Death of a Salesman An American Tragedy by Arthur Miller

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Death of a SalesmanAn American Tragedyby Arthur
Miller

• Introduction

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Arthur Miller

• Born in New York City on October 17, 1915 he
  died February 10, 2005.
• Began as playwright at University of Michigan
• Pulitzer Prize winner for Death of A Salesman
• Double winner of New York Drama Critics Circle
  Award

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Timeline

• http//www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/m
  iller_a_timeline_flash.html

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Arthur Miller Marilyn Monroe
http//gallery.future-i.com/celebs/picMarilynhusb
and/full-size
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Productions of Death of a Salesman

• 1950 - first sound recording of Death of a
  Salesman
• 1951 - 1st film version
• 1951 - 1952 - US Tour
• 1954 - 1st radio production
• 1983 - Miller directs Death in China
• 1985 - film version with Dustin Hoffman on CBS
  25 million see it!

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50th Anniversary of the Play

• Brian Dennehy and Arthur Miller, who was
  presented with a lifetime achievement Tony Award
  in 1999.

http//www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story
Id4495305
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Millers Legal Troubles

• Suspected of being a Communist sympathizer
• Death of a Salesman was seen as un-American
• Miller has troubles with the HUAC/McCarthy panel
  hearings
• 1953 - Miller denied a passport
• 1955 - HUAC pressures NYC not to allow Miller to
  make a film for them about juvenile delinquency

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The Saga Continued...

• 1957 - Miller convicted of contempt of Congress
  for refusing to name names. And then...
• 1958 - US Court of Appeals overturns his contempt
  conviction.
• But all of this could not deter the public from
  viewing and revering his work for generations!

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Audio excerpts from NPR

• Arthur Miller's Lasting Impact

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The American Dream

• People have the right to a decent place to
  live, a fair reward for hard work and recognition
  of their worth as human beings. This play is
  similar to A Raisin in the Sun in that it asks
  the same basic questions Has the American Dream
  become an unkept promise? Is it just a mirage?

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The play

• addresses family conflict and ethics in post
  World War II America
• takes a close look at the price paid for the
  American Dream.
• charges America with creating a capitalist
  materialism centered around a postwar economy.
• This materialism skewed the original view of the
  American Dream as envisioned by the founding
  fathers.
• Original Title The Inside of His Head

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Millers Assertions

• Death of a Salesman is not a document of
  pessimism.
• Death of a Salesman is not un-American it
  celebrates the life of Willy Loman.
• Miller believes that tragedy is inherently
  optimistic.

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From Classical Tragedy

• Unity of time -- the final 24 hours in Willys
  life
• Unity of action - the play is complete unto
  itself
• Unity of place the stage setting doesnt change

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Also from Classical Tragedy

• the heros traits being a mixture of good and bad
  and being of higher moral worth than others in
  society
• the concept of the heros flaw
• the heros capacity to willingly endure suffering
• the catharsis of the audience

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The Common Man as Hero

• Millers thoughts
• Everyone knows Willy Loman. (allusion to the
  morality play, Everyman.)
• The common man is suitable for a tragic hero.
• Willy is meant to be seen as greater and better
  (at least in potential) than the society.

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Millers Modern Tragedy

• The hero is a common man.
• The hero struggles against society.
• The hero meets his downfall.
• The downfall is a result of an incongruity
  between his own perception of the world and
  reality.
• The hero achieves a kind of redemption in his
  downfall.

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Tragic? Yes!

• Willy Loman is worthy of being viewed as a
  tragic hero because he is ready to sacrifice his
  life to secure one thing--his sense of personal
  dignity.
• Arthur Miller
• Rose Interview with A. Miller

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From Millers Essay Tragedy and the Common Man

• the tragic hero is intent upon claiming his
  whole due as a personality, and if this struggle
  must be total and without reservation, then it
  automatically demonstrates the indestructible
  will of man to achieve his humanity. The
  possibility of victory must be there in tragedy

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• tragedy requires a nicer balancethan pathos
  between what is possible and what is impossible.
  And it is curious, although edifying, that the
  plays we revere, century after century, are the
  tragedies. In them and in them alone, lies the
  beliefoptimistic, if you will, in the
  perfectibility of man.

