America. On one hand, the country was brimming with confidence and financial prosperity after World War II. The American Dream was alive and well. On the other hand, the war had forced changes at home and in domestic life. Real war was replaced by the Cold War, causing national tension. Miller would explore both this tension and the American Dream in DEATH OF A SAL...morePLAYWRIGHT, Arthur Miller, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949 for DEATH OF A SALESMAN. It was a pivotal time for America. On one hand, the country was brimming with confidence and financial prosperity after World War II. The American Dream was alive and well. On the other hand, the war had forced changes at home and in domestic life. Real war was replaced by the Cold War, causing national tension. Miller would explore both this tension and the American Dream in DEATH OF A SALESMAN.

When young, Miller had written a short story about a mediocre salesman. A discordant relationship with an uncle, Manny Newman, prompted Miller to revisit the idea in a play. Newman was, thus, the archetype for Willie Loman, the tragic hero of the play.

The play is an interaction within the Loman household, primarily between Willie Loman, a traveling salesman of about sixty, and his two sons, Biff and Happy. Willie bounces between mundane reality and daydreams from his past. His older son Biff, now in his mid-thirties, is a disappointment. Bouncing between jobs, Biff had been a star football player in high school; but Biff never graduated, because — as we find out at the play’s climax — he discovers his father to be a hypocrite. Happy, a few year’s junior and in Biff’s shadow as a youth, is following in his father’s footsteps as an aspiring salesman; but neither is he getting anywhere.

Miller questions the “American Dream” — the lure of wealth and status — through Willie Loman and his sons. Willie represents the working-class man caught up in the Dream’s seduction. The sons represent opposing forces within this man. Biff, who is conflicted with his father’s expectations and searching for his own truth, is the spirit of man that longs to discover himself outside of the Dream. Happy, who is shallow, pretentious, and sex obsessed, is the part of man that invests in the myth. Even the names are descriptive: Loman meaning “low man;” Willie, implying “willy-nilly;” Biff, which is literally a sharp blow; and Happy, as used in a shallow, sarcastic sense.

Other, minor characters are symbolic as well, reinforcing the various aspects and forces affecting the pursuit of the Dream. Living more in his daydreams, Willie cannot bring himself to catharsis, and in the end rationalizes that $20,000 in death benefit from a life insurance policy will give Biff the capital to achieve the Dream. Yet, Biff chooses to find his own way, and it is Happy who takes the money to continue his father’s pursuit.

Myself in midlife, I identified with many of the conflicts in the play. Time brings on hardship. Ideals and principles from youth are challenged. Some dreams are fullfilled, yet, hollow victories. Other dreams are painfully dashed, but produce personal growth. In the end, the main question will be, what was my life about? Miller questioned it in his lifetime, and the question remains alive beyond his death.(less)

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Jun 02, 2009

Lavinia rated it

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Shelves: 2009, plays, in-en

I wonder whether it's fair or not to enjoy other people's family dramas, but I really did enjoy this one. :confused: Or rather I should put it like this: (20th century) American family dramas are the best. They have like the weirdest, most complicated lives and the family members are not afraid to confront each other. And Willy Loman, (Miller plays a bit with his name: Low-man) is the total opposite of the classical hero, ending his American Dream in a total failure, due to his misunderstanding ...more

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Jul 28, 2011

Sunshine rated it

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Random fact: Arthur Miller was once married to Marilyn Monroe. Like the theme of the American Dream, it didn't last.

This is one of my favorite plays of all time. Yes, it's very maudlin to the point of depressing. Yes, there's lots of shouting and bitterness. Yes, it's emblematic of my own family at past points, plus steamed broccoli in the food fight. Just Kidding. We just threw popcorn.

Seriously, I think Miller gives a fascinating depiction of not only American ideali...more

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May 22, 2011

Jason rated it

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In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the author completely eschews with subtlety and is adamant to emphasize the failure of the American Dream. Nonetheless, the didacticism of the narrative does not mitigate Miller’s social, political and economic ideologies or the play’s core emotional resonance for that matter. The evil of capitalism and the blind pursuit of financial success as a meaningless endeavor capable of destroying lives are made abundantly clear.

Having read the play at t...moreIn Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the author completely eschews with subtlety and is adamant to emphasize the failure of the American Dream. Nonetheless, the didacticism of the narrative does not mitigate Miller’s social, political and economic ideologies or the play’s core emotional resonance for that matter. The evil of capitalism and the blind pursuit of financial success as a meaningless endeavor capable of destroying lives are made abundantly clear.

