Family Values in "Death of a Salesman"

Paper Summary:

The paper shows how in his play, "Death of a Salesman", Arthur Miller brings to light a serious breakdown in the moral values associated with family life. The paper discusses how Miller depicts a trend of desertion by the men in the Loman family, Willy, Biff and Happy, that fosters a cycle of abandonment that is then passed down to the next generation. The paper highlights Miller's lesson that abandoning basic family values such as loyalty, honesty and integrity can have far reaching consequences for generations to come.

From the Paper:

"In his play, Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller brings to light a serious breakdown in the moral values associated with family life. This crisis of values is framed by the internal turmoil of Willy Loman who, being unable to admit his failure, is confronted with the reality of his mistakes. Willy's inner turmoil manifests itself in a series of hallucinations. These signs of degeneration take shape as Willy has conversations with people from his past. Set in the late 1940's, Miller depicts a trend of desertion by the men in the Loman family. This trend fosters a cycle of abandonment that is passed down from one generation to the next, affecting all that is good within them."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Miller, Arthur. Death of A Salesman. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Alison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, and Kelly J. Mays. 9th ed. New York: Norton, 2005. 2221-2285.

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