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Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller): Text and Criticism

arthur miller gerald weales

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Willy Loman has been a salesman for 34 years. At 60, he is cast aside, his usefulness exhausted. With no future to dream about he must face the crushing disappointments of his past. He takes one final brave action, but is he heroic at last or a self-deluding fool?

426 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1949
Literary awards
pulitzer prize, new york drama critics circle award, 
Places
new york city new york, 

This edition

Format
426 pages, Paperback
Published
May 1, 1967 by Penguin Books
ISBN
ASIN
B0DLT59V78
Language
English
Characters More characters

More editions

About the author

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arthur miller

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Works of American playwright Arthur Asher Miller include Death of a Salesman (1949), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and The Crucible (1953).


This essayist, a prominent figure in literature and cinema for over 61 years, composed a wide variety, such as celebrated A View from the Bridge and All My Sons, still studied and performed worldwide. Miller often in the public eye most famously refused to give evidence to the un-American activities committee of the House of Representatives, received award for drama, and married Marilyn Monroe. People at the time considered the greatest Miller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_...

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Community Reviews

Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
44(44%)
4 stars
21(21%)
3 stars
34(34%)
2 stars
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99 reviews All reviews
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KiidCathedrale
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I listened to the exhibition for a whole day. How sad my heart was! How many years have passed since the dreams of selling dreams have disappeared, and how many lives have wandered aimlessly away from imagination. If only I could live life again.

Some parts of the book:

"I have always made a firm decision not to waste my life, but every time I come back here, I realize that the only thing I have done is to waste my life."

"People who are far away and scattered are so scattered that I am constantly lowering my ideals."

"His father's moments of happiness are when he is waiting for something."

"A man can't just come and go like that. A man must add something to other things."
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lithraal
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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In capturing the torment of the American Dream, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman delves deep into a family's life and examines the numerous troubles that plague them. There is the fear of growing old and becoming replaceable in a society that values youth and productivity. The pain of severed relationships haunts the characters, leaving them feeling isolated and alone. Expectations that are never met weigh heavily on their shoulders, causing disappointment and a sense of failure. And the experience of losing, whether it be a job, a dream, or a loved one, adds to their already burdensome existence.


Whilst I did not connect with this play as strongly as I would have liked, there is no denying Miller's remarkable talent. His ability to create complex and flawed characters, and to explore the depths of human emotion, is truly impressive. Death of a Salesman is no happy story. Instead, it offers a brutal and unflinching look at lives that are filled with disappointment, frustration, and unfulfilled potential. All hope seems to be squashed, leaving the characters in a state of despair. Yet, through it all, Miller manages to find moments of beauty and poignancy, making this play a powerful and unforgettable exploration of the human condition.

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aerisanimelist
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The loneliest and most common story in America is one that often goes unnoticed.

It is a tale of individuals who strive for perfection in a society that constantly bombards them with ideals and standards.

These people spend their days and nights working tirelessly, sacrificing personal relationships and their own well-being in the pursuit of an unattainable goal.

They are the ones who feel the pressure to have the perfect job, the perfect home, the perfect family.

But in their quest for perfection, they often find themselves feeling empty and alone.

Despite the commonality of this story, it remains a silent struggle for many.

Perhaps it is time for America to recognize the toll that the pursuit of perfection takes on its people and to encourage a more balanced and fulfilling way of life.

After all, true happiness and contentment may not lie in the pursuit of perfection, but in the acceptance of ourselves and others as we are.

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miposukie
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A very haunting story indeed. It is a tale of broken dreams that lingers in the mind, leaving an indelible mark.

Dreams are the essence of our aspirations, the fuel that drives us forward. They give us hope and a sense of purpose. But when these dreams shatter, the pain can be excruciating.

The power that these dreams and hopes possess is truly remarkable. They can inspire us to reach for the impossible, to overcome the most insurmountable obstacles. They have the ability to transform our lives and make us believe in something greater than ourselves.

However, when they are broken, it can feel as if all is lost. But even in the face of shattered dreams, there is still a glimmer of hope. For it is in the ashes of our broken dreams that new ones can be born.

We can choose to pick up the pieces and start anew, to find a new path and pursue our passions with even greater determination.

This story serves as a reminder that dreams may break, but our spirit should never be broken. We must continue to believe in ourselves and in the power of our dreams, no matter how difficult the journey may be.

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rainn83
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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“ Man is not a fruit to be eaten and then have the peel thrown away,” the old traveling salesman shouts desperately at his very young boss in the scene of his dismissal.

