Arthur Miller: The Family Man

In the first act, Miller introduces Willy Loman (salesman), and Linda Loman (Willy’s wife) first. In this scene, Willy comes home early from the road and claims he wasn’t feeling. Linda fixes him something to eat but when he sits to eat he ends up talking to his flashbacks. In the flashbacks, He is in a hotelroom with another women. The women is revealed to be his mistress when they kiss and he hands her a pair of stockings. Willy uses this mistress to become “well-liked”with the buyers connected to the mistress. Then Willy comes back to reality and finds his wife mending old stockings back together. This makes him mad and begs Linda to stop mending them in front of him. After he cleans up his meal, he daydreams about his sons, Biff and Happy, who had just finished washing their father’s car after Willy has just returned from a sales trip. When Biff tells Willy that he “borrowed” a football from the locker room to practice, Willy laughs at him and whispers that “he will soon open a bigger business than his successful neighbor Uncle Charley because Charley is not as “well liked” as he is.” Willy is very happy in the flashback because he believes that his son is “well-liked” and will do well in the

"The American Dream is the largely unacknowledged screen in front of which all American writing plays itself out," Arthur Miller has said (Galvin). To many people Arthur Miller is known for his role against communist accusations and using his writing to portray what has happened during McCarthyism. From Miller’s struggles as a child to his first big break as a playwright to his fight against the government, he has still been able to maintain integrity in his writing and captivated many audiences over the years.

When Linda refers to Willy as a "little boat looking for a harbor," another wind blows against Linda, pushing her to act with pity (1247). To her, he is nothing more than a small, helpless old man. She blames the business for forgetting Willy in his old age, and passing him over like an orange peel. Toward the end of Act I, Linda presents a sorry image of Willy, describing his past greatness as a salesman and ending with a sad description of treachery. She tells her sons that Willy is "exhausted" from driving 1400 miles without earning a penny, and that his reward from the ones he loved the most, his sons, is spite and rejection (1237). The picture she paints of her husband is on filled with pity and sorrow.

Arthur Miller was born in Manhattan, New York and raised in Brooklyn during the depression. According to (Blackwood, 2004) he was profoundly influenced by The Great Depression also he would tap into the unrest within the American Psyche. From Plays like “The Crucible” and “Death of A Salesman”, Arthur Miller made a name for himself. Most of the plays he writes about his audience can imply that he tapped into what human nature really is about.

In contrast, Willy believes that as long as you have personality and a great appearance you can be successful. These two views make all the difference between them and their children. Charley is a successful salesman and his son is a successful lawyer. Willy on the other hand lives in a fantasy and is unsuccessful, with bad morals that have rubbed off on his two sons. These two different views make all the difference when it comes to surviving the world. Unrealistic beliefs usually lead to an unsuccessful life, and realistic beliefs usually lead to success. Charley highlights every flaw in Willy by highlighting his own positive aspects as well. Miller uses his unique war of molding these two characters in order to show the balance that opposition plays within the

On October 17, 1915, more than two centuries later, Arthur Miller was born in New York, New York. Arthur Miller is considered to be one of the greatest American playwrights in the 20th century, writing over 20 plays in his career. Miller’s most famous plays are The Crucible, All my Sons, Death of a Salesman, and A View From the Bridge, The Crucible being the most defining

Author Miller, 1915- was born in New York City and graduated from Abraham High School in Brooklyn,

Willy foolishly pursues the wrong dream and constantly lives in an unreal world blinded from reality. Despite his dream Willy constantly attempts to live in an artificial world and claims “If old Wagner was alive I’d be in charge of New York by now” (Miller 14). As a result, Willy often ignores his troubles and denies any financial trouble when he says “business is bad, it’s murderous. But not for me of course” (Miller 51). Another false segment of Willy’s dream includes the success of his two sons Happy and Biff. Biff was a high school football star who never cared about academics and now that he needs a job says “screw the business world” (Miller 61). Ironically, Willy suggests that Biff go west an “be a carpenter, or a cowboy, enjoy yourself!”, an idea that perhaps Willy should have pursued. Constantly advising his boys of the importance of being well liked, Willy fails to stress academics as an important part of life (Miller 40). Furthermore, Willy dies an unexpected death that reveals important causes of the failure to achieve the American dream. At the funeral Linda cries “I made the last payment on the house today... and there’ll be nobody home” to say that she misses Willy but in essence his death freed the Lomans from debt and the hopes and expectations Willy placed on his family (Miller 139). Very few people attend

Arthur Miller was born in Harlem, New York on October 17,1915. His parents were of Polish and Jewish descent. He received his college education from the University of Michigan. Miller was a famous playwright. Perhaps some of his more known works were “The Crucible”, which was based on the Salem Witch Trials which took place from 1692 to 1693. He also wrote “A View from the Bridge”, and “Death of a Salesman” which won a Pulitzer Prize. Miller was married to sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Their marriage was referred to as the “Great American Brain” and the “Great American Body”.

