Death Of A Salesman Essay

Death of a Salesman
Define "The American Dream". In what way does Death of a Salesman point out the
hopelessness of chasing this dream? Are there any rewards? The idea of the American Dream is
truly subjective. To some, it is living in the lap of luxury in all aspects. To others, it is a chance at
a better brighter opportunity for themselves or their families. Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman"
portrays the promise of the American Dream in the form of opportunity, freedom, success and
wealth; the ability to acquire all material comforts in American Life, and sacrifices one must make
in order to achieve it. For Willy Loman, hard work could not earn him everything that he wanted or
thought he deserved. Willy judged life in terms of material wealth....show more content...
Once again, Willy chooses his fixation on the American Dream, over his marriage and children.
Willie lived to pursue the American dream rather than just live it simplistically, and organically.
"Death of A Salesman" puts an immense amount of pressure on its main character. This dream,
this idea of true happiness and success is similar to dangling a carrot in the face or a horse. The
horse may give chase, running far and fast, but never reaches its intended goal. Willy Loman held
onto a dream, and did everything and anything to reach it; even at the expense of his marriage and
family. His demise was Rivera 4tragic and unfortunate, and a result of a consumer oriented
society in which he was never able to fit in. He has lost sight of achieving the true goal of the
American Dream; happiness and freedom. Willy has made quite an effort in attempt to achieve
this goal, such as having an affair, a life away from his family, all of which sent him on a crash
course headed for disaster. All of this is proof that living out this "American Dream", will never be a
reality, unless we live in reality. To chase a dream is hopeless; you must work hard and earn your
keep to achieve it, like everybody else. Upon doing so, it is possible to reap the benefits, and collect
your reward no matter how tangible or intangeable they may be.
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Death Of A Salesman Research Paper
"Death of a Salesman" is a play that begins with a very mildly successful salesman with a wife and
two sons. However, through tragic events, the work became more difficult. The family itself began
to fall apart. Due to the death of the salesman, the sons found new purpose through their father's
death. In the beginning of this play, the wife if very concerned about her husband's wellbeing.
Willy the salesman has been going through many problems with his job recently. This makes life
even harder. Linda being a caring person notices something is going wrong with her husband. She
is speaking to her sons when she says, "He's been trying to kill himself." talking about Willy (Miller
41). Due to the pressure of being successful in America, Willy

Essay On Death Of A Salesman
The story 'Death of a Salesman' written by Miller focuses on a man doing all he can to allow him
and his family to live the American dream. Throughout the story it is shown how the Loman's
struggle with finding happiness and also with becoming successful. Throughout their entire lives
many problems come their way resulting in a devastating death caused by foolishness and the
drive to be successful. Ever since he and his wife, Linda, met she has been living a sad and
miserable life, because she has been trying support his unachievable goals. Also by him being naГЇve
put his children's lives in jeopardy and also made them lose sight of who they really were. Miller
uses the Loman family to show how feeling the need to appear a certain way to the public and trying
to live a life that is not really yours can turn into an American nightmare.
Willy's self– image that he portrayed to others of being successful was a lie that he had lived with
for so long...show more content...
Willy's biggest issue with his son is that he let him down by not being any more successful than
him. He feels like Biff is failing on purpose just to make him look bad. Although, he has no decent
job and is single; Biff has become disoriented about life. Earlier in the play Biff tells Happy, "I tell
ya Hap, I don't know what the future is. I don't know – what I'm supposed to want" (Miller266). Biff
once looked up to his father as a role model, but lost all faith in him once finding out that he was
having an affair. Ever since he has rejected Willy's commitment of being a husband and also a
father. To add to his ruins are Willy's ideas of how Biff should get ahead in life. Willy taught Biff
that popularity was the right way to get to the top, rather than hard–work and dedication. Trying to
live by his dad's standards caused Biff to fail high school and become unable to put forth the effort
to become

