Gerald Clifford Weales (1925–2013)

It's a classic for a reason. The staying power of this story, a witch hunt of historical witches reflecting the search for communists in the government contemporaneously, can still certainly reflect political struggles we see today. The story itself is deceptively simple: are the women in the tiny 17th century village of Salem witches casting spells on other townsfolk? But the undercurrents echo today, too, and the interpersonal dynamics at play -- gender, race, poverty -- are written deftly.

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, captures the ongoing hope to reach the American Dream. I thought this play was well written in a way that all men could relate. Willy loman, the main character, is an elderly salesman who is not making enough money to support his family. His whole life he lived by the motto, "if you are well liked, you will succeed". But this motto never served to be true in the eyes of the Loman family. Willy's two sons Biff and Happy are home throughout the play. Biff show more was once an all-star quarterback at high school who was headed for the University of Virginia to play football, but after failing his math regents his whole life turns upside down. Happy, on the other hand, is the neglected child. He spends much of the novel trying to get his parents attention. He has somewhat of an inferiority complex, but tries to be good. Willy and Biff are constantly fighting about what could have been and what has happened. After a violent dinner that was supposed to be fantastic, Willy storms off away from his "ungrateful,spiteful" sons. Willy wants to live in this fantasy world in which he is a greatly respected salesman and people form all over the country know who he is. In reality, he is a nobody. A nobody who can do nothing right. After many suicide attempts, Willy finally succeeds. Miller creates a tragic drama that shows what happens to people living a money-oriented life. show less

A truly sad story, but one that appealed to me. Well-written and heartwrenching, it is very easy to see why Death of a Salesman is considered a classic. It is about the premature death that comes about when oen deludes oneself into believing something that simply isn't true.

This play seemed quite revolutionary and interesting when I read it in my Intro to Drama class in undergrad studies, but now it seems overdone. I am probably just jaded, though. :) If you are looking for deep thoughts, this play might not be it. However, I think I read it (and watched it) in the perfect spot--as an introduction to drama. No more, no less.