Death of a Salesman -- by Arthur Miller (1949)

Description

I'm fairly certain this reading marks my third time encountering this text. I cannot recall the first time I read it, but I must admit that each reading unveils different treasures. The tragedy surrounds Willy Loman's demise. His salesmanship has weakened as he struggles to escape both the warm memories and cold demons from his past. Willy's wife, Linda, yearns for Willy to face reality and reconcile with their son, Biff. Biff and his brother Happy try to self-actualize in the midst of painful realities crashing into their lives.

The play is one of the most-read American plays, and I am content with that. The most recent Broadway revival took place in 2012 starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Andrew Garfield, and Finn Wittrock. I can't imagine how spectacular that must have been!

Here is Playbill.com's summary: "Salesman Willy Loman finds his career crumbling and his relationships with his wife and sons severely tested in Arthur Miller's dream-like meditation on the cost of the American dream." 

Candid Reactions

• Was the presence of music in plays popularized in the 50s? I'm aware the history of music in plays runs deep, but I can't help but realize that the only plays I can think of in which music plays a minor role are Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie. 
• Miller's poetic bent is welcomed with joy!
• The car serves as a nice metaphor. 
• Wow, that line was almost exactly like the final lines of Doubt. 
• Willy's sour attitude about the young crowd overtaking his career reminds me of The Young Man from Atlanta. 
• The commentary on the destruction of the natural world and construction of man-made enterprises reminds me of Sunday in the Park with George. 
• Miller's descriptions are all-encompassing. 
• Biff and Willy are more alike than they think.
• Happy isn't happy. Ha!
• Gotta love Miller's attention to names of people and towns. 
• Willy provides several maxims. One maxim that leads to his demise is, "Be like and you will never want" (21). 
• Willy compares endlessly. 
• Miller writes, "The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress" (28). Dreaming and lying around do not achieve dreams. 
• Ben repeating his story several times helps the audience member assess the parameters Willy places on his thinking. 
• There are several lines that stood out to me, especially now that it's my third time reading this play. Willy complains, "Gotta break your neck to see a star in this yard" (37). So much to be unpacked there. 
• Linda has some of the best passages in the play. She states, "Biff, a man is not a bird, to come and go with the springtime" (39). Yowzers. 
• Linda remarks, "[Willy's] not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog" (40). Willy's decision at the end of the play makes this line ring ironic. 
• The end of Act One is eery. 
• Even the stage directions are poetic. 
• Willy argues, "You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away -- a man is not a piece of fruit" (61-62). Willy's fury reveals his idealistic, altruistic heart. 
• Uh-oh. Miller really knows how to amp up the uneasiness. 
• Charley's explanation of Willy's inability to be a salesman hits hard. 
• Biff kinda has a Mama Rose soliloquy near the end of the play. 
• Oh, no! The stockings!
• Here is another wonderful thematic quote: "Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground" (96). 
• Biff and Willy's final interaction is T.E.N.S.E.
• Biff scoffs, "We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house" (104) . . . but is that the truth? Had to . . .   
• There are aspects that remind me of Dear Evan Hansen. 
• Ben provides reality and optimism at the end of the play. 
• The similarities between this show and Fences are remarkable. 
• The payment of the house is a welcomed catharsis. 

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. Narrative Structure
It is funny to me that I read Angels in America right before re-reading this play. The narrative structures are similar in the fluidity of sequences. The remarkable point is that Miller penned this play nearly 50 years prior to Angels. I cannot comment on the experimentation of all of the plays' narrative structures because I have not read them all yet. However, now that I have read almost half, it is fair to say that this play is one of few that truly tinkers with classic chronological structuring. Yes, it is a tragedy, and tragedies follow a common formula, but the pacing and arrangement of scenes is unique in Death of a Salesman. While I read the play, I connected certain moments and aspects to other plays-- perhaps this may reflect how influential this play is to American theater.

2. Theme/American Dream
Miller's play is not unique in that it comments on the American Dream. However, it should be acknowledged that this play was written post-WWII. While many Americans yearned to rebuild the country, Miller unabashedly attacks the American Dream. The tale Miller weaves is cautionary and tragic.

Classroom Implications
I believe high schools use this text. I think it would be appropriate past freshman year. The narrative structure can be quite discombobulating. It could certainly be paired with The Great Gatsby or Fences. The room to discuss theme and character is wide.

Personal Takeaway
Classics are classics for a reason (or two).

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 9.0
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points (1.5)	Devices somewhat enhance story	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1.5)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters (2)	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity (2)	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping!	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation (2)	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically