Death of a Salesman – Themes with complete solutions.
8 views 0 purchase
Course
Death of a Salesman
Institution
Oxford University (OX)
Book
Death of a Salesman
Context
The play was a big success - written in 1949, and was inspired by Miller's experience of The Depression, which he said 'is my book'. The Depression put a great strain on his family, and to help them financially, he briefly became a salesman, although shortly quit because of the poor pay. D...
Death of a Salesman exam questions and answers 2023 already graded A+.
Death of a Salesman Act II fully solved
Death of a Salesman Theatre 1 question and answers
All for this textbook (23)
Written for
Oxford University (OX)
Unknown
Death of a Salesman
All documents for this subject (23)
Seller
Follow
GUARANTEEDSUCCESS
Reviews received
Content preview
Death of a Salesman – Themes with
complete solutions
Context - answer The play was a big success - written in 1949, and was inspired by Miller's
experience of The Depression, which he said 'is my book'. The Depression put a great strain on
his family, and to help them financially, he briefly became a salesman, although shortly quit
because of the poor pay. Death of a Salesman is arguably one of Miller's most successful and
memorable plays
Miller quote on optimism - answer 'tragedy implies more optimism in its author than does
comedy', because we really want the hero to succeed, more so than in comedy, where it is often
funny to see one fail
Capitalism - answer On the opening night, Miller recalls that one angry spectator called the play
'a time bomb under American capitalism', capitalism meaning a system in which their is a class
hierarchy, and only a few wealthy individuals have exceptional power. Capitalism relies on
consumer culture (being people wanting more and more products etc) so that the social system
can work and the country can accumulate more wealth. Miller opposed this - at one point in the
play, Willy says that his Chevrolet is 'the greatest car ever built', but when Linda tells him he
must continue paying for it, he says that 'they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car'.
This shows how that materials are completely disposable, and the fault of the society is that we
all want new posessions, but don't want to have to pay for them
Twisted morals - answer When his son Biff confesses to making fun of his math teacher's lisp,
Willy is more concerned with how Biff's classmates react than if the teacher was offended - 'You
did? The kids like it?'. Similarly, Bernard is described in the stage directions as being an 'earnest
and loyal' boy. Miller likely included this information because these are qualities that the
Lomans don't admire. (For example, Willy tells Biff not to 'make any promises' at the start of the
first memory, because 'they always believe what you tell them'. This also foreshadows Willy's
future affair with The Woman)
Popularity - answer Despite his son's popularity in high school, Biff grows up to be a drifter and
a ranch-hand. Willy's own career falters as his sales ability flat-lines. When he tries to use
"personality" to ask his boss for a raise, he gets fired instead. (He has to come to terms with the
fact that he isn't like by all, as he seems to think). Similarly, when Biff was younger, Linda
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller GUARANTEEDSUCCESS. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $13.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
