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Death of a Salesman, published in 1949, is one of Arthur Miller’s most well-known works. The stage play portrays several universal themes such as betrayal, abandonment, and living the American dream which resonates with many Americans. Miller spoke to working-class families worldwide through his portrayal of the main character’s (Willy) failure to acknowledge the American dream’s false promises and how it affected his family. The play is written in a way that makes it deeply confined to reality. This story is a play, written with specific stage directions for how everyone should speak and where everything should be. One such stage direction, at the very beginning, talks of towering, angular shapes (Miller 11).
Such strict geometry is something that anchors things down to Earth even more clearly than the geometry of curved spacetime that holds things in place on Earth. Throughout the stage directions, the tone is primarily apparent and the directions are sensitive to the characters’ pain. However, the tone in its frankness also mocks Willy’s blind acceptance of a materialistic and hollow version of the American Dream. The overall tone is cynical and sympathetic (Castellitto and George 160). His flashbacks elicit sympathy in the audience. One sympathizes with his want for a better, more idealistic life. After seeing his background with young Biff, we understand why he lies to himself about the present. We understand his need for self-deception once his affair is revealed to both Biff and the audience. However, we feel cynical when faced with his naïve optimism about the American dream.
The audience can see that he was not meant to be a salesman. Nevertheless, because of the fence of lies he erected around himself for protection against the world, Willy will never understand that his life-long goal is unachievable. The American Dream “HAPPY [enthralled]: That’s what I dream about Biff. Sometimes I wanna just rip my clothes off in the middle of the store and outbox that goddamned merchandise manager. I mean I can outbox, outlift and outrun anybody in that store, and I have to take orders from those petty, common sons of bitches till I can’t stand it anymore. (Act 1)”Even though Happy prefers a significantly basic competition form, he is unable to abandon the perception that success originates from the businesslike competition of the American office place. Similar to Willy and Biff, he craves for basic life, but he is confined within the hamster wheel of capitalism in America.
Most people believe in the American dream as it brings hope to them, however, others end up becoming so clouded by their goals’ outcomes to a point where they lose sight of what matters. Bert (583) notes the importance of the capitalistic American dream colliding with the individual arguing that “the downfall of Willy Loman, a salesman whose misguided notions of success result in disillusionment.” Willy’s goal is significantly motivated by his love for money and he neglects his family. His worship of money prevents him from conceding the value of human experience (comforts of love, friends, personal, family, and relationships). He believes that financial power will give him satisfaction and places his whole focus on financial success, often ignoring the significant things life has to offer. As a result of directly connecting his self-worth sense to the American Dream achievement, his professional failure of Willy becomes a personal failure leading to an identity crisis.ConflictThe portrayal of the conflict between a father and son structures the general meaning of the play and highlights the unpropitious activities that take place.
The conflict between Biff and Willy originates from Biff’s lack of business success, the realization of his father’s affair, and his delusional perception of the world. Notably, these lead to the development of the notion that personal relationships can be negatively affected by personal desires and dreams to obtain success. This causes individuals to lose sight of the important things in life as seen in the case of Willy and Biff. The play has several flashbacks to Biff’s younger years as a motivated individual and a successful athlete. Willy’s pride in his son’s achievements can also be seen as praises him constantly, “Good work Biff!” (1561). Freedom and ConfinementThe theme of freedom and confinement is also evident in the play whereby it is closely related to economic security. Willy and Linda long to escape from the economic confinement of their limited income, bills, and home mortgage as well as the physical confinement of their home. “WILLY: There’s more people! That’s what’s ruining this country! The competition is maddening! Smell the stink from that apartment house! And the one on the other side… (Act 1)” Willy feels confined and trapped even in his home and is aggravated by the number of people living on top of him. They venerate places of literal and figurative escape such as Africa and Alaska.
Comparatively, Biff views New York as utter confinement for him and he only imagines freedom and happiness working in the wide-open West. The play ultimately paints the capitalist competitive version of America as something that traps most individuals. This portrayal is ironic because America is supposed to be ‘the land of the free’ a place where if you work hard, you are free to achieve your dreams. Modernity was at its peak in the 50s and was taking firm roots in the U.S. posing serious threats to different professions to people like Willy. For instance, Howard Wagner can be seen fidgeting with the radio when talking to him trying to explain to him how technological developments are replacing human beings. Willy sees suicide as a means to achieve freedom. Even though he is aware that it makes his escape impossible, he hopes it gives his son Biff freedom.BetrayalArthur Miller uses the theme of betrayal to present a parallel to the downfall of how the Loman family perceives “The American Dream.” It is not clear to Willy as a salesman, that he should be able to sell his personality along with the product. He has a notion that the American Dream’s goals and success are easily achievable and fails to accept that as a result of his betrayal of himself, his sons, and his wife, no hard work was put in place to achieve the American dream he had in mind. Even though the word ‘betrayal’ is not used in the play, it is shown constantly through the thoughts and actions of the characters ultimately leading to the misfortunes and failures of Willy. Throughout the play, Willy’s fixation is Biff’s betrayal of his ambitions for him.
He expects Biff to fulfill the promise inherent in him and when Biff walks out on his aspirations for him, he is angered and views it as an “insult” and “spite.” Ultimately, Willy is a salesman and his son’s ego-crushing rejection fundamentally reflects his failure to sell him on the American Dream (the product he strongly believes in). Willy presumes that his betrayal is a result of Biff’s uncovering of his cheating affair with (betrayal of Linda’s love).“BIFF: Exactly what is it you want from me?WILLY: I want you to know on the train, in the mountains, in the valleys, wherever you go that you cut down your life in spite.BIFF: No, no!WILLY: Spite, spite is the word of your undoing! And when you’re down and out remember what did it. When you’re rotting somewhere besides the railroad tracks, remember, and don’t you dare blame it on me! (Act 2).”From the excerpt above, Willy desperately tries to distance himself from his guilt about both the reality of his infidelity and Biff’s failure in life. Whereas Willy feels that he has been betrayed by Biff, his son, on the other hand, feels that Willy, a “phony little fake,” has been betrayed with his seamless egoistic deceptions. From analyzing the play, Willy understands that he should cultivate his relationship with his children, but money blinds him. According to him, giving his children riches is the only way he believes he can bless his sons. By taking his life and giving his sons twenty-thousand dollars ($20,000) from his life insurance, he believes it is the best thing to do to give his family a good life. However, this makes him miss out on life itself and removes the most valuable things away from his family: himself!
Works Cited
- Castellitto, George P. ‘Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman/The Crucible. Readers’ Guide to Essential Criticism.’ The Arthur Miller Journal 10.2 (2015): 160.
- Cardullo, Bert. ‘Death of a Salesman’, Life of a Jew: Ethnicity, Business, and the Character of Willy Loman.’ Southwest Review 92.4 (2007): 583-596.
- Miller, Arthur. ‘Death of a salesman: certain private conversations in two acts and a requiem.’ (1968).
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