Death Of A Salesman Identity Essay
The 1940s is often referred to as the most influential decade of mankind. Countless advancements
were made in technology, medicine, and arts. Although this is true, if you were to look up "1940s"
on Google the automatic search results yields suggestions such as fashion, hair, clothes, and
dresses. These results stem from the shallow image oriented society of this decade, both through
materialism and visual appearances. Understanding of his surroundings, Arthur Miller wrote Death
of a Salesman in the final year of 1949. Ingrained within characters of the story are certain
personality traits which define their identities. The identity of the individuals found in the play are
not their own, rather the identity of the individuals found in the play are demonstrative of society
and the culture. The first example of apprehension is apparently appearance. The identities of the
Loman boys are defined by their physical image, as was instilled on them by their father. Directly
after comparing his sons to adonises, an allusion made in order to further display their values, Willy
says "I see great things for you kids "( ). By calling the boys adonises, Miller could also be trying to
demonstrate that the fabrication of attractiveness guaranteeing success, while extremely present in
the current culture, has been an inevitable part of society and culture's influence on the common
man. Willy associates physical appearance with success, creating their identities which mirror current
society. As a result of the this concept in the culture during World War II, this concept became the
standard the belief in...show more content...
Miller skillfully was able to make characters which alone give subtle context to the surrounding
society and culture. The overwhelming importance of image through physical appearance and
materialization can be seen through the actions of his

Death Of A Salesman Tragedy Essay
Death of a Salesman is a tragic play written in 1949 by Arthur Miller. The story is about a salesman
who lost his identity after having an affair with another woman and can't seem to accept the changes
in his life since the event. The story has been performed in theaters and shown on film for many
years. Lee Siegel, a writer for The Nation explains the role of Death of a Salesman in the
entertainment industry:
Every ten years or so, Death of a Salesman is revived, and every ten years we get the same
interpretations: Willy the impossible dreamer, Willy the conformist, Willy the American nightmare
on the obverse side of the American dream. Maybe on this sixty–third anniversary of the play–the
very age of its enigmatic protagonist–it is...show more content...
As seen throughout Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman isn't a renowned character to begin with.
Rather, Loman is just a plain salesman who's having a challenging time succeeding. For this reason,
Willy Loman doesn't fit the description of a protagonist in a Greek tragedy, according to Aristotle.
However, one may propose that Willy does fit the character because of his personal flaws. Willy was
known for venerating his self–perception and holding an elevated level of haughtiness. Throughout
the play, we constantly see the attention that Willy craves as he desires for success amongst his
failing career. Willy has a successful older brother Ben who's in the mining industry overseas. If
Willy's job was at risk, why couldn't he simply join his successful brother and recover from this
personal saga? The answer is, Willy held very highly of himself and thought he could achieve being
the best. We see this all throughout the play and here is one example:
WILLY: That's just what I mean, Bernard can get the best marks in school, y'understand, but when
he gets out in the business world, y'understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him. That's
why I thank Almighty God you're both built like Adonises. Because the man who makes an
appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead.
Be liked and you will never want. You take me, for instance. I never have to wait in line to

Death Of A Salesman (happy) Essay
Happy Loman has grown up to be a well–adjusted man of society. He has developed from a follower
to a potentially successful businessman. Throughout his childhood, Happy always had to settle for
second fiddle. Willy, his father, always seems to focus all his attention on Happy's older brother Biff.
The household conversation would constantly be about how Biff is going to be a phenomenal
football star, how Biff will be attending the University of Virginia and be the big man on campus,
how Biff is so adulated among his friends and peers, and so on. Young Happy wasalways in Biff's
shadow, always competing for his father's attention but failing each time. Happy would resort to
such antics as laying on his back and pedaling his feet backwards...show more content...
You ought to be on a magazine cover." (1840), Happy smoothly said to the woman. To be
able to approach a beautiful woman, especially a model, a person has to be oozing with self
esteem and confidence. Unfortunately the woman was expecting a friend but that did not stop
Happy. He continued to smooth talk the woman with lies and eventually wore her down to the
point where not only was she going to call her boyfriend and cancel their dinner date but she was
going to bring a friend so Biff could also have a date.
Happy is also a proud man. It didn't matter what his father had done in the past he was always
willing to defend Willy's honor. So proud that he was ready to fight his own brother when Biff
began to bad mouth Willy's dreams at his own funeral. With all these traits Happy has the makings
of a successful businessman. He appears hard–working, he is good with people, he sets his goals
high, and he has the determination and soul to make it in the business world. "All right, boy.
I'm gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good
dream. It's the only dream you can have – to come out number–one man. He fought it out here, and
this is where I'm gonna win it for him." (1859). With this one statement Happy reveals most of
his character traits. The quote reveals his determination to succeed in his future business venture, it
reveals his compassionate side and pride he had for his father and for life, and it also

