Death of a Salesman

The classic tragedy by Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman, is not only a tragedy involving the main character, Willy Loman, but it is also a scathing attack on the values behind American capitalism and consumerism which disabuses the reader of any illusions pertaining to the “American Dream.” Willy Loman is a husband and father of two who has toiled as a salesman and is nearing retirement age. The only problem is, Willy’s debts and lack of economic success have not enabled him to prepare for a relaxed life after retirement. Instead, his debts acquired through American capitalism’s installment plan and his inability to “charm” his employers and customers any longer make him contemplate suicide as the one way he will be worth something in a system whose valuations are largely based on economics. We see the deconstruction of the American Dream in the play through various relationships and predicaments Willy encounters, the majority of them focusing around money.

At work Willy is considered a salesman who has seen better days. His sales are down and he borrows money from his neighbor to pretend to his wife that his sales are not only enough to pay their bills but at a high level. Linda, his wife, is not fooled by this. Nor are his employers. In one of the most emotional scenes in the drama and for Willy, his employer tells him he is no longer needed and Willy’s reaction shows the falsity behind the America

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
American Dream, Willy Loman, Willy Willy, Red Grange, Biff Happy, America Willy, Death Salesman, Obviously Biff, american dream, Installment Payment, death salesman, Books York, death salesman tragedy, economic success, economic worth, salesman tragedy, miller death, feels failure, suicide worth, willy loman, miller death salesman,
Approximate Word count = 1091
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Death of a Salesman