1. “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller
Introduction to Miller and key themes of the play

2. Miller’s life Arthur Miller was born in 1915 in New York
His father owned his own clothing business and made a successful living
The stock market crash of 1929 ruined his family’s business
Miller had to fund himself through university and became a very successful playwright

3. Background
Miller was married several times, including most famously, to Marilyn Munroe
Death of A Salesman has several key themes, including an attack on American capitalism, and its effect on individuals
Miller was summoned before the McCarthy commission in 1956, accused of being a communist.
Miller was refused to name names and was blacklisted

4. Willy Loman as every man
Willy Loman is a tragic hero: he represents a universal character, struggling to succeed in a ruthless and uncaring environment
He is unable to cope with reality: he is not successful and he is not “well-liked”
He cannot let go of his false beliefs and accept reality as it is…

5. Willy’s death Willy dies, as all tragic heroes must
Pride is central to his downfall, and he lives a life of massive self-deception
Throughout his flashbacks (a sign of his mental imbalance) we see the reasons for his failures
He represents a more innocent and simple time of the “self-made man” where personality and charm were everything
Willy’s death symbolises the ruthlessness of capitalism and the impossibility of the American Dream of working hard to pursue happiness
This is has huge continued relevance today…

6. Part one: task
Read Act 1 up to the end of Biff and Happy’s conversation on page 15 before the start of Willy’s first flashback
Complete the following tasks:
1. Explain in your own words the crisis that Willy has reached in his career.
2. Give three points with evidence that stress is affecting Willy’s mind.
3. What are Willy’s values? Explain in your own words what is important to him.

7. continued
4. Describe the relationship between Linda and Willy. Do you think she helps him to deal with reality?
5. Create a table in your jotter and explain at least 3 main differences between Biff and Happy. Give a quotation for each point you make.
6. What have you learned so far about the conflict between Willy and his son, Biff?
7. What is your impression of modern business so far? Give a reason for your answer.