The play seems to pose a profound question about the nature of capitalism.

\\"I simply asked him if he was making any money. Is that a criticism?\\"

It's not clear if Miller intended this as a direct criticism, but it could very well be seen as such. Just consider Willy's desperate words to his boss when he is fired:

\\"You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away — a man is not a piece of fruit.\\"

This criticism is not only economic but also existential.

\\"After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.\\"

Or

\\"Work a lifetime to pay off a house — You finally own it and there's nobody to live in it.\\"

Or

\\"Nothing's Planted, I don't have a thing in the ground.\\"

For those who are not wealthy, money becomes a significant factor in determining self-worth. Willy and Biff grapple with the harsh reality that they haven't achieved much financial success. Another theme that emerges is the desire for greatness and the difficult acceptance that one may not be great.

\\"Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.\\"

\\"I've always made a point of not wasting my life, and every time I come back here I know that all I've done is to waste my life. \\"

It's a complex and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition in a capitalist society.

The action described below occurs in the GR cafeteria.

GR approaches STEVEN and asks, "Do you mind, is this seat taken?" STEVEN replies, "No, please do!" GR then inquires, "How are you today?" STEVEN simply answers, "Fine." GR follows up with, "Could you spare a few moments?" STEVEN agrees, saying, "Sure."

GR then asks, "So, what did you think of Death of a Salesman?" STEVEN excitedly exclaims, "Great! The venue may have been small, but that just made the whole experience more intimate. I parked myself in a seat near the back and in the middle, so I had a good panoramic view of the stage. The performances from all the cast were good, with Willy Loman and wife Linda being the most memorable ones. The play, with themes of anxiety and insecurity, mainly takes place in the Lomans' house and yard. Capitalism and one man's struggle with work dominate the story. It could be seen as a social criticism, a tragedy, or just a psychological study of disintegration. Cleverly, Miller never takes sides, leaving the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the actions. Written in 1949 and a Pulitzer winner, it ties in strongly with Miller's own family and their problems during the Great Depression. It held my attention throughout and received a well-deserved round of applause at the end. I then went for a few cocktails. All in all, it was a good night."

GR then says, "Er... I was actually referring to the written play, the book?" STEVEN realizes his mistake and says, "Oh that, sorry. Well, once you've seen the play with your own eyes, reading it was never going to be the same. By act two, I was starting to get fidgety, which isn't a good sign. I'd give it 2.5 out of 5." GR thanks STEVEN for his time, and STEVEN says it's no problem.

GR then remembers one more thing and asks, "Could you see yourself reading any more plays?" STEVEN replies, "Miller, probably not. Any other playwrights, probably yes." GR thanks him again, and STEVEN says, "Any time, goodbye."

Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" is a classic play that explores the American dream and its consequences. In 2010, the sell-out production in the West End won awards for David Suchet, Zoë Wanamaker, and director Howard Davies. Now, they reunite to create a new production for Radio 3.

The play tells the story of Willy Loman, a 63-year-old travelling salesman who is worn out by his life on the road. His wife Linda has supported him throughout, and they have two sons, Biff and Happy. Biff has returned home for the first time in years, and the family is reunited. However, there is a secret between Willy and Biff that has destroyed their relationship and still haunts them both.
This new radio production is part of the BBC Radio 3, 4, and 4 Extra celebrations to mark the centenary of Arthur Miller's birth. The cast includes David Suchet as Willy Loman, Zoë Wanamaker as Linda Loman, Daniel Lapaine as Biff Loman, Brendan Patricks as Happy Loman, and many others.
Miller's exploration of human nature in "All My Sons" is both sobering and thought-provoking. This excellent version is fully recommended for anyone interested in great drama.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gpwk4

Those who make syllabi in Pakistan, for some reason, are extremely fond of Arthur Miller.

Initially, they included his works in the textbooks, and later, "The Crucible" as well.

As for me, I have a rather indifferent attitude towards it. Yes, it is indeed a sad story that depicts the loss of hope and the shattering of expectations. The ending is quite powerful, yet the rest of the play fails to maintain the same level of impact.

However, when I was required to read it, it simply felt like a tiresome chore. The dialogue failed to hold my attention. I read it merely because I had to, not out of any genuine desire.

To this day, I haven't felt any compelling need to read Arthur Miller's works again.

