Death of a Salesman Summary

Death of a Salesman: 

Author: Arthur Miller

Significant Characters:

Willie Loman- He is a washed up salesman who belives that the American dream can be easily obtained. He is unable to accomplish this and therefore his mental health steadily declines throughout the book. He symbolizes how the world will chew up and spit people out

Biff Loman- He is the son of of Willie. He was big shot in high school, but after failing math he does not live up to his potential and spends his time drifting from job to job. He has a problem with stealing things. He represents Willie’s ideals and what happens to those who follow them.

Happy Loman- He is the youngest son, and is always trying to live up to Biff. He has a large sex drive and overstates his importance. He represents Willie’s delusions of grandure.

Linda Loman- She is the extremely loyal wife of Willie. As everyone turns against Willie, she is the only one to stand by his side at every turn. She is the source of strength in the family, and displays how realism mixed with optomism provide more success.

Ben- Willie’s dead older brother who appears often in Willie’s delusions. He symbolizes wealth and success that Willie desires

Setting: New York and Boston. New York is where most of the play takes place either at the Loman’s home or at other areas throughout the city. The house serves to display that the Loman’s have achieved something and it is almost there’s. Boston is the distant place where Willie goes to sell. It is used to show how far Willie has to go and allow for him to operate in secrecy.

Plot: The plot revolves aorund Willie’s struggle to be successful. He procrastinates talking to his boss Howard about being moved to only New York, and when he finally does he is fired, this causes him to spiral into deeper and deeper mental insanity. His relationships with his sons causes him anger and joy, with them trying to please him. He slowly starts to fight more and more with Biff, culminating in Biff forsaking his father completely. It is revealed that the reason Biff lost hope is because he found out his father was having an affair with another woman. At the end of the play Willie kills himself in order to provide his family with life insurance money. The Irony being that they do not intend to use the money in the way he thinks they would.

The style of Death of a salesman is to use multiple characters who are very different to display the social criticisms that Miller holds. He uses long descriptive recounts, instead of live actions to tell the story. It is told from a 3rd person perspective mainly through the life of Willie Loman.

The tone is usually dark, this is done to show Willies plight, either through bad things happening to him or the brutal honesty afforded to him by Biff and Charley. 

Quotes: 

“And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want.” This quote shows the root of Willie’s desires and the reason why he continues to work. He wants to be loved and respected.

“riding on a smile and a shoeshine” This quote shows the desolate existence that Willie has chosen. The start contrast to what he thinks he does.

The theme of Death of a Salesman, is that the American dream is unobtainable for most of the people in the world, and those who try to obtain is will often lead themselves to ruin.