Death Of A Salesman Memory Analysis
Memories tend to come and go when something in the present, such as sight or sound, triggers us to
recall to the past. In the tragedy, Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, the protagonist Willy Loman
retreats to memories of both happy and sad times. These flashbacks are related to the present in
which the background knowledge help readers understand the present–day problems of the Loman
family. His interaction with the past interferes with what is happening in the present. Willy mentally
lives in the present with the memories and events of the past. In comparison to Willy, I tend to relate
a significant memory that stands out in my memory with my present situations.
An example of Willy's happy memory is the conversations with his older brother, Ben, who played
a father figure for Willy. Willy idolizes Ben because he was an adventurous, successful young man
who found diamonds in the jungles of Africa and became rich. Despite failing at being a salesman,
he finds his success through his eldest son, Biff. Willy lives vicariously through Biff and his peak
of happiness is Biff's senior year. When Willy found out...show more content...
We were guided through a soybean crop and the plantation owner even allowed us to pick some
of our own. As my parents were picking soybean, I immediately left and went on an adventure of
my own. Wandering around the plantation I found myself walking through a path that led me to
a remote village. Their poorly constructed homes were made on stilts of bamboo and wood. Most
of the kids were covered in a single cloth, had no shoes, and were abnormally skinny. It was a
heartbreaking sight that I will never get over. I knew at that moment, I was lost. Not just in the
village, but in me too. Who was I? Why was I selfish and ungrateful? Had I always been like this?
Questions like these clouded my mind on the flight home and sadness filled my

Death of a Salesman Essay
By: Raleigh Mullin
In the play, Death of a Salesman, the main character, Willy Loman's tragedy is due to both his own
flawed character and society's flaws. Advancements in science throughout this century have led to
tremendous advancements in industry. In this case however, advancements in industry have not
always led to advancements in living conditions. For some, society has created mass wealth. For
Willy Loman, however, mass society has created only tremendous grief and hardship, based on
endless promise. For these reasons, his tragedy is due both to societies flaws and to the flaws in his
own character. It was society who stripped him of his dignity, piece by piece. It was society who
stripped him of his lifestyle, and his own sons...show more content...
It would identify people who are a danger to themselves or to others and treat them. If such a net
had existed, Willy Loman might now have met his premature end. Instead, he could have received
psychiatric help and recovered from his condition. It was the direct result of the flaws on society,
which led to Will Loman's death. It was the greed that was so predominant around him that led to his
unhappiness. It was the lack of compassion from society, which allowed his unhappiness to flourish,
and which eventually consumed him. In the end, it was the lack of a social safety net, which failed to
save him from himself. Everyone has conflicts that they must face sooner or later. The way in
which people deal with these personal conflicts can differ as much as problem to get it out of the
way. Willy Lowman's technique in Arthur Miller's playDeath of a Salesman, leads to very severe
consequences. Willy never really does anything to help the situation, he just escapes into the past,
whether intentionally or not, to happier times were problems were scarce. The use of this escape
throughout the play can be compared to the use of a drug, because he uses his escapes as if they
were narcotics. As the play progressed, the reader learns that it can be a dangerous drug, because it
is addictive and deadly. The first time that Willy is seen lapsing off into the past is when he
encounters Biff after arriving home. The conversation between Willy and Linda reflects Willy's

Death Of A Salesman Essay
Understanding drama can be confusing at times, but it is like an opera. In order to get the full
picture it must be not only heard, but seen and felt. When Arthur Miller wrote the play, "The Death
of a Salesman" it was intended to be seen not read. Portraying the play in any format other than
viewing it takes away from its full intent. There are several issues with reading a play over viewing it
such as: it is harder to follow a play on paper than viewing it, viewing a play gives you the "full
picture" the author intended, and several things were shown in "The Death of a Salesman" that
were better viewed than read. When a play is read on paper, it is harder to follow. Reading the name
of who is reading the line is not as efficient as an actor or actress portraying the character. On...show
more content...
When an author writes a story or book, details have to be added in so that the reader can picture
what the author is trying to portray. There is no visual effects to a book. When an author writes a
play they have to incorporate much more into the play. The lights have to be a certain tone, lights
have to be a certain color, actors and actresses have to be dressed a certain way, props need to be
present, and the walls and stage itself helps set the total picture that the author is trying to
portray. Neither the author of a book or play is better, for both serve their purpose, they are just
written in a different format. When an author writes a book or story the character's emotion can
be explained or compared to something that the reader can relate to. With a play, the emotion can
be seen on the actor or actresses face, it can be heard in the way their words are spoken, and it can
be judged by their body language. It is harder to portray this in a story or book. Because of this
reason the viewing of "The Death of a Salesman" added more to the experience than reading