I understand the significance and the literary value that his plays may possess, but for me personally, they haven't left a lasting impression.

Perhaps it's because my own interests lie elsewhere, or maybe I didn't fully grasp the depth and complexity of his writing.

Nevertheless, I respect the fact that others may have a different opinion and find great enjoyment and inspiration in his works.

I still think you went on a journey. I'm waiting for you.

Well, I paid the last installment of the house today. But you're no longer there to live in it. We don't owe anything anymore! We were already free! Free...

A drama with charred and doomed characters who are looking for the culprit.

A father who swallows the longing for a life he could have had but, by choosing another path, lost this chance and constantly thinks that if he had taken another way in the past, he would be successful now.

And now that he hasn't reached the university degree and success he desired, he expects his children to act according to his wishes and give him the miserable life of the father as a gift.

And a son who is tired of following the father's wishes and being ignored of his own wishes.

A father who, with the exposure of his mistake, spoils his relationship with his son for years and, in order to get rid of the pangs of conscience, is looking for a certificate to be accepted by himself and others that the son's failure is not the fault of his mistake.

A family that, by lying to each other, tries to take a little of the burden of disappointment and failure off their own backs and constantly make promises to each other that the situation will get better and deceive each other with a vision of a future that is moving towards improvement.

Charlie: You didn't say what benefits those vitamins have?

\\n  

Willy: They make the bones right. It's chemistry again.
Charlie: Yeah. But the human heart is not a bone.

\\n

The death salesman's show in criticizing investment and about identity, passion, and lies presented a picture of the ordinary life of many ordinary people today, but it didn't have such a profound impact on me.

Reading the tattered, weathered, and dusty books in the library makes me feel much better than my own clean books!

**Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller**

Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play.

One night, as a flute melody plays, Willy Loman returns home to Brooklyn, exhausted from a failed sales trip. His wife, Linda, tries to convince him to ask his boss, Howard Wagner, to let him work in New York and avoid traveling. Willy says he'll talk to Howard the next day. He complains that Biff, his older son visiting home, has yet to succeed. Linda scolds Willy for being so critical, and he goes to the kitchen for a snack.
In the kitchen, as Willy talks to himself, Biff and his younger brother, Happy, also visiting, recall their adolescence and discuss their father's babbling, which often includes criticizing Biff for not meeting Willy's expectations. Dissatisfied with their lives, Biff and Happy fantasize about buying a ranch out West, while Willy becomes lost in a daydream. He praises his younger sons, who are washing his car. The young Biff, a high school football star, and the young Happy appear, interacting affectionately with their father, who has just returned from a business trip. Willy confides in them that he'll open his own business one day, bigger than neighbor Charley's. Charley's son, Bernard, enters looking for Biff, who must study math to avoid failing. Willy tells his sons that although Bernard is smart, he's not "well liked," which will hurt him in the long run.
This story is a tragic portrayal of a man's life. According to the author, he has no control or choice over the forces of life. It's a meditation on the lives of people who are only relevant when they succeed and are then left in emptiness. Willy's home is like a prison where he tries to prove he's still alive and exists by relying on his memories. But the memories only push him further into the past, causing him to fall into a dream and pointlessly confide in others. The central character, Willy Loman, is a salesman who believes the only way to have an honorable life for himself and his family is to strive for wealth within the framework of a heartless and unfeeling capitalism. In the end, having achieved no success, he commits suicide accidentally, hoping his older son, Biff, who strongly opposes his father's beliefs, can use his life insurance money to start his own business.

One of the greatest fears of man in our era is what the writer Ahmed Khaled Tawfiq expressed in his saying:

I am afraid that I will wake up one day at forty to find that I have lost my life because of a wrong choice I made when I was in my twenties.

So how did Miller find himself in retirement age and all that he spent his days building was a crumbling structure not suitable for bearing the heavy burdens of life!? Work without purpose, failed children, and an empty balance of beneficial social relationships, as if he is walking in a world that does not give him weight or consideration, walking unseen, unknown, without a trace, carrying on his soul the burden of wrong decisions and a past full of regret, with a feeling of physical humiliation and unfitness to engage in life from now on, and with all this disappearance, death and farewell will come tomorrow dim as the poet said, dim like the sky's glass in the peace of the defeated leader.


