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Willy says that he will talk to Howard the next Death of a Salesman, Arthur Millerĭeath of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller.
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His wife, Linda, tries to persuade him to ask his boss, Howard Wagner, to let him work in New York so that he won't have to travel. As a flute melody plays, Willy Loman returns to his home in Brooklyn one night, exhausted from a failed sales trip. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. (less)ĭeath of a Salesman, Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It's a lengthy meditation on the meaning of success, both within the framework of the American Dream, and in terms of what it means to be a good husband, father, brother, or son. I mean, seriously, what's to LIKE about this play? It's about a man who fails as a salesman because he relies on being liked, rather than on being good at sales, and who fails as a father because he taught his sons to value being likable and handsome instead of talented, hardworking or ambitious, and who finally decides that he's worth more dead than alive, because at least if he kills himself and makes it look like an accident, his wife and kids will get the insurance money. But some art is great because it forces you to look at an ugly truth. Some kinds of art are great in a way that is pleasurable. To which I almost always say: you don't have to like it for it to be good, or even great. 1) They think it's depressing, 2) they think the characters are unlikable, or 3) they don't like Miller's conclusion that Willy's idea of success is both ethically and financially bankrupt, because it depends on people liking him, rather than on his actually being a good person or producing something of lasting value. Most people who don't like the play seem to have one of three objections. These are all worth discussion, and this play discusses these concerns at length. What's the American Dream? Is it worth chasing? Is there a right or wrong way to chase it? How should sons feel about fathers who disappoint them? What makes a father a success or a failure? Is it an important work that grapples with serious questions? Yep. I think Death of a Salesman is a really good example of that.
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But sometimes literature evokes emotional responses that nobody really enjoys. It's nice when literature is thought-provoking, powerfully emotional, and also enjoyable to read. See, I did not enjoy this play, but I think it's not always necessary for me to enjoy literature. See, I did n …more Why do you think so? You're making a pretty controversial claim, so it would be smart of you to give some actual reasons for your opinion. Edward Richmond Why do you think so? You're making a pretty controversial claim, so it would be smart of you to give some actual reasons for your opinion.