Death of a Salesman Analysis Essay
Many works of literature have the theme of a failed American Dream, which is the basic idea that
no matter what social class an individual may be, they still have an equal ability to achieve
prosperity and a good life for their family; however, there has been much debate over whether or not
the American dream is still obtainable in modern society. One piece of American literature that
substantiates the fact that the American Dream can not be gotten is Arthur Miller'sDeath of a
Salesman which describes the tragedy of the average person in America. A number of other writers
also draw the inability to capture the American Dream. John Steinbeck demonstrates in his highly
acclaimed novel The Grapes of Wrath how hard economic times can...show more content...
This idea is also clearly represented in modern times due to the fact that the nation is once more in
a recession and every one wants the shiny new car or the huge lavish house. Miller senses this and
uses Willy as an example of one of the many who fail to reach the American Dream and never will.
Miller also challenges society to reflect upon how it interprets success, as Abbotson points out:
"Miller sees many people's lives being poisoned by their desire to be successful. People like the
Lomans are doomed to try for success but fail, with all the resulting guilt that such failure brings.
Others like Ben and Howard display an ability to make money that deems them successful but at the
cost of their own moral integrity." (Abbotson, 317)
By providing the story with foils such as Ben and Howard being successful, Miller sheds a bit of
hope on America then proceeds to thwart that same hope with the fact that they lose their moral
integrity, which is a key component of the American Dream; therefore Miller clearly displays how
society will continue to deny Americans the coveted dream they aspire to attain. Literary critic
Thomas Porter states:
"Willy's status in society, his family background are typical; even more of a type is Willy's identity
as a salesman. He is a product of a

Death Of A Salesman Individualism
American Individualism is a powerful thing; it can lead many to marvelous successes in life, but
for some, it becomes a path straight towards destruction. In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller,
the character Willy Loman finds himself on that latter path, pushed towards disaster and failure
by his skewed view of American Individualism. This blame can also be seen in Willy's family life,
the lying and tall tales to further his reputation, and the way that Happy represents Willy. Willy
Loman's family life is a clear indication of how the need to achieve his view of Individualism
ultimately led him to fail. Willy chooses himself over his family in almost every aspect of his life,
never taking into account the effect that his actions will...show more content...
The lies he tells demonstrate how he only cares about the appearance of success and building up
his individual achievements. For instance, he has a habit of building up his achievements to make
himself more important. "They Don't need me in New York. I'm the New England man. I'm vital
in New England." (Miller, Act 1) In this scene, Willy is forced to lie to himself about his job, and
his importance, because he wasn't where he felt he should be. Willy also lies to build himself to
people he feels he needs to prove something to–his sons being the most important. This is seen yet
again when he says to his sons, "Well, I got on the road, and I went north to Providence. Met the
Mayor" (Miller, 30). This, if not a flat lie, is definitely an exaggeration of the trip in order to make
himself seem more important than he really is. Willy wants his sons to feel that he is successful,
and be someone that they can look up to. However, Willy only manages to achieve a loose facade
of individual success through a network of lies and tall tales. All of this is in pursuit of Willy's
idea of the American Dream: the dream that Ben Loman, his aloof older brother, and Dave
Singleman, a lifelong solitary worker who sold Willy on salesmanship, have instilled in him. This
version of the American Dream is one that involves playing dirty, lying, luck, and working until you
die –– where

