Death of a Salesman' Summary Essay

Topics:
Words:
866
Pages:
2
This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples.

Cite this essay cite-image

Death of a Salesman stage play is set in the late 1940s. This stage play was written by american playwright Arthur Miller. February 10, 1949, was the first performance of the death of a salesman. This play was being staged on Broadway. Miller produces a self-perpetuating loop of denial, contradiction, and order versus chaos through the Loman family - Willy, Biff, Happy, and Linda.

It's a play about an elderly salesman who has put so much faith in the american dream that failure is considered a mortal sin. The output sharpens the social drama by making the aspirational Lomans a black family. Willy Lomans deteriorating sense of self-worth is compounded by his dependence on Charly his white neighbor, for handouts. Willy Loman is a gung-ho salesman who has been forced to work solely on commission after 34 years with the organization. This situation has left him feeling proudly hurt and humiliated, and he is understandably anxious about his financial future. Willy Loman returns home early from the road due to a lack of sales; he almost crashes the car several times, and mental confusion has become his new normal. His two sons, Biff and Happy are upstairs, smoking cigarettes and contemplating their lives in the darkness of their shared childhood home. But here they are, in Biff's old bedroom, a pair of something 30-middle-class straight white guys who have the luxury of looking around and scoffing at a world they feel hasn't provided them with enough opportunities, more specifically, the right kind of opportunities, satisfying opportunities. Willy tries to ask his employer for a salaried role in New York the next day. Willy's boss fires him for lack of sales the next day.

Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
  • Proper editing and formatting
  • Free revision, title page, and bibliography
  • Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Place an order
document

Willy slips back and forth between present reality and flashback, his mind transporting him to moments of optimism and hope for the future but Willy is also pursued by his infidelity, and he also flashes back to his brother Ben, now deceased, who traveled to Africa and became wealthy as a young man. Ben's success is a nagging reminder of Willy's failure. Willy's decline is explained to Linda's sons including the fact that he lost his job and that he tried to kill himself in the car. When Biff and Willy get together and celebrate that night, nobody feels successful, Biff and Willy fight, and the sons leave. In the restaurant, Willy. The climax of the scene, which is overshadowed by memories of Biff's discovery of his adultery, reveals that Biff's disillusionment stems from the shock of his father's infidelity. Willy's perplexity persists at home, as he plants seeds in the backyard during the dropping action. Willy has a hallucinatory conversation with his deceased brother, who tells him of his $20,000 life insurance policy. Willy and Biff have a final confrontation, and Biff, who is in tears, announces that he is leaving the family for good. Moved by his son's emotion and in the midst of his hallucinatory conversation with Ben, Willy decides to carry out his plan, After everyone else has gone to bed, Willy leaves the house and speeds away the car back to the end, where the family is gathered around a grave.

Willy is not the invisible father, devoted husband, or phenomenally effective salesman that he portrays himself to be. He is unappreciative of his wife. He still refuses to admit that he is only moderately good. Willy fantasizes about missed opportunities for money, fame, and popularity as a result of this. Nonetheless, it would be inaccurate to say that Miller criticizes Willy. Instead, Miller shows how a single person can start a self-replicating loop that spreads to other people. Within the Loman family, this is undeniably true. Willy effectively blocks the affair out of his mind and commits himself to a life of denial until the end of the play.

Linda and Happy are both caught up in the denial loop. Willy's habit of reconstructing reality is well known to Linda, but she also acknowledges that Willy may be unable to acknowledge reality, as shown by his multiple suicide attempts prior to the start of the play. As a result, Linda decides to treat Willy's delusions as a reality in order to preserve them.

The play has a big effect because it makes the viewer feel like they're in it. Willy Loman is everyone's father, brother, uncle, or friend, and his relatives are our cousins; 'Death Of A Salesman' is a historical account of our lives. It is not a realistic portrait; rather, it is a demonstration of the facts as well as their significance. Over the years, we've seen many excellent productions of Death of a Salesman. This one captures the duality at the core of Miller's memory play with remarkable precision, merging the socially real with the dreamily phantasmagoric.

It is said that Death of a Salesman is performed every night somewhere in the world. It has touched the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Although critics argue whether the play is a tragedy, a biting social commentary, an affirmation of the American spirit, or a portrayal of the salesman's life, the drama's poignant portrait of ordinary people has moved and questioned people all over the world.

Make sure you submit a unique essay

Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions.

Cite this paper

Death of a Salesman’ Summary Essay. (2023, December 13). Edubirdie. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/death-of-a-salesman-summary-essay/
“Death of a Salesman’ Summary Essay.” Edubirdie, 13 Dec. 2023, edubirdie.com/examples/death-of-a-salesman-summary-essay/
Death of a Salesman’ Summary Essay. [online]. Available at: <https://edubirdie.com/examples/death-of-a-salesman-summary-essay/> [Accessed 2 Nov. 2024].
Death of a Salesman’ Summary Essay [Internet]. Edubirdie. 2023 Dec 13 [cited 2024 Nov 2]. Available from: https://edubirdie.com/examples/death-of-a-salesman-summary-essay/
copy

Join our 150k of happy users

  • Get original paper written according to your instructions
  • Save time for what matters most
Place an order

Fair Use Policy

EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via support@edubirdie.com.

Check it out!
close
search Stuck on your essay?

We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours.