Death Of A Slaesman

Death of a Salesman is a play filled with many undertones. One undertone is the playwright’s views on society. His views are subtly placed in his characters thoughts and actions. There are many examples of this throughout the play.

One example is Willy’s view that education is not as important as being good looking and well liked. He brought this point up while he compared Biff and Charley. During the 1940’s and 1950’s Willy’s view seemed to be the general consensus in society. The emphasis wasn’t put on education as much as it is today. The story seems to be an advocate for education.

Another example is Willy’s view that money makes a man. Willy believes that your job makes you who you are. He pointed this out to Biff and Happy when he told them about how much money he was making and how well he was liked. There are some of us that work and work so they get promoted higher up in the company while we neglect our friends and loved ones. Willy believed that his job would make him rich and very po

Willy had another obsession in the play. His second obsession was that Willy was living in the past. Much of the play Willy spent remembering the past. He spent so much time in the past that everyone began to think he was senile and didn’t have much patience for Willy. He brings this point of view the foreground when his boss fires him. Willy goes on a tirade and begins bring up how the company used to be, and how Willy named his boss. The tirade doesn’t do much good for Willy, but you can see where Willy is in place and time.

Aristotle made a formula that a Greek Tragedy must follow. The play must have a tragic hero, be of noble birth, must have a flaw, the hero must recognize his flaw, he must struggle against the flaw, the flaw must bring him down, and the flaw must ruin the hero. There are also three unites the Tragedy must have they are; time, place, and action. Death of a salesman can be considered a modern tragedy. We have a tragic hero in Willy Loman. His major flaw is that he is too self-deluded. Through out the play he is constantly telling his brother that he is a big success. He recognizes his flaw when he asks his brother and Charley “what is the secret to being successful?” Willy fights being unsuccessful throughout the play by lying to his family and pushing his sons to be successful. Willy is downtrodden because he cannot make enough money to pay the bills, and is thinking about taking his life because of his 20 thousand-dollar life ins

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