A Writer's Tools

''Death of a Salesman'' is considered one of the best

dramas of the 20th century. In this lesson, we'll examine the
plot and dramatic structure of ''Death of a Salesman'' and
consider how these literary devices contribute to our overall
understanding of the play.

Writers often refer to their work as a craft, and the best of

the best become master craftsmen. Just like the craft of
woodworking, where one carpenter may build a nice,
functional kitchen table, another creates an ornately
designed table that is equally functional but also beautiful
and interesting to look at. Aside from the wood itself,
woodworkers have many tools at their disposable -
hammers, saws, levels, wood, drills, etc. - and choose each
one with a deliberate purpose in mind.

Writers have a story to tell and require several tools in their

craft: words, sentences, characters, plot, and structure.
Like the master carpenter who chooses a specific drill bit,
the writer chooses when and how to apply each of his tools.
Arthur Miller was a master craftsman of drama, or a written
work that is meant to be performed on stage. One of his
greatest creations was the Death of a Salesman, which
won both a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award in 1949. In this
lesson, we'll examine how Arthur Miller applies the tools of
plot and dramatic structure to tell the story of Willie Loman
and his family.
Defining Plot & Dramatic Structure
Plot is the main story in a dramatic or literary work, while
dramatic structure is the sequence of a play or a film.
Though they sound quite similar, they are independent
elements that work together to make the story engaging
and/or entertaining. The dramatic structure follows a
pattern and is concerned with the actions of the characters,
with what they do. The plot does not necessarily follow a
pattern; it tells us instead, not what, but why the characters
do the things they do. Let's examine the plot and dramatic
structure within Death of a Salesman.

Plot of Death of a Salesman

The plot, or main story, in Death of a Salesman begins
when Willy returns from a business trip and finds his two
sons, Biff and Happy, staying at the family home. From that
moment on, the story line weaves in and out of the past and
the present and back again. At the age of 63, Willy Loman
is a mess. He's broke, in debt, and about to get fired.

Through his memories, we learn about Willy and the other

characters as well. Linda is an ever-supportive and patient
wife; Happy has always stood in his older brother's shadow
and longs for his parents' attention and approval, and Biff,
who was a very popular and talented high school athlete,
catches his father having an affair. As a result, Biff refuses
to attend summer school and destroys his university
football scholarship.
As the only character to ever see the real Willy Loman, Biff
drives Willy toward a confrontation with truth when he
arrives home as a grown man who cannot hold a steady job.
Willy will not accept that his all-star son wants to be
nothing more than a farm-hand on a ranch, even though it
is clear that this type of work makes Biff very happy and
fulfilled.

After getting fired, Willy Loman concludes that if only Biff

had someone to give him money, he could still be a
success and live out his destiny to be a great man. Willy
commits suicide so that his son can inherit the life
insurance money. No one attends Willy's funeral except his
family and two neighbors. Willy had always insisted that he
was a well-liked and successful salesman, but in the end,
the truth catches up with him.

Dramatic Structure in the Play

The dramatic structure of Death of a Salesman follows a
classic literary pattern known as Freytag's Pyramid, a
diagram of a common pattern of dramatic sequence.
Though the plot weaves from past to present, the dramatic
structure follows a predictable pattern. As we said earlier,
the dramatic structure is the sequence of a play or film, and
Freytag's pyramid provides us with a model to easily
identify the dramatic sequence of Death of a Salesman.

As we can see in the diagram, Freytag's Pyramid consists

of the exposition (or beginning), rising action, climax, falling
action, and denouement, (or ending).

The dramatic structure begins with the exposition of a play,

where the foundation for the story is laid. This takes place in
the very first scene when Willy returns from a business trip
and finds his two sons staying at the family home. The
rising action begins immediately when Biff and Happy
discuss Willy's deteriorating mental state, and Linda reveals
to the boys their father's recent suicide attempts.

The climax of the story occurs when the action and

confrontation reach their highest point (and it is the highest
point of Freytag's pyramid diagram). Several events collide
in the climax of Death of a Salesman. Biff becomes
determined to confront his father with truth; Willy is fired
and runs into Bernard, who is a successful lawyer; Willy is
then abandoned at the restaurant where he refuses to listen
to Biff explain that he has no interest in the business world.

The falling action begins when Willy returns home and

fights with Biff and ends when Willy's car is heard crashing
in the distance. Denouement is the end or final scene of a
play where matters are explained or resolved. When Willy's
family stands at his graveside with only two neighbors
alongside them to say good-bye, his wife Linda wonders
why all the friends Willy spoke of didn't come to his funeral,
and Biff concludes that his father had 'all the wrong
dreams.'

Lesson Summary
Arthur Miller is considered one of the best writers of the
20th century. He's a true master of the craft of writing,
particularly dramas, which are written works meant to be
performed on stage. The dramatic structure of Death of a
Salesman follows the classic Freytag Pyramid model,
which consists of exposition, rising action, climax, falling
action, and denouement. However, the plot, which refers to
the main story in a dramatic or literary work, moves back
and forth between past to present. The plot and dramatic
structure, or sequence of the play, work together to create
the story of Willy Loman and his family.