Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by Arthur Miller, his most famous and commonly revived work. Viewed by many as a caustic attack on the American Dream of success through economic enterprise, it made both Arthur Miller and lead character Willy Loman household names. It was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949, and turned Miller into a national sensation as a playwright.

Themes and points of interest

• One central point of the play is the idea of "greatness." Willy longs to achieve great things as a salesman and to be remembered after his death, and instills this hope in both of his sons. All three fail, while Ben, Charley, and Bernard succeed. Why? Do the Loman men have a tragic flaw? What could it be?
• The differing interpretations of the American Dream are another major theme throughout the play. Biff and Willy both have very different ideas about what it is - Biff dreams purely of the free and open (shown through his desire to be 'out there...working with our hands'), while Willy is trapped in between this dream and that of the capitalist materialistic modern society. Happy carries on Willy's ideas through the play, and by the Requiem, decides to carry on Willy's dreams and desires.
• The premium we place on superficial qualities is another common theme throughout the play. The physical good looks of Biff, the importance of being liked and even the attendance at one's own funeral are traits that drive Willy to his demise.
• Self-Deception and Illusion are important in this play. All of the characters deceive themselves away from reality through lies. Willy lives in the past to escape the financial troubles of reality. He also has a false image of success as requiring only easy wealth and popularity.
• The question is often asked of whether the play can be correctly described as a tragedy (with Willy being our tragic hero), because of the conflicting ideas over whether he is to blame for his downfall (in which case it would be tragic) or if it is society's fault (in this case it would be a social drama).