Play Analysis Paper Example: Death of Salesman by Arthur Miller

Millers' Death of Salesman' is one of the authors interesting tragic plays written around 1949. The play forms part of the chronological set of plays written by Miller and has been viewed by other authors to be one of the best among his other plays such as The Golden Years. All My Sons, The price among many more. Having been recognized as one of the greatest the American play writers; Miller intertwines his innovation and creativity with a lot of elements that drag along towards the tragic ending of most of his major characters. The salesman is a central character in the play in addition to others and who the play is named after (Miller, pp. 56-74)

The choice of the salesman not to accept the changes in the society and within himself accompanied by series of conflict led to his ultimate death. The drama is an assortment of memories, confrontation and arguments all of which encompasses the last 24 hours of Willy Loman's entire life. In this situation, we can conclude that isolation and non-recognition and acceptance of some critical changes in oneself can ultimately lead to committing of suicide.

The beginning of this analysis traces back when Willy had an affair fifteen years ago. Miller concentrates on this affair to show that an individual can be defined by a particular event and there afterwards attempts to cloak or do away with the event (Brender, pg. 107). For instance, before coming to know of this affair, Willys son Biff recognized and adored Willy and believed all the stories that Willys was saying and furthermore consented to Willys perception that anything is possible just as long as an individual is well liked. On the realization that Willy is not faithful to Linda, pushes Biff to reconsider Willys perception of the world. Moreover, Biff now is aware that Willys has already developed a false image for his entire family and even to himself.

Willys action of creating a false image to Billy represents a state of non-trustworthy. Willy not being an invincible guardian or a successful salesman but wants everyone to believe he is successful. He is selfish and fails to appreciate his beloved wife and finally, he laments lost opportunity that he would have used to make wealth. In this situation Willys commits himself to a state that a normal person would not put himself into, he actually puts himself in a state of self-denial and fails to recognize that time has already elapsed and he cannot make the wealth he desires at this particular time (Harold, 2007).

Willy can now not understand and cannot remember what had happened why his relationship with Biff has changed. He now laments of his past good relationship with Biff and wished everything could be reversed, he wants the affection and adoration as before but now the situation cannot be reversed. His situation further affects Linda and Happy into the state of self-denial though Linda is aware of Willys character of reconstructing reality. Linda as well chooses to follow Willys illusion by perceiving them as being facts. Like Willys now, Linda now manipulates the truth and now becomes selfish and editing of facts

The salesman state of self-denial and sense of failure and many regrets in his life make him to eventually commit suicide in the face of the society. This act of salesman committing suicide deserts his family. Based on the analysis, it is ideal to say that Death of Salesman incorporated the centrality of self-denial and failure to accept certain facts in life. Tragedies befall those who fail to accept changes in their life. That element is what Miller incorporates in the play Death of Salesman through the life cycle of his characters.

Work Cited

Bloom, Harold. Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publ, 2007. Print.

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Play in Two Acts. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1980. Print.

Murphy, Brenda. Death of a Salesman. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print.