A Quick Primer on Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman, from which Wife of a Salesman derives its name and inspiration, is a 1949 drama by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play explores loss of identity and the main character’s dissatisfaction with his changing life, dreams, and society. Through a montage of memories, arguments, and dreams, the last day of Willy Loman’s life and his whole existence thus far is examined.

The Loman family grapples with their relationships with each other and Willy’s delusions of what his life could have been. Willy Loman is not the successful, “well-liked” man and ideal father he always imagined himself to be. Fifteen years before the events of the current time of the play, Willy had an affair on the road, which colors many aspects of his life. His shortcomings have had negative effects on his relationships with his wife, Linda, and his sons, Biff and Happy. As he comes to more and more understanding of his own mediocrity, he regresses into memories of dreams of what once was and what he thought he might someday be.

Miller’s play has long been seen as one of the masterworks of American drama and an insightful examination of the American Dream. The play persists as one of the most performed dramas, holding a mirror up to society and identity for audience members around the world.