Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay - 2019 Words

Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman was written after the second World War while the American economy was booming. Society was becoming very materialistic, and the idea that anyone could â€Å"make it† in America was popular. These societal beliefs play a large part in Death of a Salesman, a play in which the main character, Willy Loman, spends a lifetime chasing after the American Dream. Willy was sold on the wrong dream. He was enamored with a myth of American ideals and chose to put aside his real talents in pursuit of a fantasy. In several instances of the play, we see that Willy is a skilled carpenter. He wants to redo the front step just to show off to his brother, and he is†¦show more content†¦Willy can see only Singleman’s popularity among the buyers, something that Willy has strived for all of his life. Here we find one of Willy’s main problems. He is so busy striving to achieve financial success and widespread popularity that he ignores the unconditional love that his family gives. He is more concerned with being â€Å"well-liked† among the people he gives sales pitches to. His wife, Linda, views his job solely as a source of income, she is more concerned with Willy the person than Willy the salesman. However, instead of being content with the love of his wife, Willy has an affair with a woman while he is on the road. The woman has obviously bought Willy’s sales pitch; she likes him, and she gives his ego a boost. But she doesn’t love him. To Willy this isn’t important; she likes the man that he imagines himself to be. Willy chooses this artificial relationship over a real one because it fits in with his misguided ideals. Towards the end of the play, reality begins to set in for Willy. After he is fired, he realizes that he will never live out the American Dream for himself. His hopes are crushed for a while, especially when he finds out how horribly Biff’s meeting with Bill Oliver went, and he loses his mind. But, he then thinks of a way to pass his dream on to Biff. When he realizes that Biff wasn’t just trying to â€Å"spite† him for all of those years, he returns to his old dreams. With the money from the insurance policy, Biff canShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Arthur Millers Death Of Salesman 1548 Words   |  7 Pages Research paper on death of salesman Arthur Miller created stories that express the deepest meanings of struggle. Miller is the most prominent twentieth-century American playwrights. He based his works on his own life, and his observations of the American scene. Arthur Asher Miller was born 17 October 1915 in Manhattan, New York city. He was the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland. His parents had a prosperous clothing company. Unfortunately when the stock market crashed, because his familyRead MoreArthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay904 Words   |  4 PagesArthur Millers Death of a Salesman Arthur Millers play, Death of a Salesman contains many themes of success and failure. They include the apartment buildings, the rubber hose, Willys brother Ben, the tape recorder, and the seeds for the garden. These symbols represent Willys attempts to be successful and his impending failure. In the start Willy and Linda moved to a home in Brooklyn, as it at the time seemedRead MoreMarxism In Arthur Millers Death Of A Salesman1465 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Lowman sought to attain the American Dream, but his distorted view of Marxist control ultimately provoked his physical, material, and mental destruction. 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By analyzing three different critical responses to Death of a Salesman, it will beRead MoreSymbolism In Arthur Millers Death Of A Salesman717 Words   |  3 PagesArthur Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman† takes place in New York City in the late 1940’s. This play chronicles the life of Willy Loman, who often reflects upon his life and the decisions he has made. Miller characterizes Willy as guilt-stricken by his decisions and driven for his children to achieve wealth and success through the use of symbolism, idioms, and similes. Miller uses symbolism to develop dimensions of Willy’s character. During one of his flashbacks, Willy remembers his affair with a womanRead MoreEssay on Symbolism in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman1197 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman is wrought with symbolism from the opening scene. Many symbols illustrate the themes of success and failure. They include the apartment buildings, the rubber hose, Willy’s brother Ben, the tape recorder, and the seeds for the garden. These symbols represent Willy’s attempts to be successful and his impending failure. When Willy and Linda purchased their home in Brooklyn, itRead More The Importance of Biff in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman682 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Biff in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller  Ã‚  Ã‚   The play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, follows the life of Willy Loman, a self-deluded salesman who lives in utter denial, always seeking the American Dream, and constantly falling grossly short of his mark. The member’s of his immediate family, Linda, his wife, and his two sons, Biff and Happy, support his role. Of these supportive figures, Biff’s character holds the most importance, as Biff lies at the center