Fifty Years of "Death of a Salesman"

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the plot and characters in "Death of a Salesman" and explains how the message of the play can be applied to the times we live in now. The paper also makes comparisons between real characters in the life of the author and the fictional characters in the play.

From the Paper:

"Arthur Miller is considered by many to be the greatest living playwright. 1999 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Miller's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Death of a Salesman, perhaps his greatest work. The story of Willy Loman, who could no longer sell whatever was in those suitcases he carried on stage, became the symbol of Americana, false pride and self-deception. Broadway is honoring the anniversary with a return of Death of a Salesman. The play, and the book which has sold eleven million copies, do not differ very much. In fact, the play follows the book word for word. The differences are in the way the play is presented, but there are more similarities than differences. Early in Miller's and Biff's lives, family crisis set an irreversible force which determined the positive and negative consequences in their future. The play takes place in the post depression era, both Miller and Biff grew up in the depression and were effected by the harshness of the times."

More papers on Fifty Years of "Death of a Salesman":

• Analytical Essay # 149582 : "Biff: The Dynamic Character of "Death of a Salesman"
• Analytical Essay # 127918 : "An Analysis of "Death of a Salesman"

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