Death of a salesman - Essay Example

Death of a salesman This is an American tragedy play written by Arthur Miller in 1949. It is based on an American family which is marked with conflicts that are largely based on their values. The play is largely about Willy (who had been involved in an accident while on a business trip and which is costing him not only his job but also his family as he seems to have lost his normal state of mind) and his son Biff. Willy and his son Biff just like other Americans with dreams about a better future are in for a rude shock when this does not go as they planned or as they thought it would.

After the accident and constant nagging by his wife Linda about his condition, he finally decides to confront his boss about allowing him to work from home but this was never to be. His boss just as expected of people in higher authoritative positions refuses and even implies that he does not want the job and is using the accident as an excuse. This leads him to being fired and he returns home having lost what seems to be an opportunity for a brighter and better future. As for Biff, his dream is also going down the drain as his former employer seems to have lost any recollection of him ever working there.

He has gone to the office to provide business proposition ideas which are evident of the fresh mind of many young American people but they are turned down killing his spirit. Even though his intentions are not purely personal (as he seeks to appease his father which is typical of young men to their fathers or role models), he is still trying to make an effort towards bettering his future and becoming useful positive contributor in society.What is so bad is the fact that it seems that it is only their family that seems to have problems.

This is evident where Willy meets Bernard his neighbor’s son who seems to be successful in his career as a lawyer. This not only angers him and makes him feel humiliated but also feels that his sons are losers which ultimately lead to a confrontation not only from their father but their mother as well. The father carries big dreams for his children and especially his son Biff (which is evident from his flashback) and he seems to still hold to them and assume the present situation where his son has achieved nothing and is even a petty thief.

It is this frustration that makes Biff and Willy confront each other some more as he tries to make him be realistic and let go of these dreams he still holds dear and which are now even participating in his detrimental state of mind. The play closes with Willy showing love to his son Biff (even though in a very twisted and inhumane way possible) and a portrayal of a father wanting his son to succeed in life despite the huddles present. He kills himself by purposely crashing the car. The aim of this is so that Biff can use his father’s life insurance to make himself the businessman his father has always wanted him to become (even though that is not his own passion and career path of choice).

The other son Happy (who is not so vocal in the play) goes ahead and follows in his father’s footsteps.Work CitedMiller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem. New York: The Viking Press, 1949. Print.