As a salesman, Willy shows he perceives himself highly when talking to Linda about his job: “I’m the New England man. I’m vital in New England” (14). One can also see Willy’s inflated sense of self-worth when he talks to his children about his job: “They know me, boys, they know me up and down New England... I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own” (31). However, even though he is extremely confident about his value as a salesman to his family, the reality of Willy’s reputation at his job is almost completely opposite: “I’m fat. I’m very—foolish to look at... they do laugh at me” (37). Although he essentially brags to his family about his expertise in business, Willy acknowledges the reality that his career is much less successful than he expects it to be. In fact, the inner turmoil inside of Willy from his unrealistic expectation of himself of being a fantastic salesman leads Willy to become mentally unhealthy, and eventually results in Willy committing suicide when he believes that he doesn’t have any self-worth anymore. Willy’s previous inflated self-worth is demonstrated yet again at his funeral, when no one shows up even though Willy thought he had a lot of friends from his job: “Why didn’t anybody come...

He is so terrified of not being what and who he thinks he is in society, that he cannot let go of his illusions and clings to them until his death.  However, this is not because he is a common man.  It is because he is a man who lacks the courage, conviction and strength to move past his illusions, grasp the truth and prevent himself from stifling his, or his sons, full flowering and whole development.  This is because his fears and insecurities, not to mention failures, have arisen from his adopting unquestioningly a set of values that have been irreconcilable with the natural outpouring of his love and creativity.  There is a "wrong" or an "evil" in Willy's environment that has prevented this because he has based his career choice, his method of parenting, and his lifestyle on a value system that is based on "appearances" not truth.  When he discovers these values are illusions he stubbornly refuses to admit his mistakes, and, instead, becomes pathetic instead of tragically heroic because he clings all the more to his illusions and imposes them on anyone around him-or becomes irate with those who point out the errors of his actions and/or logic.  The truth of modern society is that it represents one that thwarts man in his effort to achieve his "rightful dignity", but Willy never accepts the discovery of the moral law (which to Miller is the illumination of tragedy) which supports a man's right to achieve such dignity.  Instead, he tries to live by the

Arthur Asher Miller was born in Harlem, New York City on October 17th, 1915. He was an amazing author who had written many things such as: Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, A View From the Bridge and The Crucible. The Crucible has gone on to be one of the most popular screen play and stage play of all time due to the large impact it had on many people. The Crucible was written during World War 2 and stuck out because it mirrored the fear the United States had of the Soviet Union and the increasing power of communism. Miller was the son of immigrants who were of Jewish and Polish heritage so when the crackdown to find communist supporters began Miller was constantly questioned. He was even called into trial in 1956 by the HUAC (House Un-American

Arthur Miller was an American playwright who wrote plays such as “The Crucible” and “Death of a Salesman” because he thought theatre could change the world. He wrote his works based on friends, his own life, and family. People believed he was a man of integrity and a hero because of the ways he portrayed himself.

Another example of Willy’s sufferings was when he lost his job. For instance, Willy is dissatisfied with his career and decides to ask his boss Howard to work in the town instead of traveling for work from New York to New England every two weeks. Howard ends up saying “there just is no spot here for you” (Miller 56) and ends up firing him. Although Willy had a long career with the company and was very productive, Howard let him go. Willy defends himself by saying “I put thirty-four years into this firm, Howard, and now I can’t pay my insurance!” (Miller 57). Howard fires Willy at a time when he was most desperate. This shows the “change in the hero’s fortunes” (Nardo 73). Regardless being fired from his job, Willy still had hopes for his sons Biff and Happy to start a new business. Things did not go according to the plan and the business ends up not happening which causes Willy to suffer even more. Willy goes through financial troubles which prevent him to achieve the American Dream, keep his job, and provide for his family. These are all signs of disappointment and

Born in New York City, New York on October 17, 1915, by two Polish immigrant Isidore and Augusta Miller. In Millers early years his father was a successful business owner providing a luxury life for his family. Due to the start of the great depression in the late 1920’s his business collapse, this had a big impact on Millers life. Centola stats in a biography, “This sudden collapse of the familiar world was a crucial experience in Miller’s life, and he would later frequently draw on the tensions that were created by that severe economic crisis in his writings” (Centola). After high school miller will eventually attended the University of Michigan in 1934, this is where Millers playwriting career began. “There, in addition to engaging in occasional journalistic efforts, he effectively launched his playwriting career; by the time he graduated with a BA in 1938, he had seen his own dramas performed and had received several honors” (Centola). After Graduating