Having read the play at this particular stage in my life was a real wake-up call. The play managed to reflect my own anxieties and failures in life regarding my current deplorable financial situation and bleak future. Sure, I have made many mistakes in the past but it is embarrassing and downright pathetic that at the age of 25 I am still working for minimum wage. This job has chipped away at my soul for seven years and left me empty without any hope to continue living. Similar to Willy Loman, I was deceived into thinking that working hard would allow the opportunity to move up in this business where I could establish a name for myself and earn respect from my employers. Wrong. They could not care less about me regardless of the dedication and the large amount of years put in working my tail off for them. I’m just another name on the peon payroll, a ghost that allows the cog in the machine to continue functioning. The familiar idiom of "keeping up with the Joneses" has never been an issue although recently I have become more self-conscious of my predicament. Most people I know around my age are well on their way to building a prosperous future for themselves, which largely stems from having an actual career that pays salary. They drive their own car and have a place of their own instead of living in their parent's basement. They have the luxury of purchasing whatever their heart desires. They can take vacations and travel the world. Many of them are even getting married or involved in a serious relationship. I understand that a large portion of my misery is a result of failing to graduate from college and similar to Biff, I’ve become a disappointment to my parents for not amounting to anything other than an incompetent deadbeat. Every work shift is struggle to refrain myself from committing suicide and that is usually a sign that it is time to find a new profession. I'd love to finally quit and tell my boss to go to hell but I’m stuck in a catch-22 situation. Without the proper education credentials, I am doomed to work other monotonous, perfunctory and degrading jobs that will not be any different. I am faced with two options: I could take the Willy Loman route and commit suicide for being a failure in life by making the mistake of conforming to the hypocrisies of the capitalist system. Or, I could be like Biff and find the strength to reject capitalism; try to do something positive with my life and find happiness despite the lack of a steady income. The latter sounds mighty appealing but I'm not sure if the wandering bohemian lifestyle is for me. Maybe it is about time I grew up and actually applied myself instead of being scared to move forward. Quitting my shitty job and finding a way to finish college would probably be a positive step in the right direction but then again, would such actions not be paradoxical, eventually leading me to become a working member of the system? Ugh, I don't even know what the hell I am talking about anymore.

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Oct 24, 2010

Emily rated it

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Shelves: for-college, theater, read-in-2010

So I took an optional course at college on American Theater from the XXth century and I'm not regretting it at all, the readings we get are soo cool!

I had never rad anything by Miller and I have to say I loved it! The characters are so well drawn, and through very little (as opposite to O'Neill) stage directions he says so much! I love the whole plot, the flash-backs thing to reveal some small things important to the plot (very modern for his time, right? Quite a bit experimental. So...more

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May 17, 2009

3Zoeyf rated it

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Should books be banned? Should one decide upon what is right for another person to read, or even more importantly should the importance of a book be kept away from readers because of the content? Well I say no book should have the right to live no matter what. Now there are books that are about sex, violence, racism and even homosexuality but these are topics that are happening today and realistic to many. However I do understand that there should be some kind of age limit reading when t...more
Should books be banned? Should one decide upon what is right for another person to read, or even more importantly should the importance of a book be kept away from readers because of the content? Well I say no book should have the right to live no matter what. Now there are books that are about sex, violence, racism and even homosexuality but these are topics that are happening today and realistic to many. However I do understand that there should be some kind of age limit reading when topics as such because you don’t really want a 6 years old reading something like that. Then there are books that books doesn’t make any sense why it is banned such as James in the giant peach, Alice in wonderland and in the night kitchen which happens to be children books.

They’re many reasons why books get banned. In those reasons there are too types the above surface reason and beneath the surface reason. The above surface is usually stated when reading the book it might deal with sex, violence, racism etc. Then the beneath reason would be connection with the book for instance he author is gay, its about women empowerment or even citising the American dream like the book or play The death of a salesman. The Death Salesman had above surface reason of violence and language but beneath reason was that the book citisim the American dream and there wasn’t a dream to live for. However most books banned because of the above surface reasons rather then beneath..

Children books that would ever think they would have to get banned, most like you think they be last of the books to get banned. For James and the giant peach that book is banned for its story's mystical element, statements made with the book such as a Spider licking her lips and the Grasshopper's statement, "I'd rather be fried alive and eaten by a Mexican which poses racism.
A child however that is 8 years old or around that age probably would think the book is funny, adventurous and a good book to read. Then there is the book the night kitchen it was banned nudity and no supervisor of a child, but most children don’t notice the child in the book was naked and story tells of a child have fun exploring, and learning new things which hopefully ever parent would want there child to do.

