Death of a Salesman (Penguin Plays)
by Arthur Miller
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Book Reviews of Death of a Salesman (Penguin Plays)
Book Review: Choices...
Summary: 4 Stars
Death of a Salesman is a very practical, yet somewhat disheartening play on the true importance on what life is about. I think that Willy had a very twisted look on what the American life and dream should be. Willy's main goal in life was to be "well liked" to be remembered and highly respected. He pushed and strived for utter and instant success, also thrusting for his sons to be proficient in this way and in a short time period. He relied heavily on people, for petty reasons, to be raised to a higher position because of his former accomplishments. His concentration was set so decisively to the standards of everyone else in his life, that he forgot the people most essential to him, his family.He was so guilt ridden of his past that he couldn't bare to handle the future of responsibility. He made foolish mistakes based on immediate pleasure because of his lack of perseverance and commitment in his childhood. Throughout the entire episode of his last fifteen years he is constantly fighting the reality of his consequences to the choices he made. He relentlessly enfolds himself in guilt and despair but lacks the initiative to become decisive in decisions and confront the issues that are holding him back in his past. He takes refuge in and scuttles back to his imaginary haven of a life.
I think the main purpose of Arthur Miller's scenario in this play was to make the distinctive point of the frailty and impractical view of the American Dream. Willy struggles to fulfill his dream to be a respected businessman and have a perfect family. He only didn't understand that commitment is a big part of a family. His understanding of a true husband and a good father was deficient. He reasoned that when he became an able businessman, to be well liked, and have money then he would suddenly become the great father and husband.
From this script, I have learned the value of confronting your consequences and take hold of responsibility on the type of choices you have made. I think that the main lesson I have learned from Death of a Salesman is the importance of what you base your choices in life on. You need to establish your life on the things that are substantial and meaningful. When you totally rely on God and what His plan for your life, He will help you through the pains and worries in your life. You must allow Him to seize total control of your life, letting Him work it out to His glory.
I would recommend this play because it shows the importance of the choices you make in life, and taking the responsibility to stand up to the consequences, whether they are bad or good.
Book Review: Death of a Salesman - A social criticism? (by Timo Voß)
Summary: 4 Stars
In my view the drama "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller is a very popular book. It is a tragedy where the reader can see the development of the tragic flaw from the first page till the end: The main character is Willy Loman. He is a normal father working as a salesman in a firm for many years. But something goes wrong with his mind and he lives in illusions. Hereby the point is to find out what went wrong in his life. Arthur Miller shows up all the different situations that led Willy to his decision at the end of the book. He looses his job for example, he does not come along with the behaviour of Biff and he cannot pay for his family anymore. So at the end he preferred the death more than being alive ("You end up worth more dead than alive"). Willy Loman is a dreamer. Looking back to the past is lovely for him, and there are all the flash-backs in the play which underline his dissipations into the past. The flash-backs are a good way to show the people after and after what might have gone wrong in the long past, because the real set is shortly before Willy`s death. So the reader just gets to know from the flash-backs what really happened in the past, and Willy`s own ones are not conformable with the real truth every time. The hotel scene in Boston is one big evidence. Very early the reader gets to know that his oldest son Biff broke up school shortly before his finishing. He did not want to go to summer school, but why? Later on the reader gets the answer because of the hotel scene where Biff caught his father with a strange woman and he was disappointed. There are hints like this one in every scene. Many criticisers, like Eleanor Clark, wrote about Miller`s play that it was definitely the capitalist system which made Willy loosing his mind. I share this opinion because the time Arthur Miller wrote the play is the shift in the society in the later thirties. On the one hand it might be a strong critic by the author about this new system, on the other hand he just could show how some normal people could break off because of this system. A big proof therefore is the brutal firing of Willy out of his firm where he worked more than forty years, and the remembers at his brother Ben who could go out into the world trying to make his way a long time before the capitalist system came. In the end I can say that I enjoyed the play; even the fact that many questions are unanswered (particular at the requiem) does not disturb me that much. The reader therefore gets the chance to make up his own decisions and thinks about it a lot. I think that is well done by Arthur Miller as well.Book Review: Death of a Salesman Critique
Summary: 1 Stars
The play Death of a Salesman was not a superior play in my eyes. Its wasn't something that I wanted to read, but had to read. Usually when you have to read something, you start reading it and either keep reading because the plot is gripping and you don't want to put it down or you keep reading because you won't get a good grade if you don't. Well, This play was one of the latter of the two. I didn't enjoy reading it because it didn't have a riveting story line.The signifigance of Arthur Miller writing Death of a Salesman, I think, is to communicate to the readers that things around us HAVE changed, not everything is as "peachy" as we think it is. It is like having a cake made of asparagus and brocoli and then putting a nice chocolate icing on the top of it. It may LOOK yummy, but it's not. People may SEEM to be happy, but they might be covering up what is really happening because they are ashamed or infuriated with what is really going on. Miller wanted to show us that things are changing around us and that things weren't as they seemed to be. Who really knew that Willy was having an affair? I bet Linda had no idea. I bet Charlie had no idea. Willy might have been a little irate at times but surely he wouldn't do something like that, right? Wrong. You can never really know somebody as well as you think you do, and I believe that is the poin Arthur Miller was trying to make.
