Death of a Salesman-- Summary & Analysis

Arthur Miller (1915-2005:

• American Playwright and Essayist.
• Wrote numerous famous plays: Death of Salesman, Crucible, All my sons
• Three marriages:  Inge Morath, Marilyn Monroe, Mary Slattery
• attended University of Michigan

Setting:

• Willy's home: kitchen, bedroom, garden/yard
• Howard & Charlie's office
• Hotel room
• Restaurant

Plot:

• Willy is a Salesman who lives with his wife and sons in the suburb region of New York.
• Willy works on commission, but none of his sons know.
• Willy and his sons were "best buds" in the past, but after Biff found out about Willy's affair, he quit football & summer school and left to the west; they are not in good terms.
• He misses Biff when Biff is out west for his own good, but do not get along when Biff comes home.
• Willy does not believe in the opportunities in the West and wants both his sons to work in the Business world
• Every so often Ben, Willy's brother appears as an illusion/ past memory and persuades Willy to do things Linda is against: leave to Alaska, die for insurance money
• When Biff realizes that Willy is acting weird and odd, he decided to listen to Willy and go into business with the help of Oliver
• As Willy finds this out, he decides to ask his Boss, Howard, to keep his traveling close-by. Howard neglects Willy and fires him.
•  Willy usually asks Charlie, his friend, for money but rejects his help to provide him a job due to his pride. 
• Willy and his sons plan to meet at Frank Chop's restaurant and there, he finds out that Biff's meeting with Oliver failed. Willy continues to blame everyone else of his wrong doings and his sons leave him alone at the restaurant while Willy has a flashback of his affair.
• throughout the story, Linda continuously supports Willy. As she finds out what happens, she is outraged and the family argument starts. 
• Biff yells out his mind while Willy continually denies his fault; Linda does not know about the affair nor why they are always fighting. 
• at the end of the argument, Ben appears for the last time and persuades him to leave for his family. In the end, Willy follows Ben and gets into a "accident" and Linda is able to free her family from house payments with the insurance money.
• The last scene is at Willy's grave. Linda is still uncertain about her feelings and audience question her character of loving Willy so dearly.

Characters:

• Willy Loman(60)
• Salesman (doesn't specify what he sells, but started because of an old man)
• Father of Biff and Happy
• Had several affairs
• travels long distance for work
• works on commission
• attempts to suicide (rubber hose, accidents)
• has false dreams for himself and Biff
• illusions of Ben & past memories are played out in Willy's point of view
• Linda Loman
• Willy's wife; Biff and Happy's mother
• loves Willy to the extreme
• Appears strong on the outside but fragile inside
• (story doesn't mention if she knows about Willy's affairs)
• indirectly manipulative (she decided Willy to stay and not follow Ben)
• main woman in the story
• Biff Loman(~30)
• first son of Willy and Linda
• only one in the story that knows about his father's affair
• football player
• habit of stealing
• ends up not going to college; he goes out west and works on a farm
• one in the play that doesn't chase after false dreams
• short-tempered
• Happy Loman (>/=30)
• rarely serious
• "Willy Jr."
• goes along with whoever and whatever
• has many girls 
• also has false dreams
• lies to cover up
• stayed home while Biff was out west
• doesn't really know family situation
• Charlie
• neighbor
• only friend of Willy
• knows Willy very well
• father of Bernard
• owns a business
• Willy gets money from Charlie, but doesn't want his help at the same time
• Bernard 
• Same age as Biff
• nerd at school
• "liked, but not well liked"
• he's the one that becomes successful
• doesn't know why Biff quit going to college
• lawyer(?) (mentioned supreme court)
• Howard
• Willy's boss
• much younger than Willy
• fires Willy
• He indirectly insults Willy 
• looks down on women
• Ben (~16/17 years older than Willy)
• Older brother of Willy
• appears in Willy's memories and illusions
• left home to search for his father in Alaska but ended up in Africa?
• went into the jungle & came out rich
• leads Willy to die for insurance at the end

Author's Style:

• Symbolism
• Stockings: betrayal; Willy gives stockings to The Woman while Linda sews her old stockings together. Biff sees the affair and cries that "Dad gave mommy's stockings"
• Seeds: represents Willy himself. When nothing's planted, he also sees that his bearings (sons) weren't raised well. It also shows that Willy is better off with his hands than selling.
• House: captivity; Linda and Willy always worry about how much money is short to pay for mortgage. They find freedom when it becomes theirs
• Brand-names: symbolizes the American Dream. Materialistic and Capitalistic; no one cares what their made of, as long as it's famous and looks good (appearance)
• Diamonds: wealth that Willy desires but is never able to achieve.
• Point of View
• No particular narrative voice throughout the play, but Willy's past memories play a role in the point of view. Most of the plot evolves around Willy: Willy's work, affair, sons, wife, and dream. At some parts of the play, we can see Biff and Linda's emotional thoughts subtly . It's safe to say that audience see everything else according to Willy's thoughts and attitude.
• Imagery
• kitchen setting with appliances
• Biff's sneakers printed with Virginia
• Biff's promise to make a touchdown and lift his helmet for Willy
• detailed description from Linda about the rubber hose in the basement
• description of Hotel scene
• Willy's graveyard
• Tone
• sympathetic: The main idea of DOS is Willy's false materialistic dream. people are able to sympathize with Willy as he feels abandoned even though at times, (I think he deserved it). 
• ridicule/ mocking: We can see the unrealistic dreams and desires Willy is holding on to. At times, characters in the play such as Howard is shown mocking Willy indirectly.
• Sincerity: Biff knows what his father's desires are and how pathetic Willy sounds. Audience see the sincerity in Biff when he decides to work as a salesman and when he cries in Willy's arms. Linda is also very sincere with her love for Willy throughout the story.

Theme:

• American Dream/Materialistic/ Betrayal: Willy's dream and the importance of brand names, appearance, and social relations all relate to the idealistic american dream. Betrayal is another theme in DOS because it is an ongoing trend. Linda was betrayed by Willy with his affairs and Willy also feels betrayed by his sons, who don't listen to him and his father and brother Ben who left him at such an early age. Something realistic that Willy cannot cope with.