Death of a Salesman (pdf) is a stage play written by Arthur Miller in 1949. The two-act tragedy premiered on Broadway in 1949 and ran for 742 performances. The play is set in the 1940s and told through a series of dreams, memories, and arguments. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949, as well as the Tony Award for Best Play, some critics consider Death of a Salesman to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.
The main character, Willy Loman, is a traveling salesman that seems to be disappointed with his life. At times Willy seems to be sliding into senility.
Willy has dreamed of success his whole life and makes up lies about his own success as well as the sucess of his son Biff. The more Willy indulges in this illusion, the harder it is for him to face reality. His son Biff is the only one who realizes that the whole family lives in these illusions and bravely tries to face the truth.
We all have a tendency to believe the lies we tell ourselves. Lies about our accomplishments, our status, our looks, etc. For most of us, something eventually comes along that causes us to wake up to reality.
Most people experience disappointments in their lives at some point, but most people are able to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of their dreams. Willy Loman’s dreams, however, set him up for failure. His mistaken ideas about himself and the American Dream led to tragedy, not only for Willy; but for his family, as well.
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