#death of a salesman

by Arthur Miller

What’s it about?

It’s a stage play about the death of the American Dream.

Surely the canon of Western literature wider than the “death of the American dream” you keep talking about.

That’s fair. In my defence, the entire Western world has become entrenched in the American Dream in one way or another and it’s becoming less and less socially acceptable to question it (something else Miller wrote about). From today, I’m just going to tag them with DotAD. 

I don’t care about your tags. What is this about? 

It’s about a salesman who has bought so hard into the American Dream - work hard and get rich - that he’s sacrificed his entire family to it, including himself.

Willy works all day and does everything he’s supposed to and it’s burning him up that he can’t pay the mortgage. Meanwhile, his brother was a millionaire and all that guy had to do was go to Alaska like a goddamn man.

Miller took a big risk, as heroes of literature tend not to be charmless losers. There is literally nothing heroic about Willy Loman.

So what, he’s an asshole?

Not an “asshole”, exactly. Although, maybe. Yeah, OK. He’s an asshole, but it’s more complicated than that. He’s constantly flat out lying to himself because if he stops, even for a second, then his life is meaningless. Eventually, it all comes crashing down.

Not as relatable as I was hoping for.

We all lie to ourselves about all sorts of things. I’m lying to myself right now that people will find this blog post interesting, or that anything I do matters. Willy Loman’s entire personality is a bunch of these delusions held together with a fevered brain that just can’t keep up anymore. They’re not even dramatic lies; they’re all rather trivial and pathetic. Basically, if you’ve read Game of Thrones and you can’t handle an in-depth exploration of a pathetic loser, you should present yourself to the relevant authorities at first light.   

What should I say to make people think I’ve read it?

“We need to fund the mental health services properly.”

What should I avoid saying when trying to convince people I’ve read it?

“Wait, is Biff gay?”

Should I actually read it?

Yes. It’s sad, but beautifully written. It might even help you understand what the hell is wrong with Americans (if you’ve ever wondered).

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and essayist Arthur Miller, best known for plays such as The CrucibleandDeath of a Salesman and films such as The Misfits, had a writing career that spanned seven decades and left a lasting impression on American theater and public consciousness. This amazing dramatist was Jewish, and here’s how we know:

-Arthur Miller was born to a family of Austrian Jewish descent in New York, New York. [x]

-Prior to his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, the Hollywood star reportedly converted to Judaism to establish a deeper connection to Arthur and his parents. The pair had a Jewish wedding ceremony after having a civil ceremony. [x]

-Many of Arthur Miller’s literary works deal with Jewish themes, and some of these works, including Broken Glass, do so explicitly. The name of this work is a reference to Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass), a major event often cited as the beginning of the Holocaust in full force. Thousands of synagogues, Jewish businesses, homes, and schools were burned or ransacked, and hundreds of Jews were killed and thousands more were transported to concentration camps. [x]

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death of a salesman, arthur miller