About the Play

Death of a Salesman addresses the conflicts that happen inside a family with the background being the
blind faith of the middle-class man that one day, he will finally be able to live out the utopian American
dream. Miller views post-war America as a society built around capitalistic materialism that has obscured
the personal truth and vision that was envisioned by the founding fathers of the nation.

Even after half a century, the play holds up being a powerful work. The ideas of materialistic goals that
the play portrays, although familiar now, was something very radical at the time. A significant part of the
U.S. middle-class crowd could not live up to the life as proposed by this American dream. It is this
unhappiness of achievement, comparing one’s material wealth with their neighbours, that drove a group
of new writers to act upon the situation, to battle for self-realization and expression of personal meaning.
Such a step also paved the way to break free from the artistic rut of conformity and confusion in a post-
war America.

The play is also seen as a U.S. version of the European existential stance, touching upon notions of
success and individuality. The play is said to have arisen as a result of the conflict-ridden relationship
between Miller and his Uncle Manny Newman, who also happened to be a salesman, and always
imagined an ongoing competition between his son and Miller. Miller, in his younger days, had written a
manuscript about an unsuccessful salesman, which he developed into a successful play as his relationship
with Newman deteriorated.

About the author

‘Death of a Salesman’ is one among the most famous works from the author Arthur Miller, the creator of
other popular works, including All my Sons, The Crucible, and Broken Glass. Born on October 17, 1915,
in New York City, his career as a playwright began as a student at the University of Michigan. His works
were an amalgamation of social awareness and searching for the inner lives of his characters. Death of a
Salesman was considered as a great American tragedy, with critics viewing Miller as an author that
profoundly understood the essence of the United States.

He was shaped by the Great Depression, which robbed his family of financial stability, introducing young
Miller to the insecurity of modern existence. His university education was with the money he earned
working in a warehouse. His works were recognized numerous times with Death of a Salesman being
awarded Tony and Pulitzer Prize; Broken Glass being awarded the Olivier Award for Best Play of the
London Season. He was also given the New York Drama Critics Circle Award twice.
The screenplay, Misfits, was written by Miller for his wife, Marilyn Monroe. The filming of Misfits
served as the basis for his next play, Finishing the Picture. Miller also published his autobiography,
Timebands, in 1987. He died on February 10, 2005, at the age of 89.

Learnings from the Play

The primary learnings from the play come from the protagonist, Willy Loman, who fails to accept the
changes happening around him in the fast-paced world. He never tastes success and tries to distract
himself by cheating on his wife, Linda, who has supported him and kept the family together. When he
finally realizes that he is too far behind and the world has moved on, the realization that the American
dream might stay as a dream shatters him.

A critical takeaway from the play is regarding the world of rat race. The author points out how the idea of
being unsuccessful haunts a person, slowly bringing down his confidence, morale and productivity.
Society has painted the picture of such an unattainable utopia which has transfixed the protagonist. This
theme of such an elusive goal can be seen through a desperate Loman who starts losing faith as his sales
fall. Towards the end of the play, we see the protagonist realizing in one moment what a ridiculous life he
has led- pushing him over the edge to end it. The key takeaway that one has to make from here is to
reevaluate the goals and dreams we have set for ourselves, to save ourselves from the ‘tragedy of the
common man’.

The play also teaches one the importance of knowing the parameters upon which one should evaluate
oneself. Rather than focusing on the toxic culture of evaluating the worth of one’s life based on his/her
material possessions, it is high time we looked into other deciding factors such as loved ones, family and
the lives of other fellow humans we were able to touch. The idea of materialism is compared and
contrasted to inner happiness- had the protagonist evaluated himself based on what a beautiful family he
had, the story would have ended differently. The play also stresses the importance of originality, of being
oneself. Rather than changing who you are, to make others happy, one should lead their life as themselves
and see what life has in store for them.

Another crucial aspect that is highlighted in the play is the importance of keeping work life and personal
life separate. The manner in which the failures in the work of the protagonist creeps into his personal life,
straining his personal life, making him not appreciate (and betray) his wife- goes to prove this point. It is
this strain on his family life that had sown the seed for the life-long father-son conflict. Things would
have taken quite a different turn, if Mr Loman spent more time with, and was loyal to his family.
The idea that one must pursue what they truly desire is yet another lesson that is also being taught by the
play. It can be seen from the play that Mr Willy Loman was a person with love towards carpentry. Had he
followed this dream of carpentry and moved to the country to fulfil his inner happiness, he would have
been more successful, could have helped Biff by giving an amount to help him get a decent start to his
life, and he wouldn’t have required to resort to suicide in the end. The possibility of such an alternative
option that was always available to the protagonist reinforces the question of evaluating one’s choices as
to whether or not one has the right goals and dreams in life- if that is what truly they desire. Such a
question is truly terrifying since the mistake of having the wrong dreams can happen to anyone.

References

1. (n.d.). Retrieved October 08, 2020, from

http://personal.linkline.com/jzarro/jzlessons/death_salesmn.htm
2. (n.d.). Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/salesman/context/
3. Cooper, N. (2017, February 21). The life lessons for today of Willy Loman. Retrieved October
08, 2020, from https://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/15105522.the-life-lessons-for-now-of-
willy-loman/
4. Death of a Salesman Lesson Plans. (n.d.). Retrieved October 08, 2020, from
https://www.varsitytutors.com/englishteacher/death-salesman-lesson-plans
5. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, April 03). Arthur Miller. Retrieved October 08,
2020, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-Miller-American-playwright
6. Ramsbottom, J. (2019, May 18). Lessons from Willy Loman. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from
https://medium.com/@johnramsbottom/lessons-from-willy-loman-81abecb1b532
7. This Terrifying Freedom - Leadership Lessons from Miller's 'Death of a Salesman'. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 08, 2020, from http://www.craigleggo.com/blog/this-terrifying-freedom-
leadership-lessons-from-millers-death-of-a-salesman