One of the best American dramas.

"And now, I get here, and I don't know what to do with myself. I've always made a point of not wasting my life, and everytime I come back here I know that all I've done is to waste my life."

Arthur Miller's 1949 drama basically revolves around the American dream of a father who makes many mental errors that lead to his downfall.

The inner life of the father, Willy, is presented by the use of monologues in his head. He is a washed up salesman that does not realize it, and tries to rub off his overwhelming cockiness on his two sons.

Biff, one of his sons, transforms from a cocky, young football player into a doubtful, young man. Biff understands the reality of life through the falseness of the American dream, which ultimately, destroys his father who is living a virtual American dream. If Biff had listened to his father his whole life, he would still just be a cocky, young football player. Instead Biff realizes what a ridiculous lie his life has been!

He realizes he does not want to follow in his father's footsteps and become a washed up salesman. Biff just wants to live a normal life where Willy is not pressuring him about everything. Willy is one of those fathers who think their child is the greatest at everything no matter what. That is good in some cases, but not when Willy sets unrealistic goals for his child.

This drama portrays how many parents treat their children. Most parents try to push their children, but some go over the line, as seen in this drama. But what Willy has truly failed in is his family life and his married life. That is the corruption of the true American dream.

The theme of this drama is seen in the mental approaches Willy has in his life. You have to think about what you say to certain individuals and spot errors. Could Willy Lomans downfall have been avoided or not?

This drama has a tragic but far-fetched ending that puts a twist on the entire novel. Willy does something drastic, which he thinks is best for his children. We will leave that for you to decide if this decision was the best one he could have made.

Book Details:

Title Death of a Salesman
Author Arthur Miller
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )

a classic play not my fav. ( )

This play reads like a novel because of specific and clear stage directions that set the stage for every scene in the book. The story is a moving tale of Willy Loman, a middle aged salesman who is struggling to keep his career going and to achieve the "American Dream" of success and wealth. The play strategically uses flashbacks of Willy with his kids to show the severity of his demise. The way they see him as a hero and follow him around and imitate him only increases the height from which he falls over the progression of the play. His obsession with getting rich and famous drives Willy mad and eventually is what kills him. One of his sons manages to avoid the pull towards Willy obsession, but the other decides to live his life striving for what Willy never achieved. The story is complex and winding and keeps the reader captivated from beginning to end, but is also full of important life lessons. The most important thing that i took from the story was to pay attention to the things you have in life more than the things you want, because if Willy had focused a little more on his family and kids, and the success he had, his never ending obsession for more wouldn't have destroyed him in the end.

Death of a Salesman suggests a great message when Arthur MIller concludes his play. The American Dream theme that seems to plague countless numbers of peoples lives in today's modern time is just right on. It is no wonder that this play was developed; men like Willy Loman are constantly seen in American family life. It is no longer rare to find a man that is completely obsessed with making it to the big leagues. The ending, although tough to understand unless read carefully and thoroughly, is remarkable. Suicide for the progression of your own family is an event that can and has occurred in countries like our own and Japan.

I was glad to have read a new type of drama. Reading dramatic Shakespeare play writes are very different when compared to this new-style tragedy/drama constructed by Arthur Miller. The reader will notice that in no way is Willy Loman a hero, and the only person that has any success or any right ideas in the end of the play is Biff. Originally he is ostracized by his father for not being a man looking for wealth and the American dream job, and he buys into what his father says about being a man and being a businessman. But then, he realizes that Willy's idea of wealth and happiness is distorted. He knows that his father was not the salesman he said he was; he knows that his father was a lier about his business trips and the woman in the Boston hotel room; he knows that his idea of working is significantly greater and healthier than Willy's. I loved reading Death of a Salesman, and I was very impressed with the careful crafting that MIller put into his characters, events, and outcomes. ( )