1. #TrumpBookReports
Let's just say I am the better salesman. It's sad that he died, but I am better.

2. Death of a Salesman - context
Working in your groups, what do you know about:
Capitalism
The American Dream
McCarthyism
How can you relate these ideas to ‘Death of a Salesman’ so far? Think about the film and the summary I gave you.

3. ‘Death of a Salesman’ to Donald Trump
HABERMAN: What do you think people will take away from this convention? TRUMP: From the convention? The fact that I’m very well liked.
WILLY: He’s liked, but he’s not well liked
WILLY: Bernard is not well liked, is he?

4. The American Dream
The idea that anyone can make a success of themselves.
The desire to rise out of low paid, manual labour to a blue collar job and a house in the suburbs
Can be seen on one hand as liberating, on the other as constraining conformity.

5. The American Dream
The characteristics of success were seen as masculinity, competitiveness and popularity.
Becoming rich linked to personality – failure to become rich = failure of personality (link to ‘well liked’)
Competitiveness as inhumane

6. Mike Bailkin, former attorney of Donald Trump
“He was always the salesman and he never doubted he was right. Even when he’d lost a point, he’d say time would tell that he was really right.”
Mike Bailkin, former attorney of Donald Trump

7. Donald Trump – a one man brand
Member of elite – financial ties, also a political outsider
Trump tower, Trump hotels, Trump university, Trump golf courses, Trump branded private jet...
The cult of personality – making a success as an individual, making ‘a name for yourself’

8. "Sadly, the American dream is dead
"Sadly, the American dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before."
Donald Trump, announcement of intention to stand as potential presidential candidate.

9. Capitalism
‘Death of a Salesman’ described as ‘a time bomb under American capitalism’
Arthur Miller described capitalism as ‘bullshit’ – ‘this pseudo life that thought to touch the clouds by standing on the refrigerator.’ Promises of consumerism not fulfilled as objects consumed are not as vital as they seem.

10. Capitalism Consumerism – making money and buying and selling goods.
Depends on continual encouragement of wants.
Buying things on credit rather than actually having the money to pay for them.

11. Capitalism after the Great Depression
1929 – Wall Street Crash
Led to high unemployment throughout 1930s ‘The Great Depression’
Economic recovery in 1940s, fuelled by and fuelling consumerism.
‘Golden era’ of 1950s – 60s – relative economic prosperity

12. Arthur Miller - Timebends
‘It has often been said that what kept the United States from revolution in the depths of the Great Depression was the readiness of Americans to blame themselves rather than the system for their downfall.’
Arthur Miller - Timebends

13. So what is similar about Willy and Trump?
Importance of their personality as their product
Lack of other noteworthy talent other than salesmanship
Whatever successes this has brought them may only paper over much deeper problems

14. What is different?
Willy comes from modest circumstances , Trump started out with a $10m inheritance
‘”Death of a Salesman” ends on the sombre note of “attention must be paid” to this lonely, pathetic figure’
What does the existence of Trump suggest about what happens when attention is paid?

15. McCarthyism
Cold war paranoia about Communism – fear of left-wing ideology
Columbia Pictures ask Arthur Miller to write an advert to attack communism in run up to release of 1951 film
The point of the play is not that the economic system does not work, but that it’s ideology distorts man’s true nature.

16. Sources
BBC iWonder – Donald Trump: Living the American Dream
Death of a Salesman, York Notes Advanced

17. Task
In your groups, closely analyse the opening stage direction. What information do you get from it on what the play will be about?

18. ‘small and fine, telling of grass and trees on the horizon’
‘towering, angular shapes…surrounding’
‘blue light of the sky falls…angry glow of orange’
‘An air of the dream clings to the place.’
‘a silver athletic trophy stands.’
‘in some places, partially transparent…one dimensional… actors observe imaginary wall-lines….these boundaries are broken’
‘dressed quietly’
‘exhaustion is apparent’
‘Most often jovial… she has developed an iron repression of her exceptions to Willy’s behaviour – she more than loves him, she admires him, as though his mercurial nature, his temper, his massive dreams and little cruelties… she shares but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to their end.’