Death Of A Salesman Response
I read the play "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. My personal reaction– I thoroughly enjoyed
"Death of a Salesman." It was hard to set down because there was never a dull moment. I was
constantly trying to figure out each character. I have to admit, it was difficult to follow due to the
fact that it often switched from the present to the past without a clear transition. One thing that I did
not care for was the amount of profanity found throughout the play. "Death of a Salesman" is an
AR level of 6.2, with that being said, I would not encourage a sixth grader to read this. My reason
for the choice– I chose "Death of a Salesman" because I had heard from friends that it was good. It
also seemed more interesting than some of the other choices on the list I was given. I don't want to
spend my summer time reading a long, boring novel. My reflection of the...show more content...
Biff is very tired and agitated after his experience with Bill Oliver. After taking the pen, he ran
down eleven flights of stairs and then had to make it to the restaurant. WIlly was just as upset after
being fired by Howard. Biff and WIlly get into it, and things boil over. Biff runs out of the
restaurant and Happy follows in pursuit with his and Biff's dates. This makes Willy upset. He goes
home and starts to plant a garden. Literary elements/rhetorical devices– Arthur Miller uses rhetorical
devices to make "Death of a Salesman" more entertaining. One example of hyperbole is where Willy
states that ". . . everything falls apart." Evocative quote– Biff states, " Those ungrateful Ba$+@rds!"
Linda comes back with, "Are they any worse than his(Willy's)sons?" This envokes a sense of
loyalty that Linda has for Willy. She truly wants the best for Willy and wants Biff and Happy to
have respect for him. As the reader, you feel the pride shown by

Death Of A Salesman
A Psychological Reading of Death of A Salesman
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman can be seen as an eulogy of a
dreamer, which depicts one man's tragic life and death as he tries to bring
his family into grace. Miller does, however, also uses this play to
express underlying themes and ideas. Reading Death of a Salesman from the
starting point of a Marxist results in the perception that miller uses his
play as a means to demonstrate the effects of a changing capitalist society.
On the other hand, a psychological reading of Death of a Salesman allows
the play to be seen as one mans flight from shame and his own weakened self
image. The Marxist perspective is a viable reading of this...show more content...
And when this man died at the age
of eighty–four people came from all over to attend his funeral. This is
the type of man Willy aspires to become and this is why he chose sales as
his occupation. Ben, Willy's older brother, is another symbol of the
ruthless success Willy tries to reach in his life. "There was the only
man I ever met " Willy says, "Who knew all the answers"(Meyer 1734). Willy
has treasured up the memory of Ben until it is more real to him than any of
the people in his life. The character of Ben materializes again and again
in the play as Willy savors his favorite brag: "When I was seven–teen I
walked into the jungle and when I was twenty–one I walked out. and by God
I was rich"(Meyer 1732).

The statement ,"Rich", echoes throughout the play as Willy is
railroaded by a capitalist system as he strives to reach his dreams. Willy
Loman desperately want to believe that he has succeeded, that he is "well
liked"and a great salesman. But at the age of sixty– three and nearing
retirement, Willy is seen as a man who gave all of his life to a business,
only to be thrown in the scrap–heap and as a house holder whose pattern of
life was interwoven with installment plans with which he could hardly catch
up.
In another time, Willy Loman might have been a happy carpenter. He
can put up a ceiling which

Death Of A Salesman Eulogy
Thank you for having us read the tragedy of Willy Loman, The Death of a Salesman. You can
work hard at anything, but if you are not passionate about it, you will get nowhere. It reminds me
of one of my brothers that didn't realize he was chasing the wrong dream until it was too late. At
school he was pursing different subjects, but at home he was passionate about music and rapping.
Since he was an exceptional artist, he decided to go to an art school. Soon he realized it wasn't for
him and dropped out, and now he has to start over. We must realize now while we still have the
time and resources what we want from life and what we are passionate about. If we don't ask
ourselves these questions now, we may not have later to consider them.

Death Of A Salesman Essay
Death of a Salesman Short Essay
Arthur Miller's famous theatrical work, Death of a Salesman first came out in 1949 after the great
depression. People were struggling with society and poverty around the world at this time. Miller's
characters in Death of a Salesman also have struggles with society, making the play relatable to
ordinary people and connecting emotionally to a big audience. Miller uses several universal themes
that can relate to mankind from that time period to present day. The play has a deeper meaning than
what appears on the surface, when the play is acted out we see the thoughts and emotion of all the
characters. Arthur Miller uses characters, symbolism, and text to illustrate the theme of lacking
awareness of reality in Death of a Salesman.
The character of Willy shows the theme of lacking awareness of reality in Death of a Salesman.
Willy's character is constantly in and out of reality. In act one, line 22 Willy's character says "so I
went on again and five minutes later I'm dreamin' again, and I nearly... I have such thoughts, I have
such strange thoughts" (1. 22)....show more content...
I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman! (2. 885–886). Biff finally
accepts his reality, but Willy is still defending his delusional vision of the Lomans. In Foster's
criticism he says Biff's role in the play is a mirror image of Willy's glitches, Biff has been cultivated
on Willy's daydreams too (Foster). Miller uses Bernard's tennis racket to symbolize his success and
Biffs failure. Bernard appears to be a foil character for Biff meaning he is aware of reality and knows
his place in society. In act two, line 321 Willy says to Bernard "what are you trying to do, blame it
on me?" (2. 321). While Bernard is well aware, Willy does not accept his influence on Biff's life
choices. Bliquez believes it validates just how distress of responsibilities or consciousness may end
up in destruction (Bliquez). Biffs ruin is due to Willy's lack of awareness of