In reading this play, I have found out that if you aren't happy or satisfied with what you are doing in life (as a job) then it's not worth it. It is better to have a job that you love and get payed just enough to get by then to have such a yucky job that it cacuses problems with your family and still get payed just as much. Willy didnt really like his job towards the end of his career. He was no longer the "big man" salesman that he used to be. He could have just swallowed his pride and accepted the job that Charlie offered him, but no, he was happy with his job, he was doing fine. When actually, he WASN'T doing fine. People no longer knew who he was, even his own boss didnt want him on the workforce any longer because he didn't make any profit for the compant and obviously was having some probelms. He couldn't even stay focused on his driving anymore.
I don't recommend this play, because I did not find it in the least bit interesting. In all honesty, I found it very dull. It seemed to go on without any real point to where the story was going to. It was not my idea of an outstanding play. I have definately read better.
Book Review: Death of a Salesman
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful book about a play written by Arthur Miller. The drama consists of many diffrent events that occured in the story; as in the struggle of a man named Willy Loman to support and want the best for his family, especially his sons. Willy a committed, hard working, aging, middle class man, always had a dream; to be rich and successful. He has very high expectations and strived to strike it rich and famous as Ben; his long time friend did. Every time Willy was at his low point in life; he had flashbacks of Ben saying: he was only 17 when I entered the jungle and struck it rich, by the time I became 21. This phrase is sort of a metaphor for Willy to push himself, and make something of himself.
Willy went through alot of hardships as in paying expenses off, borrowing money, hiding things from his wife, getting fired, his sons; that are old enough to work, and are lazy to go out in the real world. Biff and Happy are pushed or literally forced into his fathers' "want" of them being bussiness men which they were really not into. Because of the fact Charlie and Ben was.
So this was a puzzling sitution. Willy has had suicidal thoughts and repeatedly fell asleep at the wheel while driving. Linda his worried wife just tries to comfort him. And gives him the up most support possible. She is really dedicated to keep the family together, but of course sometimes because of issues that is not possible.
Willy always went out with a positive outlook when he went out looking for a job. It sort of seemed like he developed too much convidence. That made him realize that definately he got the job. And sure, even arguing with the boss to get his point across.
But however sad to say poor Willy didn't get the job. From that point on he felt depressed and streesed he has bills to pay. but no money so this took a struggle. Although when Willy was offered a job for lower pay he refused it cause his expectations were to high in his head.
Willy basically was a dreamer with a wild imagination. Because of the way things didn't go the way he wanted them to go. He came out of the door in his house. Sat in his car and drove into a brick wall.
Easily speaking commited suicide. The outcome became a tragic tradegy. It was sad that it ended up to death. As a result I think Willy was a hero. He was brave,outgoing and persuasive. At least he tried and had motivation to motivate his sons. To being somebody and the best that you can be. I personally give this book a rave review!
Book Review: The Lomans
Summary: 4 Stars
The book Death of a Salesman was very sad. Wily, one of the main characters grows up dreaming of living in the big life. He believes that success is based on popularity. Willy is often visited from memories of the past. Most of them are based on his future choices and decisions. These flashbacks tell a major part of the story. His two sons, Happy and Biff looked up to their father. When Happy and Biff were younger, Willy would tell them untruths to paint himself as a big and important father. Once the truth is revealed, Biff is mostly affected by his father's lies. In the book Biff finds out a secret that makes it hard for him to trust his Father again. This is one reason why Biff and Willy do not have a good father and son relationship. Happy is always trying to find things to please his parents because he feels that he is always left out and Biff gets all of the attention. He feels as though he is placed on the back burner. Both Happy and Biff are still stuck in their adolescent age. They dream and fantasize about there future as if they are not adults yet. Also, they both live with their parent and are in their thirties. Linda is somewhat quiet but towards the end she begins to show a little more character. She is fighting to determine if she should confront Willy with his continuous attempts of suicide. Sometimes she gets the courage to talk to him, but never approaches him. She always expects her sons to say the best things about Willy to help him fill better about himself.
I think one of Arthur Miller's main points was to follow your heart and live for you're dream. In the book Biff `s dream is to work outside in the fields as a farmer . His father wished otherwise. He wanted him to have a city job. Biff tried the city job, but it did not work out for him. He was not happy with the job. If you do not follow your dream or your heart, you will never be happy or have a since of accomplishment. Also you should never try to please other people but please yourself first. Willy based success on the companionship of others and how popular and recognized a person is.
I learned that I should appreciate my parents more for all of their hard work . It took Willy years to pay for things just to make his family happy. I also learned to follow my heart and not to follow the expectations of others. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good book. This book teaches life lessons and choices, and how they affect you later in life.