Death of a Salesman

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Author:

Arthur Miller

Published:

1949

Setting:

The Loman house in New York City, 1949

Major Characters:

Willy Loman: the every man, wants to stay successful, insecure, codependent (needs to be well liked), has many flashbacks of memories, lonely
Biff: Willy's favorite son, popular, well-liked, he is what Willy wants to be, thinks popularity will get you places in life
Happy: Willy's son who he neglects, exactly like Willy, also codependent and insecure, needs women
Linda: Willy's wife, enabler, worries about Willy but does nothing, does not know about his affair

Minor Characters:

Charley: Willy's brother, has realistic expectations of Bernard, does not live through Bernard like Willy lives through Biff
Bernard: Charley's son, learned to work hard, became successful by working, not well liked as a child, (kind of like a nerd)
The Woman: had an affair with Willy, Biff finds them and is devastated, likes Willy and makes him feel special when he is lonely
Ben: successful, real but also a figment of Willy's imagination, advises him
Dave Singleman: successful salesman
Bill Oliver: Biff tries to get a loan from him and fails
Howard Wagner: Willy's boss, does not give him an easier job

Themes:

A mistake of a moment can ruin a lifetime. (sound familiar??)
Obsessions with being well-liked are wrong.
People who don't get consequenses of behavior feel "entitled".
When one's potential is denied and one pursues the wrong dream, tragedy occurs.
It is impossible to escape the reality of the present by reliving the past.
Society's perception of success is flawed.

Symbols:

House: suffocates the people in it
Seeds: hope to leave something to the boys/futility
Sneakers (from the University of Virginia): dream of success
Burning them: Biff gives up
Whipped Cheese: change
Recorder: change with progress
Stocking: Willy's guilt
Motif: Sense of entitlement, boxed in, suffocated, country vs. city, time running out

Allusions:

Adonises: supposed to be great and handsome
Hercules: strong and well built (seen the cartoon??)

Ironies:

As soon as things are paid for, they fall apart.
Willy kills himself on the day Linda finishes paying for the house.
Linda, who loves Willy the most, did him the most damage.
Willy tells others they contradict him, he contradicts himself.
Willy had potential to succeed, but he wasted his talents in doing what society said was the way to success.
Willy favors Biff and rejects Happy who is most like him.

Point of View:

Play

Ending:

Biff finally breaks down and holds his dad. Willy realizes that Biff loves him. Biff sees that he must work for success. Willy feels the only thing he can give is the life insurance money.

Other Important Notes:

Conflict: Biff and Willy. Manipulation of time: whole play in 24 hours, flashbacks out of order, flashbacks inside of flashbacks-we see Willy's deterioration, sympathy. Miller criticizes the business world, destructive, false ideals. Willy fails on three levels: sociological, personal, psychological.

Brief Summary:

Willy Loman is a salesman who is declining in popularity. He has frequent flashbacks to memories, trying to convince himself that he is well liked. Biff comes home, but Willy becomes unhappy with him because he is a failure. During one of the flashbacks, we realize that Biff had failed math and caught Willy with another woman. Biff's idolization of Willy is shattered. Finally, Biff realizes that he is not "entitled" and must work for success. He confronts Willy, who eventually commits suicide.

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