Andrew FishmanAmerican Prison
Willy Loman, the main character in Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, wants to live the
American dream. He is consumed with his own misguided beliefs regarding success, which causes
his life to be similar what Wyoming Senator Craig L. Thomas said about the American Dream: "You
stuff Someone into the American dream, and it becomes a prison." Willy's obsession with the
American Dream, believing that being well liked equates with success, keeps both he and his sons in
a state of emotional immaturity. These beliefs causes the American Dream to be a prison. The
Loman family's American Dream becomes their prison, constructed of deception and false pride.
They cannot escape their immature behavior of...show more content...
Charley realized that working with his hands made him happy. Even though this was the clear
choice for Willy's occupation he was too locked up in the prison that he couldn't come to terms
with himself about his true occupation.Willy wants to be a handyman but he frowns upon it as a
occupation.Willy refuses to realize his true dream of being a handyman, and he refuses to think
so because he thinks that his family is above that. This is evident when Willy says " Even your
grandfather was better than a Carpenter". Willy is too caught up with the American Dream that he
fails to consider a carpenter or any physically demanding job as an occupation. Willy is in the
prison because he doesn't do the job that he likes so he is stuck in the jail but he is the only one that
could let him out of the prison. This is how Willy is stuck in the American Dream prison.
Unlike Willy Biff realizes his dreams. Even though it took the whole play for Biff to realize what he
wants he still eventually came to terms with it. Biff fails to find a steady, high–paying job even
though he's 30, and he hates the business world, preferring instead to live on a farm in California.
For a while Biff was "Finding himself"(16). During this time Biff goes from place to place
searching for what he wants. Biff neglects the fact for a while that he just wants to work on a farm
with

Theme Of Death In Death Of A Salesman
Death is often seen as a frightening and dreadful reality that everybody must face. Many people
believe that suicide is a selfish and cold–hearted action. What about somebody who commits suicide
for the benefit of others? Arthur Miller depicts this harsh actuality in the play "Death of a
Salesman". Miller experienced and overcame loss and devastation throughout his life. By
experiencing these hardships, he created a heartfelt collection of literature that became iconic over
time. "Death of a Salesman" unveils the chaos that is created by unrealistic, pre–placed standards.
Willy and Linda are the parents of two boys, Happy and Biff. In Willy's eyes, his boys have not
amounted to anything because they have not followed in his footsteps by...show more content...
Even though he was not successful, Willy wants to "plant seeds" in an attempt to motivate his
children to pursue success and truly be triumphant. In an analysis of the play, Eric Sterling states
that "Although at times some individuals wish it were not so, the phrase "Like father, like son"
also is truly apropos as the young tend to take their cues from their first role models, their
parents." This is evident in the play because although Biff does not want to follow in his father's
footsteps, he still resembles his father. Willy seems to regret not "planting seeds" sooner, which
indicates that he is unable to determine value in his son's accomplishments. Regret can eat away
at a person, as well as their character. One of Willy's biggest regrets is cheating on Linda and
letting his family down in the process. Stockings represent this regret because Willy shouts at his
wife for fixing her stockings. He does this because he previously gave his mistress stockings and
they only remind him of this regret. Willy is mad at himself for having an affair and takes it out on
his wife for unintentionally reminding him of it. The stockings also symbolize Biff's frustration
with his father because they are a painful reminder of his father's infidelity. Biff seems to stop
caring about the positive contributions Willy makes to the family because he is so angry. Willy fails

