Author Miller's plays are usually associated with real life issues filled with
failure and disappointment. Death of a Salesman written in 1949 is no exception.
The author's main character, Willy Loman, is a traveling salesman who spends his
whole life time trying to find success based on looks and popularity. His
brother Ben is a millionaire who owns diamond mines in Africa. Ben offers Willy
the chance of a lifetime, but Willy is so stubborn that he declines the offer.
After working hard for his whole life, Willy wakes up to realize that he is a
failure. On top of all of this, both of his son's despise him. His wife is very
loving towards him but he does not take time to appreciate it. Because he is a
failure, Willy starts to go a little crazy. It is a classic case of trying to
chase the inevitable, "American Dream." This is something that turns
out to be a nightmare for Willy. The author even creates a pun on Willy's name
to let the reader know the direction that the play is going. Willy Loman
obviously stands for "Low Man." During the whole play there are vivid
flashbacks of Willy in his prime. He starts out making a salary of $170 per
week, he buys a nice home in the suburbs, and has two son's. Life was grand at
that time. But by the end, Willy dies working on commission. The neighborhood
that was so nice when he first moved there has been surrounded by modern
buildings. The sight of his house sandwiched between all those newer and better
houses shows how much Willy stayed dwelled in the past. Throughout the whole
play Willy's dialogue is usually about what "used to be." Willy is
like a caveman in modern times. All the people he knew are eihter dead or have
moved on.