Detailed Study Notes on "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller

Detailed Study Notes on "Death of a Salesman"

Introduction

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a landmark play in modern American theater, first performed in 1949. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. The play explores themes of the American Dream, self-delusion, identity, and the consequences of failure.

The story revolves around Willy Loman, a struggling salesman who lives in a world of illusions. His obsession with success, material wealth, and personal popularity leads to a tragic downfall. The play is considered a social critique of post-war American values, questioning the belief that financial success equates to happiness.

Plot Summary

Act I: The Decline of Willy Loman

The play opens with Willy Loman returning home to Brooklyn after another unsuccessful sales trip. His wife, Linda, is worried about his mental state and financial instability. Willy often drifts into flashbacks, recalling his past successes and missed opportunities.

His sons, Biff and Happy, are visiting. Biff, once a promising athlete, has failed to achieve success, leading to tension between him and Willy. Happy, though employed, remains shallow and dishonest, trying to impress others with false achievements.

Willy constantly hallucinates about the past, seeing visions of his deceased brother Ben, who became rich in Africa. Ben symbolizes the success Willy craves, reinforcing Willy’s insecurity and desperation.

Act II: The Breaking Point

Willy tries to ask his boss, Howard Wagner, for a stable job in New York but gets fired instead. Meanwhile, Biff attempts to secure a business loan from Oliver, an old employer, but is ignored.

During a heated confrontation at a restaurant, Biff confesses his failures to Willy, trying to make him accept reality. Willy refuses to listen and retreats into a hallucination of the past, recalling the moment Biff discovered his affair with a woman in Boston. This moment destroyed Biff’s admiration for his father and shattered their relationship.

Requiem: The Tragic Ending

Feeling hopeless and convinced that his life insurance payout will help his family, Willy commits suicide by crashing his car.

At his funeral, only a few people attend, showing how little impact Willy had on the world despite his lifelong dreams of recognition. Biff realizes that Willy’s dreams were built on delusion, while Happy vows to continue Willy’s path, refusing to accept the truth.

Major Themes

1. The American Dream: A Flawed Ideal

Willy believes success comes from being well-liked and charismatic, rather than through hard work or skill.

The play challenges this traditional version of the American Dream, showing how it can be destructive.

Willy's obsession with status blinds him to the true values of life—family, honesty, and self-awareness.

2. Reality vs. Illusion

Willy refuses to accept reality, constantly living in past memories and false hopes.

His illusions contrast with Biff’s awakening, as Biff realizes that his life has been based on lies.

The play warns against the dangers of self-deception, showing how it leads to mental decline and despair.

3. Family and Betrayal

Willy’s affair in Boston represents a key betrayal, damaging Biff’s trust.

Biff and Willy’s strained relationship reflects a clash between truth and illusion.

Linda, the loyal wife, symbolizes unconditional love, but also blind support for Willy’s delusions.

4. Identity and Self-Worth

Willy measures his worth through his job, and when he fails, he loses his identity.

Biff’s realization that he is "a dime a dozen" is an important moment—he embraces his true self, rejecting Willy’s flawed ideals.

Happy, on the other hand, remains trapped in Willy’s way of thinking, choosing to continue his father’s pursuit of empty success.

Characters and Their Significance

1. Willy Loman – The Tragic Protagonist

An aging traveling salesman, exhausted by false hopes and failures.

Lives in denial, refusing to accept that he is not a successful man. Obsessed with being well-liked but lacks the skills or work ethic to achieve success. His suicide is a final attempt to provide for his family, believing his insurance money will be his legacy.

2. Linda Loman – The Devoted Wife

A symbol of unconditional love and loyalty. 

Supports Willy despite his mental instability and failures. Tries to keep the family together, but enables Willy’s delusions instead of confronting them.

3. Biff Loman – The Truth-Seeker

Willy’s eldest son, once a high school football star. Struggles with identity issues, unable to fit into Willy’s idealized version of success. Unlike Willy, he accepts reality, realizing that success should not be based on lies. In the end, he rejects Willy’s broken dreams, choosing self-awareness over illusion.

4. Happy Loman – The Lost Son

Willy’s younger son, who shares his father’s obsession with success and popularity. Works in business but is dishonest, shallow, and unfulfilled. Unlike Biff, Happy refuses to acknowledge the truth, deciding to follow in Willy’s footsteps.

5. Charley – The Voice of Reason

Willy’s neighbor and friend, a successful businessman. Represents the reality of hard work and practical success. Offers Willy a job, but Willy refuses out of pride.

6. Bernard – The Contrast to Biff

Charley’s son, who becomes a successful lawyer. Initially, Willy sees him as weak, but Bernard’s hard work and intelligence lead to real success. Represents what Biff could have become if he had focused on reality.

7. Ben Loman – The Symbol of Success

Willy’s deceased brother, who became rich in Africa. Represents the ultimate dream of wealth and fortune. His presence in Willy’s mind pushes Willy further into delusions of success.

Symbolism in the Play

1. The Rubber Hose – Represents Willy’s suicidal thoughts and financial struggles.

2. The Seeds – Symbolize Willy’s final attempt to leave a legacy for his family.

3. Stockings – A reminder of Willy’s affair and guilt.

4. The American West – Represents freedom and opportunities, contrasting with Willy’s trapped existence.

Critical Analysis

Death of a Salesman is considered one of the greatest tragedies of modern theater.

It challenges capitalist ideals, showing how the pressure for material success can destroy a person.

The use of flashbacks and hallucinations makes the play nonlinear, reflecting Willy’s mental instability.

Miller’s realistic dialogue and emotional depth make the play timeless, as it speaks to the struggles of ordinary people chasing impossible dreams.

Conclusion

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman remains a powerful critique of American society, questioning the obsession with wealth, success, and personal validation. The tragedy of Willy Loman is a warning about self-deception, unrealistic expectations, and the cost of living in illusions.