(A summary of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman) Don’t read or watch Death of a Salesman unless you want to be depressed. It is no surprise that the play isn’t about rainbows and butterflies, considering that Arthur Miller is the author of two of the greatest if not the two greatest American tragedies. Through work, he has injected his name into conversations involving names like Sophocles and Shakespeare. An absolute master in the art of evoking pity and fear in his audience, he fits the Aristotelian definition of tragedy; he begins with his protagonist in a relatively high socioeconomic position and ends with his life in shambles, and, in most cases, no longer existent. Such is the plight of Willy Loman, who had the misfortune to be created as the protagonist in a play that will leave him dead and viewers gloomy. Miller uses Loman to make a statement, though. He isn’t just killing him off for our entertainment. Miller used this play to call out two of America’s most treasured institutions: the family and capitalism. Now, the fact that these two hallowed …show more content…
They head out the next day to ask Bill Oliver to finance their venture. Afterwards, they plan to treat their father to a good meal. Meanwhile, Willy plans to go ask his boss to let him have a job in New York so he doesn’t have to drive. It is during this conversation that the term “death of a salesman” is introduced, during a story that Willy tells about a man he met who gave him the initial desire to be a salesman. He eventually winds up yelling at his boss, and is fired. His sons didn’t do much better. Bill Oliver didn’t remember them, and to top it all off, Biff stole a fountain pen on the way out of his office. This conflict comes to light at dinner, where Willy continues to hallucinate and Happy and Biff wind up leaving him at the restaurant, going off with two