He comes to ask for a small favor in exchange for decades of loyalty and diligent work in the service of the company. Instead of understanding and help, he is brutally and definitively driven out.

Arthur Miller's play shines a spotlight on the drama of the unfortunate character Willy Loman not only at work, on the wild stage of the business world dominated by the specter of competition and money, but also at home, on a personal level, where he fails miserably in his relationship with his family members.

The pressure of failure, together with the sense of guilt that he cannot financially support his family, the belief that his sons will despise him for this reason, and his recent dismissal give Willy the guarantee of the complete futility of a life lived in vain and push him towards the final abandonment of the struggle with the world.

As a supreme irony of fate, his burial takes place on the same day that the Lomans pay the last installment on the house in which they lived, and Willy Loman becomes the full owner precisely on the day he is buried.

If you are not among the amateurs of drama as a reading, you can try the excellent film adaptation with Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich (Death of a Salesman, 1985), without the fear that you will have to assume who knows what annoying directorial interventions typical of Hollywood. It is a very successful adaptation.
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AceKage99
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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"People are worse off than Willy Loman" has got to be one of the most devastating lines in the history of theatre.

This simple yet profound statement holds a mirror up to society, revealing the harsh reality that many people face. Willy Loman, the tragic protagonist of Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman," is a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of the American Dream but ultimately finds himself broken and defeated.

The line implies that there are those who are even more unfortunate than Willy, those who have endured greater hardships and have fewer prospects for a better future. It is a sobering reminder of the inequalities and injustices that exist in our world.

Just thinking about this line makes me choke up. It has the power to move us, to make us reflect on our own lives and the lives of those around us. It is a testament to the power of great theatre to touch our hearts and minds and to make us see the world in a new light.

5 stars. Powerful.
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OmegatheRobit
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Deeply moving.

It is a story that tugs at the heartstrings and leaves an indelible mark on the soul. The emotions it evokes are so powerful that they can bring tears to one's eyes.

Unrelentingly hopeless.

Despite the glimmers of hope that may appear from time to time, they are quickly snuffed out, leaving the characters in a state of despair. The situation seems insurmountable, and there appears to be no way out.

This combination of deep emotion and unyielding hopelessness creates a narrative that is both captivating and heart-wrenching. It forces the reader to confront the harsh realities of life and the human condition.

We are drawn into the lives of the characters, sharing in their joys and sorrows, and feeling their pain as if it were our own.

It is a story that will stay with us long after we have turned the last page, a reminder of the power of literature to touch our hearts and make us think.
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YesidMiura
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Attention, attention must finally be paid... So sounds out Arthur Miller's powerful cry, emphasizing that every individual, every single human being, deserves to have attention focused on them. It is a tragic and ironic truth that the limited well of human love and kindness often seems incapable of encompassing all people. There is always something that diverts our attention away. In the context of this drama, it is the slowly grinding wheels of exhaustion, born out of the ever-pressing need to possess more and more.

"Death of a Salesman" is frequently regarded as the dark drama of the American Dream. In many respects, this is an accurate assessment. Miller crafts a world where human desires are perversely transformed into "human needs." As part of my research for my own journey to the States, I have been delving into the concept of the American Dream through novels and theoretical articles. It appears that as I have read, an intriguing proposition has emerged: can any author writing about America avoid being drawn into the whirlpool of literature that is the American Dream? I highly doubt that any author can escape this. For in writing a play about multiple failures - the failures within the family, in achieving success, in matters of love, and ultimately the numerous failures in relationships - Miller has created a work that has come to be recognized as a play about the failure of the American Dream in its various manifestations. Yet, this failure, to me, seems to be connected to all humans everywhere. It shows how our pursuit of false dreams will inevitably lead to failure.

Ultimately, I believe Miller's story is as much about success and visionary dreams as it is about failure. As Biff remarks at the end of Willy Loman's tale, "He never knew who he was." Miller seems to have crafted a work that analyzes and observes that chasing after false dreams never brings true satisfaction. It is a theme as ancient as time itself, as seen in the writings of Solomon in Ecclesiastes when he states that "Everything is meaningless." And indeed, everything becomes meaningless when you base your entire identity solely on a particular dream. For if that dream fails, it becomes a failure of yourself as an individual. The ultimate cautionary message of Miller's play is to seek satisfaction within yourself as an individual and not to pursue what you are not. It is about not being complacent but finding true contentment.

"I don't say he's a great man. Willie Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He's not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person."
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