Personal Failure and "Death of a Salesman"

Paper Summary:

In the play, "Death of a Salesman," the playwright focuses on the theme of failure in a success-oriented society. The paper discusses how Willy Loman, a failed salesman, is the central character who believes the propaganda of a society that only has room for winners. It points out how the play's theme demonstrates how a victim of "The American Dream" can be destroyed by false promises, which not only impact on one's business life, but also set up conflicts within personal relationships.

From the Paper:

"The play centers on the life of a middle aged salesman, Willy Lowman, who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He lives with his adoring but over protective wife, Linda, who acts as a buffer between her husband and their two adult sons, Biff and Happy. The relationship they have with their father is permanently under tension. The play plots the tragic collapse of a man who cannot face up to his moral responsibilities. The society in which he is a victim of false values that attach a dangerous importance to success as measured in such transient terms as income and material possessions. Living according to these values means that failure is likewise defined in economic terms."

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