Death of A Salesman is a play written in 1949 by Arthur Miller about a family that lives in New York City. Willy Loman, the father, is a salesman who has worked for the same firm for 34 years (same age as his son Biff). He has a wife (Linda) and two sons (Biff & Happy). Happy works in NYC, lives in his own apartment and has a job similar to that of Willy's. Biff works on a farm in Texas and is visiting NYC during the play.
Theme: Death of A Salesman is about the way people are treated in the system of capitalism and how this is at odds with the traditional values of American people.
Much of the play takes place in the Lomans' house, a very important part of the setting. It is in one of the boroughs of New York other than Manhattan (maybe Brooklyn? not sure if stated in text) and seems to be run-down although Willy used to enjoy working around the house so much. All around it there are now apartment buildings which crowd out the sun, making it unable to grow a garden like Willy would like to do. This is an example of the way Miller shows that capitalism is crowding out the more traditional way of life that the Loman family would seem to enjoy. Their presence in New York seems to be significant because it is the country's financial center and seen as the center of American free-market capitalism, with Wall Street and the financial system's big players located there.
quotes:
"There's more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made." -Biff about Willy
In this quote, Biff is saying that Willy was not suited for the job of a salesman, and referencing how much Willy enjoyed working outdoors and on the house. Biff knows that a job Willy would have liked and been successful in is one that he enjoyed and was good at, something where he could use his hands and build things.
"No man needs only a little salary." -Charley
In the capitalist society that the story takes place in, and in the business world where Willy works, there is a feeling that more is always better. Since money is so highly valued, Willy believes that those who make more money are more successful or somehow superior to others.
"You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away-- a man is not a piece of fruit!"
In this quote, Willy is fighting against the harsh reality of the for-profit company in which he works, which is impersonal and profit motivated, placing little value in the lives of its employees.
As I read the play while reading Brave New World, Miller's style contrasted with Huxley's extremely overt style and seemed to be extremely clever and hidden with all of the clues to his message. Having read the interviews with Miller, everything seems more obvious to me now, with the title and some of the key quotes pointing very directly to what Miller meant by the play.
I also really enjoyed the symbolism that Miller used. Things like the cars and the house or his jacket didn't stick out to me on the first read (/the movie), while things like the rubber tube and the U of V sneakers were much more obvious. There are multiple layers of meaning, and the complexity of the symbols reflect that.
Theme: Death of A Salesman is about the way people are treated in the system of capitalism and how this is at odds with the traditional values of American people.
Much of the play takes place in the Lomans' house, a very important part of the setting. It is in one of the boroughs of New York other than Manhattan (maybe Brooklyn? not sure if stated in text) and seems to be run-down although Willy used to enjoy working around the house so much. All around it there are now apartment buildings which crowd out the sun, making it unable to grow a garden like Willy would like to do. This is an example of the way Miller shows that capitalism is crowding out the more traditional way of life that the Loman family would seem to enjoy. Their presence in New York seems to be significant because it is the country's financial center and seen as the center of American free-market capitalism, with Wall Street and the financial system's big players located there.
quotes:
"There's more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made." -Biff about Willy
In this quote, Biff is saying that Willy was not suited for the job of a salesman, and referencing how much Willy enjoyed working outdoors and on the house. Biff knows that a job Willy would have liked and been successful in is one that he enjoyed and was good at, something where he could use his hands and build things.
"No man needs only a little salary." -Charley
In the capitalist society that the story takes place in, and in the business world where Willy works, there is a feeling that more is always better. Since money is so highly valued, Willy believes that those who make more money are more successful or somehow superior to others.
"You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away-- a man is not a piece of fruit!"
In this quote, Willy is fighting against the harsh reality of the for-profit company in which he works, which is impersonal and profit motivated, placing little value in the lives of its employees.
As I read the play while reading Brave New World, Miller's style contrasted with Huxley's extremely overt style and seemed to be extremely clever and hidden with all of the clues to his message. Having read the interviews with Miller, everything seems more obvious to me now, with the title and some of the key quotes pointing very directly to what Miller meant by the play.
I also really enjoyed the symbolism that Miller used. Things like the cars and the house or his jacket didn't stick out to me on the first read (/the movie), while things like the rubber tube and the U of V sneakers were much more obvious. There are multiple layers of meaning, and the complexity of the symbols reflect that.
I think the setting definitely played a major role in the play. The city was Boston I think? Also, you could elaborate more on how the cars and house are layered symbols of the story.
ReplyDeleteYou could definitely add some more summary (if you need it) and talk about specific symbols and motifs. Another thing to think about is a character summary/analysis which seems to be missing. The post could be expanded in general but what you have written is all good.
ReplyDelete