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• It is time, I think, that we who are without
  kings, took up this bright thread of our history
  and followed it to the only place it can possibly
  lead in our timethe heart and the spirit of the
  average man.
• Arthur
  Miller 1949

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Dramatis Personae

• Willy Loman
• Biff Loman
• Linda Loman
• Happy Loman
• Charley
• Bernard
• Ben

• The Woman
• Howard Wagner
• Stanley
• Jenny
• Miss Forsythe and Letta

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Willy Loman

• Father, Husband
• Traveling salesman
• Believes in chasing the American Dream although
  he never achieves it
• Idolizes his brother, Ben
• Puts Biff on a pedestal because of his success in
  high school sports
• Becomes mentally ill when pressure of reality
  crushes his illusions

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Linda Loman

• Loving, devoted wife
• Naïve and realistic of Willys hopes
• Emotionally supportive of Willy
• Turns a blind eye to Willys infidelity
• Verbally abused by her husband
• Willys strength until his tragic death

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Biff Loman

• Elder son, 34 years old
• High school standout-football star, many male
  friends and female admirers
• Academic failures lead to a life of kleptomania
• Ideal career- to work outside w/hands
• Fails to reconcile his fathers expectations

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Happy Loman

• Younger son, 32 years old
• In Biffs shadow all his life
• Relentless sex drive
• Represents Willys sense of self importance and
  ambition
• Often engages in bad business ethics
• Dishonest

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Charley

• The Lomans next door neighbor
• Successful businessman
• Often gives Willy financial support
• Described sadly as Willys only friend although
  Willy is jealous of Charleys success

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Bernard

• Charleys son
• Successful
• Often mocked by Willy for being studious
• He cares more about Biffs academic success than
  Willy does
• Compared to Loman sons by Willy they do not
  measure up to his success

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Ben Loman

• Willys deceased older brother
• Independently wealthy
• Appears to Willy in daydreamsbut never gives
  Willy the answers to his questions about what it
  takes to become successful in life
• Willys symbol of success that he desperately
  wants for his sons

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The Woman

• Willys mistress
• Her admiration for Willy is an ego boost
• for him.
• She makes Willy feel as though he is special when
  she says, I picked you when the truth is that
  she probably picked up a lot of men along the
  way.

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Howard Wagner

• President of the Wagner Company
• Successor to his father, Frank
• Not sympathetic to the aging Willy Loman and his
  problems with mental health
• Wrapped up in himself and his success, even
  though he never personally achieved it he
  inherited his position with the company

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What does it take to become a successful salesman?
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Types of Sales Positions and Duties

• Duties/Responsibilities selling, service,
  prospecting, presentations, pricing quotes,
  terms, expediting, orders, marketing research,
  advising, study, travel, meetings, paperwork.
• Sales Positions route salesperson retail sales
  account rep business sales rep sales engineer
  manufacturers rep inside sales

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How Salesmen Spend Their Time
Companies look for ways to increase the amount of
time salespeople spend selling.
Administrative
Tasks
Service Calls
12.7
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Telephone
Selling
25.1
Face-to-Face
Selling
28.8
Waiting/
Traveling
17.4
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Where Typical Salesmen Work
Inside Sales Force
Outside Sales Force
Conduct Business From Their Offices Via Phone or
Buyer Visits
Travel to Call on Customers
Sells to Major Accounts
Finds Major New Prospects
Technical Support People
Sales Assistants
Tele- Marketing Or Internet
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Traits of Good Salespeople
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As we read the play

• look for these traits in Willy, Happy and Biff
  Loman and you will see why they have problems
  succeeding in the business world. They want to
  live the American Dream, but look what they
  sacrifice in order to do so.
• Look for similarities/differences between Willy
  Loman Oedipus Rex, the tragic heroes. Would
  Aristotle believe that this play is a tragedy?