Name:
Course:
Professor:
Date:
Death of A Salesman
The play “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller is the subject of my research. The members of the Loman family are the main characters of the play. The play shows the lengths that parents would go to ensure that their kids have the best life. Willy Loman is the protagonist of the story who wants a better life for himself and his family. However, fate seems to be working against him, and his job as a salesman is failing. He becomes depressed and regrets the things that he did in the past. Linda Loman, his wife, is a homemaker and would do anything to make her husband and sons happy. The main themes in the play are the pursuit of the American Dream, betrayal and abandonment.
Willy Loman is employed as a traveling salesman. His wife v thinks that it is taking a toll on him and tells him that he should request his boss for a job in New York so that he doesn’t go on any more trips. As the play begins, Willy returns from one of his trips exhausted. He confesses to his wife that the trip was not a success. His sons, Biff and Happy, are home to visit (Miller 5). They overhear their parents talking, and they reminisce of the days when they were young. Biff who is the younger of the two had hoped to join college after graduating from high school but he couldn’t because he got poor grades in math. In high school, he was a famous football player, and Willy believed that he would succeed because many people liked him. Happy is the elder Loman soon who feels neglected and overshadowed by his younger brother Biff through his entire life. He takes up sexual promiscuity as a way to get attention from women that he did not get from his parents at home
The central theme in the story is that of the American dream. Willy Loman believes in living a good life characterized by a beautiful home, successful children, expensive electronics and a fast car. He thinks that for a person to succeed in life and business, they have to be likable. He had high hopes for his son Biff because he was a football star in high school who was loved by many. When his neighbor’s son, Bernard, comes looking for Biff, Willy remarks that Bernard is unlikely to succeed because he is awkward and also unattractive. (Azeez 1604). This shallow belief of pegging success to looks and charms is what leads Willy to become depressed when he realizes that he is a failure. He had big dreams for his sons, but they end up disappointing him. Bernard who was the son of Willy’s neighbor Charley ends up as an attorney because the young man worked hard and did not rely on other people’s opinions for his success.
Betrayal is the second theme explored in ‘Death of a Salesman.’ Willy had an affair with another woman thus cheating on his wife, Linda. Willy ends up in a daydream talking to his mistress. His son Biff finds out about his father’s affair, and he is outraged. Biff sees his father’s actions as a betrayal of their whole family. Linda stood by Willy through everything but Willy still betrays her by having an affair with another woman. Biff decides that he will not live the life that his father wants for him. Another instance of betrayal is when Willy learns that Biff is unwilling to use his fame as a high school football player to become successful. Willy feels that his son Biff has betrayed the hopes that his father had for him. He tells Biff, “’I want you to know, on the train, in the mountains, in the valleys, wherever you go that you cut down your life for spite!” (Miller 31). In return, Biff calls his father a fraud and a fake for his affair that put their whole family in jeopardy
Many of the things that Willy does in the play stem from his desire to see his sons grow to be successful men. He always considered his boys, especially Biff to be handsome and liked by many people. Because of this, Willy thinks that success in business and work will come naturally to them. When growing up, he failed to assert the values of hard work that is necessary for success (Hess). Willy concentrated his efforts more on Biff who was a star while in high school.
Because of Willy’s attention on Biff, Happy grows up feeling lonely and unwanted. His father only approves of his younger son and sees all the potential in Biff. This is the reason that Happy becomes promiscuous, seeking the company of his superiors’ girlfriends and fiancées. Happy also dreams of getting ahead in his job as an assistant to a buyer. Willy pegged all his dreams of Biff and the realization that Biff would disappoint him is what led him over the edge. Willy realizes that al his dreams for Biff have come to nothing and he becomes depressed (Peacock). He begins to hallucinate; in one scene he is talking to his mistress and laughing loudly.
Willy’s depression comes from the fact that he was unable to realize his dreams. He begins to talk to himself which leaves his neighbor Charley surprised. Charley had visited the Loman household to play cards with Willy. However, Willy began to mutter, and Charley leaves in shock. Willy says that he should have gone with his brother who went on to find diamonds in Alaska. Willy and Linda seem to have a good life in a time when many people were struggling to find jobs. The 1940s was a time when the country was recovering from the great depression (Gerard). Willy and his family had a good home, but he was unhappy with the new buildings that were crowding their space in all directions. The booming economy at the time is what encouraged Biff and Happy to dream of starting a business.
Another theme that is explored in the book is suicide. Willy Loman committed suicide at the end of the play. He felt that his life was not worth living anymore. He failed at his job, and his sons were both failures as well. He got depressed and decided to end his life. His wife Linda stood by him all through the years, and h felt like he had failed. He decided to take his life so that he might leave his life insurance for his sons to pursue their American dream. People often get thoughts of suicide when things do not go their way, and they become depressed (Peacock). This is true in the case of Willy Loman who failed at his job as a salesman and also in raising successful sons. The main reason why Willy ended up dead is that he was not treated for his depression which is typical for many people.
The play gives the readers a closer look at the life of the Loman family. Parents learn a valuable lesson that they should allow children to become who they want rather than who their parents want them to be. Resolution of conflicts and disappointments is also key to succeeding in life because things don’t always go the way we planned (Peacock). People should also make sure that they take care of their mental wellbeing and those of others around them. There is help for those struggling with thoughts of depression, and they don’t need to resort to suicide as Willy did. It is also essential to have realistic views and expectations in life that we can achieve. In case of failure of underachievement, people can always work harder so that the future can be better.
Works Cited
Azeez, Muqdad Noori. “American dream and thematic appreciation of Arthur Miller’s death of a salesman.” Opción34.86 (2018): 1594-1610.
Gerard, Philip. “The 1940s: The Decade of Transformation.” Our State Magazine, 7 Dec. 2017, www.ourstate.com/the-1940s-the-decade-of-transformation/.
Hess, Heather LN. “The Crash!”: Writing the Great Depression in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited,”“Emotional Bankruptcy,” and “Crazy Sunday.” Journal of Modern Literature 42.1 (2018): 77-94.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Revised Edition. Penguin, 1996.
Peacock, Judith. Teen Suicide. Capstone, 2000.