I didn't like the translation very much, yet the reality of the play overwhelmed my criticism of the translation style.


And Willy Loman did not build great wealth and his name was never mentioned in the newspaper, and he is not the best character created but he is a man suffering from terrible things, so we must be careful and we should not allow him to fall into his grave like a dog, we must give him more respect..

What a great and diverse show it was!

There were so many wonderful performances that left the audience in awe. The stage was set beautifully, with colorful lights and elaborate decorations that added to the overall atmosphere. The actors and actresses gave their all, bringing the characters to life with their精湛的演技.

There were also some amazing musical numbers that had the crowd singing along and tapping their feet. The variety of acts, from drama to comedy to music, ensured that there was something for everyone to enjoy.

It was truly a memorable event that will be talked about for a long time to come.

Death of a Salesman is a remarkable theatrical work penned by Arthur Miller in 1949. In the year of its premiere, it not only received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize but also the Tony Award and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. This story serves as a powerful critique of the American Dream, emphasizing that progress takes precedence over ethical principles.

The play centers around Willy Loman, a traveling salesman who is exhausted and should have retired at the age of 63. He believes that by being liked by people and working hard, he can achieve success. However, few people actually know him, and many ridicule him behind his back. Willy instills his ideals in his sons, Biff and Happy, who look up to him as a role model. But an unexpected event causes Biff to become angry with his father and run away, losing his chance to go to college. This creates a great resentment towards his father and a rejection of the illusory life that Willy clings to.

The characters in this play are truly memorable and perfectly fit the traditional American family schema. Willy's wife, Linda, is the prototype of a faithful wife. She has dedicated herself to domestic affairs, been a good mother, and has no history of problems. She is a traditional housewife, so common that despite Willy's infidelity, she forgives him, accepts him, and continues to love him. Her only wish is for her sons to succeed and have a good life.

Happy is a person who wholeheartedly believes in the American Dream and thinks that everything will work out. He lives on appearances, believing that he is doing well and is successful, when in reality, this is not the case. Biff, on the other hand, is the eldest son and the antithesis. He has more experience and knows that the American Dream does not always work. He is one of the characters who realizes the facade of his father. Biff lives in frustration and has accepted that things will be this way.

Willy, at sixty years old, lives on false illusions. This is what he projects onto the rest of his family. One could say that he is a non-hero or a failed hero, the anti-hero of the American Dream. He is not up for challenges or big goals, and although it is not always directly stated, one can sense that he lives in anguish due to his debts. The characters in this play are failures. There is an economic failure that leads to a psychological one. The main problem is that when the protagonist loses his job, he loses the meaning of everything. The job was everything to him. When he becomes unemployed, he is unable to reflect on the aspects of his life.

The theme of death is present throughout the play, like a chronicle of a death foretold. More than physical death, it is the death of the American Dream (a social system, consumerism, etc.). In short, Willy Loman symbolizes the failure of the American Dream.
Throughout the story, different tools for forging a life are mentioned, alluding to the fact that to achieve the dream, one must work. But here, they show us that these tools fail. If it had to be summarized, it could be said that it is the clash between expectations and reality. It is important to consider expectations, otherwise, they will lead to frustration.
Arthur Miller has used all his ingenuity and originality in this play. The clear use of his intellect can be seen reflected in the use of narrative techniques such as the flashback. Through this element, we can access the interiority of Willy Loman and be transported to the past. In this sense, the treatment of time is revolutionary. The verb tenses are almost all in the present, which gives it much greater force. The characters from the past appear on stage as if they were in the present. It is a reduced and closed space, referring to New York, Boston, the office, the cemetery, the restaurant, etc., but everything takes place in the Loman's house. Moreover, this past is idealized, half dreamlike, like a dream.
There is also a polyphonic acotational language in this play. The acotations are numerous and varied, referring to music, noise, smells, etc. Miller resorts to music and titles the beginning "Overture" and the last part "Requiem", thus anticipating a death. In addition, the very title of the play already indicates that someone will die, and that someone is "the traveler".
Finally, it can be said that this is a play with a strong critique of American society and the American Dream. It reveals how the American Dream, with its emphasis on material success and social mobility, can be unattainable for those who pursue it passionately, like Willy Loman and his family. Despite their efforts, they face economic and personal difficulties that move them further and further away from that ideal. The gap between the expectations of success and the harsh reality of daily life can lead to a profound disillusionment and anguish, as evidenced in the internal struggle of the traveler. This conflict can result in a deterioration of mental and emotional health, as well as tense relationships within the family. The play highlights the need to face reality with honesty and accept personal limitations. The denial of the truth, as shown by Mr. Loman in maintaining his illusions about success, can lead to disastrous consequences for both the individual and those around him. Death of a Salesman offers a deep reflection on the values of American society and individual aspirations, and poses important questions about the meaning of success, happiness, and authenticity in the modern world. Therefore, I consider it essential to read or watch this piece of theater.