Lets look at the teenager point of view of banned books. Most teens enjoy read books that are relative to the situations that have to face everyday. Whether its sex, drugs or violence most teens in the city and even in the suburbs deal with these problems. So why not let a teenager read about these topics and learn how to deal with them if and when face with them. In the same process if I were parent probably would want my 5- 9-year-old read book such topics. For one they wouldn’t understand it mostly likely and it would be to graphic.

To me all books even banned books are just a part of life. Banned books are relative, mysterious, and just good to read. Regardless what a book might have in it, a person should be able to a read a banned at one point or another in their life.
So don’t be afraid to read what you want

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Aug 15, 2011

Michi rated it

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Shelves: plays, am-lit-2

The deconstruction of the American Dream seems to be one of the most common themes in American literature. American intellectuals in general and particularly writers seem to be obsessed with a kind of cultural criticism that is only formally concealed in subtexts, usually easily accessible via relatively straight forward metaphors and symbolism. As a result there are numerous short stories and novels but also films, and in this case a play that offer the casual reader an entertaining story but a...moreThe deconstruction of the American Dream seems to be one of the most common themes in American literature. American intellectuals in general and particularly writers seem to be obsessed with a kind of cultural criticism that is only formally concealed in subtexts, usually easily accessible via relatively straight forward metaphors and symbolism. As a result there are numerous short stories and novels but also films, and in this case a play that offer the casual reader an entertaining story but also allow (or suggest) a socio-political reading. Names in fiction often function as keys or links to these critical subtexts, such as the biblically suggestive name Nick Adams in Hemingway’s The Killers or the more multivalent name Dexter Green in Fitzgerald’s Winter Dreams.

Miller named the tragic hero (or anti-hero) of Death of a Salesman Willy Loman, phonetically identical with low man, which triggers a flow of (mostly negative) associations. The ageing salesman, whose death is announced in the name of the play, therefore is burdened with a range of possible undesirable qualities: low may refer to his social status and lack of success, his morals or his personality; he is not a great hero whose tragic flaw lead to his downfall but rather an ordinary man who merely dreams of greatness. In fact his idea of greatness in the form of material success is Loman’s tragic flaw that leads to his death.

This can be interpreted as a simple but forceful criticism of the American Way of Life, particularly of the essential American “isms”: capitalism, consumerism, materialism and careerism. In this reading the American Way is portrayed as a highway to hell, a path that leads inevitably to disaster. People like Loman then do not represent progress, a desirable development or the future of mankind. Thus Loman / low man can also be seen as the opposite of Nietzsche’s superman (or overman) who stands for continuous creative renewal. A simple translation of Loman into German offers yet another association: Untermensch – “subhuman”, the infamous term coined by the Nazis as a reference to Jews and other ethnic groups and minorities they considered inferior and worthless. Again the tragic figure of the unsuccessful salesman appears in the context of the American society and Miller shows how cold and dehumanizing capitalism can be. In the established system Loman is a loser; someone too weak and too old to succeed or even to survive in the American business life. In the end he is literally worth more dead than alive because his life insurance provides his family with far more wealth than he ever could.

As the play progresses the reality Loman perceives includes fragments of past events and imagined events; present, past and subjective memory all blur into an odd half-life; perhaps yet another comment on the American reality as Miller might have seen it. The emptiness of Loman’s existence is evident also in the gaps Miller left in certain aspects of Loman’s life – such as the question what kind of salesman Loman actually is. What he sells is irrelevant. The idea that as a participant of the free-market economy Loman must sell himself, however, seems to be a significant element of the play. Willy Loman’s brother Ben and Dave Singleman (again, examining the name might be interesting) serve as role-models for Willy. They represent the idea that success is possible, however, ironically they both are dead (salesmen) and the use of their success, for which they are remembered, is therefore presented as highly questionable.

The capitalist concepts of insurance and mortgage and the role they play in society seem to be central to the plot as well as to Miller’s critical view of capitalism. In this view, Linda’s final statement “We’re free...We’re free...” shows how important it seems to her to have made the last payment on the house. She is no longer a slave but has bought her freedom, which brings her and Happy closer to achieving the same American Dream that was Willy Loman’s obsession. His failure does not make them question their way of life; after all Linda’s words also serve to identify herself as a member of the “land of the free and home of the brave”.
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