Biography
http://www.novelguide.com/deathofasalesman/biography.html
Arthur Miller was born October 17, 1915 in New York City. He began writing at a very early age, and by the
time he graduated from the University of Michigan he had begun to receive recognition as a playwright. In
1949, after returning to New York, he published his most famous work, Death of A Salesman, a critique of the
industry-driven society of the city. This play received numerous awards for its literary merit, including the
Pulitzer Prize for drama. Many critics regard Death of A Salesman as the perfect embodiment of the modern
American drama. Though some criticize Miller for his colloquial tone and mundane images, Miller’s distinctly
modern plays continue to find applause among students, teachers, and dramatists. He would go on to publish
The Crucible, an account of the Salem Witch Trials, which in popularity is probably a close second to Death of
A Salesman. Though Miller has more recently tried his hand at novel writing, he is still best known for his
thematic plays, which usually comment on the dark nature of contemporary American society.
Metaphor Analysis
Seeds/Garden: Miller uses these motifs throughout his play to symbolize Willy’s need and desire for success.
They also represent the legacy that Willy never leaves with his family. Though Willy attempts to plant his
garden near the end of the play, this is too little too late. His life has already been a failure and he has left
nothing remarkable by which to be remembered.
The Jungle: The jungle, or woods, represents the chaotic yet rewarding nature of life. Ben tells Willy, “the
jungle is dark but full of diamonds.” So like Ben, Willy hopes to strike it rich in the business world of New
England. Yet Willy never finds the diamonds (success/happiness), and he leaves life without fortune or fame.
In many ways, the jungle also represents the twentieth century free market economy (and the American
Dream ideal) that Miller often criticized.
Biff’s stealing: This symbolizes the inherent impossibility of Willy’s strategy for success. Willy doesn’t believe
in working one’s way up the ladder of success; he thinks that since he’s a Loman he should be automatically
granted managerial status. Thus Biff, following the example of his father, hopes to “steal” his way to the top
instead of working for it.
Stockings: These represent Willy’s adultery as well as the “phoniness” of Willy’s existence. Though Willy says
he’s doing all he can for his family, he actually gives Linda’s stockings to his prostitute.
Tennis: Bernard’s reference to tennis ironically proves his success and the Lomans’ failure, since Oliver is
suppose to give Biff and Happy a big deal in the sporting goods business. Though Bernard’s future doesn’t
revolve around sports, he has access to tennis rackets while the Lomans (who’s lives do revolve around this
sporting goods idea) don’t have this access.
Theme Analysis
Death of A Salesman has several themes that run throughout the play. The most obvious theme is the idea of
reality versus illusion. Though Linda, Biff and Happy are all unable to separate reality from illusion to some
degree, Willy is the main character who suffers from this ailment. For years, Willy has believed that both he
and his boys (particularly Biff) will one day be great successes. Though he’s a disrespected salesman, he calls
himself the “New England man.” Though Biff has done nothing with his life by the age of thirty-four, Willy
tells others and tries to make himself believe that his son is doing big things” out west. Willy’s brother, Ben,
continually appears in the troubled man’s mind, offering hints on how to make it in the world of business.
Willy feels that he must live up to the standard that Ben has set, but this is found to be impossible by the end
of the play. Only Biff ever realizes who he is (“a dime a dozen”) and what his potential really is. He is the
only member of the family to finally escape from the poisonous grasp of illusion.
One of Miller’s secondary themes is the idea of the American Dream. Throughout his play, Miller seems to
criticize this ideal as little more than a capitalist’s paradigm. Though Willy spends all of his adult life
working for a sales company, this company releases the salesman when he proves to be unprofitable. Willy
confronts Howard, his boss (and Miller indicts free market society), when he charges, “You can’t eat the
orange and throw the peel away—a man is not a piece of fruit.” Here, Willy feels that Howard has gone back
on his father’s word by forgetting him in his golden years, throwing away the peel after eating the orange, so
to speak. Thus, Willy is unable to cope with the changing times and the unfeeling business machine that is
New York.
In many ways, Death of A Salesman has a tragic theme consistent with great tragedies such as Oedipus the
King and others. Though Willy is a very modern man, and certainly not a member of the aristocracy, he lives
a very tragic life. Though he believes that he and his sons are great men, his flawed character perverts his
idealistic vision of success and happiness.
The idea that “personality wins the day” is one such flaw in Willy’s logic. Indeed, substance, not personality
or being well liked, is what wins the day. Charley and Bernard, who have success but not personality, prove
to Willy that his notion is incorrect. But unfortunately, Willy never understands this, and so goes to his grave
never truly realizing where he went wrong.
Top Ten Quotes
1) When explaining why they can’t leave the crowded city to live in New York, Willy tells his wife, “I’m the
New England man. I’m vital in New England.” Unfortunately for Willy, this is just an illusion.
2) Unlike Charley, Willy intends to be “well liked.” He tells his sons that personality is more important than
smarts. He explains, “the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates
personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want.”
3) According to Willy, Ben has made a fortune mining diamonds in Africa. “The man knew what he wanted
and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he’s rich!” Thus,
Willy’s illusions continue.
4) Like his brother Ben who conquered the wilderness, Willy feels that he must live on the frontier, building a
house and planting a garden for his family if he wants to properly care for his family. He tells Linda, “Before
it’s all over we’re gonna get a little place out in the country, and I’ll raise some vegetables, a couple of
chickens…” Unfortunately, times have changed and his dream is no longer possible in twentieth century New
England.
5) Willy grows angry, telling Howard, “You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away—a man is not a
piece of fruit.” Here, Willy feels that Howard (the son of the father who had formerly promised Willy that he
would be rewarded for his service to the company) has gone back on the word of his father by forgetting the
salesman in his golden years, throwing away the peel after eating the orange, so to speak.
6) Willy alludes to suicide. He admits to Charley, “After all the highways, and the trains, and the
appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.” It seems Willy has a sizable amount of
life insurance.
7) Biff sorrowfully concludes before his brother, “I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been!” Biff
realizes that he was never a salesman for Oliver, but just a lowly shipping clerk who was fired from stealing
from the company he worked for. Finally Biff realizes that his father’s illusions of success for him are just
that—illusions.
8) On the way out of the restaurant, Willy asks the waiter where he can buy seeds for his garden. He tells
Stanley, “I’ve got to get some seeds. I’ve got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have
a thing in the ground.” This is a last, desperate attempt by Willy to salvage what’s left of his life and his
legacy. Planting seeds represents the success he hopes to leave for his sons and his wife.
9) Biff dispels Willy’s idea that the Loman family is special. Biff asserts, “Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so
are you!” This infuriates Willy who counterattacks, “I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are
Biff Loman!”
10) While Biff realizes that their father “had the wrong dreams,” Happy defends Willy’s aspirations, saying,
“I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It’s the
only dream you can have—to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I’m gonna
win it for him.” In this way, Happy picks up the torch that his father has left at the grave.