Read in 2018, 2023

2018 Review:
This was the first time I've read Miller's masterpiece in its entirety.

It is a harrowing and depressing look at the American Dream that is unattainable.

The whole Loman family is long-suffering. Willy, with his delusions of grandeur, believes he is a great salesman and that success is just around the corner.

Linda, his wife, loves him deeply and tries to hold the family together despite his flaws.

Biff Loman, the man opposite of his father, and his foil, does not want to work in an office. He would rather be west and out in nature, living a simple life.

These three souls are all tortured, complete with time and space elapsing on stage, weaving throughout past and present that descends itself into a hell on earth.

The only way to end this nightmare is through the death of one of these three high-strung individuals.

2023 Review:
Rereading this play reminded me of why it’s one of the great American classics, period.

With its themes of false hope, clashes with family, mental instability, and the constant promise of starting over but never happening, it is simply truly heartbreaking.

The story of Willy and Biff couldn’t be anymore sadder. Willy’s delusions drive a wedge between him and his son, and Biff’s inability to live up to his father’s expectations leads to his own sense of failure.

Linda and Happy always make the attempt to be the peacemakers, but they are ultimately powerless to stop the family’s downward spiral.

Charley and Bernard, and even Willy’s mistress, are the realists of the play. They bring Willy down to earth from his delusions of grandeur and self-absorption.

Ben makes the eerie appearances of a ghost that represents the unattainable and missed chances. I will be teaching this play next school year and can’t wait to see how students respond.

I wanted to comment that I finally saw a Broadway production of this towering masterpiece, and I was honored to have seen the Loman family headed by a black cast in the 2022 revival.

Starring Wendell Pierce in one of the most committed, harrowing, and humane performances I have ever seen, his Willy is one of the greatest male performances I have ever seen on stage.

With razor sharp wit and a savage tenderness, seeing this classic character as a black man shed more complexities and nuances about the death of the American Dream than ever before.

Before having seen the play live, my only point of references were the filmed versions starring Fredric March (1951) and Dustin Hoffman (1985) to have referenced to.

And having seen clips of Brian Dennehy and Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayals on Broadway.

Mr. Pierce's performance went straight to the heart. Sharon D. Clarke as Linda was a revelation of love and rage, and as a fantastic singer, she was able to croon some original music written for the production. Andre De Shields as the ghost of Ben Loman was also eerie and horrifying, an emcee for death.

In this book, which is Arthur Miller's masterpiece, one can uncover the reason why Miller was blacklisted during the Red Scare. His undisguised yearning for a departure from the class system and his contempt for the so-called "American Dream" are truly remarkable.

Willy Lowman embodies the typical yet unrealistic American Dream. Overwhelmed by industrialism and materialism, this character symbolizes the utter failure of society's promise of economic prosperity. His life concludes in the most tragic and straightforward manner. Sadly, the salesman who toiled his entire life only to be rewarded with "the death of a salesman," surrounded by friends, the spectator realizes that everything he has labored so hard to construct has either crumbled or become useless.

Biff represents a man who can perceive that one cannot, generally will not, always obtain what they dream of. He is the one who comprehends that the promise of the land of opportunity is misconstrued. It is the land of opportunity... but only for those who can afford it. However, for those who are merely striving to get by, who do not possess a fortune to thrive with; these individuals are often the ones who work the hardest only to reach the end of their life and discover that they will never be granted the opportunity that was promised.

This is a classic American tragedy, and I believe it is one of the most significant commentaries on the economic slump that persists in our current society. It serves as a poignant reminder of the harsh realities and inequalities that continue to plague our world.