Death of a Salesman In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy is both sympathized
with and looked down upon throughout the story. Willy is a very complex character with problems
and faults that gain both sympathy and also turn the reader off to him. Willy Loman is both the
protagonist and the antagonist, gaining sympathy from the reader only to lose it moments later.
The play begins with Willy as the antagonist, fighting with his wife Linda and a generally mean
person. He insults his sons and scolds Linda for buying the wrong cheese. Willy shows his biggest
personality flaws early on in the story; contradicting his own thoughts, being verbally abusive, and
showing his over developed sense of pride. Willy loses...show more content...
Later in a flashback, Willy and Biff are on their way to Ebbets Field for a football game when
Charley appears and beings a conversation with Willy. Merely joking around, Charley makes a few
comments which Willy takes great offense too and beings insulting Charley and telling him to
put his hands up as if to fight. Willy's arrogance shows it's face once again when Willy is talking
to Biff about his meeting with Oliver. Completly ignoring what Biff is saying, Willy goes on
about how good of a kid Biff is and how impressive he is. Though not directly insulting, Willy
ignores what his son has to say and goes off on his own tangents, losing the respect of the reader.
Willy then ends up in another flashback in the bathroom of the restauraunt where he met Happy
and Biff for dinner. The most disgusting part of Willy is revealed here. Biff walks in on Willy
and his woman friend whom hes had a secret relationship with. Willy attempts to cover it up and
when that doesnt work he orders Biff around and shows how bad of a person he can be.
Willy wasnt all bad, he was just a confused man with alot of problems. His problems begin with
not being able to make it to Yonkers on his trip around New England. Willys has been on the road
most of the time for thirty four years. Hes physically and mentally drained. The reader cant help but
sympathize with Willy as no one wants to end up in the position hes in. Willy has to borrow money
from his next door neighbor to

Death Of A Salesman Thesis
Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller and his siblings were raised by a successful business man until the Great
Depression, which caused their father to lose his status (Rollyson 8). Miller did odd jobs as a
way to help his father pay bills. He struggled through school but was able to attend the University
of Michigan (Rollyson 8). It was there in which he began to write plays, receiving the Hopwood
Award several times (Rollyson 8). He was known to be a socialist pushing for a movement of
America to make things fair for those who were greatly affected by the Depression. Some of his
earlier work reflected this.
Miller got married in 1940 to a woman named Mary Grace Slattery (Rollyson 9). The two had a
daughter, Jane, in 1944, but divorced in...show more content...
I also see irony in that Willy seems the type of person to do anything for wealth and success, but
when he is offered a job by Charley, he turns it down because he feels offended by the offer. The plot
of the play itself is a bit ironic as well. Willy's life goal was to be successful and wealthy but yet he
commits suicide to try to compensate for the money he could not make to give to his family.
As stated above, Death of a Salesman takes place in the 1940's between the end of The Great
Depression and World War II, and the surge of the 1950's. During this time, the American Dream
was highly sought after and Americans were desperate to achieve it. The demand for laborers was
on the rise as well, making the Dream seem all the more tangible. With these events taking place
during the setting of play, it is easy for me to see why Willy was so adamant on having the
American Dream; it was something to be proud

Death Of A Salesman Essay Questions
Emily Reynolds
November 26, 2017
Moosman
Death of a Salesman
1. In act one, Willy, a salesman, comes home to his wife. She begs him to ask his boss to be
moved to the New York area so he doesn't have to travel so far. He later goes downstairs to the
kitchen and that's when he slips into one of his fits where he's imagining being in the past. Upstairs
his two sons, Happy and Biff, are listening to their father talk to himself and musing over buying
farmland out west. He imagines scenes from earlier in his life with his kids and imagines talking
with his brother Ben about his regrets of not moving with him to Alaska. The present–day Linda
finds Willy outside and Biff along with Happy come down to talk with their mother about their
father's condition....show more content...
Many experts credit its iconic character types, its groundbreaking performance style, its
unfortunately enduring relatability, and it influenced many plays that followed it; with characters
like Billy, the spent salesman; Biff, the high school athlete with a short temper and a feeling of not
belonging into society; Happy, the younger brother who plays everything up; and Linda, the
devoted wife who doesn't blame her husband for the error of his ways. But this play brought up the
very real issues of what goes on in our everyday

Death Of A Salesman Essay

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Death Of A Salesman Essay