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Death of A SAlesman Summary

Death of a Salesman is a play by Arthur Miller that explores the tragic life of Willy Loman, a salesman who struggles with personal and financial difficulties while pursuing the American Dream. The story highlights the tensions within the Loman family, particularly between Willy and his sons, Biff and Happy, as they confront their realities and the lies they have been living. Ultimately, Willy's despair leads him to commit suicide in hopes of providing for Biff through insurance money, leaving the family to grapple with the consequences of their illusions.

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66 views2 pages

Death of A SAlesman Summary

Death of a Salesman is a play by Arthur Miller that explores the tragic life of Willy Loman, a salesman who struggles with personal and financial difficulties while pursuing the American Dream. The story highlights the tensions within the Loman family, particularly between Willy and his sons, Biff and Happy, as they confront their realities and the lies they have been living. Ultimately, Willy's despair leads him to commit suicide in hopes of providing for Biff through insurance money, leaving the family to grapple with the consequences of their illusions.

Uploaded by

Maria Cecilia Losito
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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OBJECTIVE: Analyze literature as a means of valuing other people and their various circumstances in life.

EN9LT-IIa-15.
DEATH OF A SALESMAN
➢ It is a play in “two acts and a requiem” by Arthur Miller, written in 1948 and
produced in 1949. Miller won a Pulitzer Prize for the work, which he described as “the
tragedy of a man who gave his life, or sold it” in pursuit of the American Dream.
• MAIN CHARACTERS

A salesman who worked for 34 years with a company, who was laid off and was going
Willy Loman
through some personal and financial difficulties

Linda Loman Willy’s loving and patient wife.

Biff Loman The eldest of Loman’s boys who had difficulty in finding a stable job.

Son of Willly, he is seemingly content and successful, with a steady career and none of the
Happy Loman
obvious marks of failure that his older brother displays.

Ben Willy’s brother

Charley Long-time friend of Willy who became successful in work and in life.

Bernard Charley’s son and friend of the Loman boys.

The Woman Someone who has an indecent affair with Willy at one time in one of his business trips.

DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller

Willy Loman though had a very good skill in carpentry adopts a job as a salesman so as to fulfill his American
dream. He is a father of two sons, Biff and Happy and has a wife, Linda. He returns from a business trip and concludes
that now he cannot travel more for the sake of the business. His wife Linda suggests him to ask his boss to give him a
local job at the headquarter. Willy mistakenly takes him as an important salesman of his office so he will certainly get
the local job.

When Biff comes from his farm work, Willy reminds him that he could do better than this in the field of business.
He further tells him that he is wasting his time and talents. But, Willy does not have any faith on his other son Happy and
hates him for his failure. On the same night, Willy is heard talking to imaginary people and even shouting to them.
Because of his shout, Biff and Happy wake up and are worried about their father as he had never behaved like that
before. Biff thinking that he should not leave his father alone, plans to borrow loan from his former employer Bill to start
a business.

Linda tells her sons that they are having a difficult time financially. She further states that Willy has been
attempting suicide. Meanwhile, Willy argues with Biff for being so reckless, but Happy immediately interrupts informing
Willy that next morning Biff has planned to see his former boss, Bill. Willy is now happy and goes to sleep. All hopes for
the better morning; Willy is hopeful in getting local job and Biff expects to get a loan to start a new business.

The next morning, all their hopes are shattered. Willy overconfidently approaches his boss and tells him all his
problems in travelling for the sake of business. Instead of providing him with the local job, the boss fired him. He is now
OBJECTIVE: Analyze literature as a means of valuing other people and their various circumstances in life.
EN9LT-IIa-15.
jobless. Frustrated by the news, he goes to see his sons at a restaurant. Biff is sure that Bill would not see him and there
is no question of getting a business loan from him as he had stolen a pen from him some time ago. Willy reaches there
and wishes to hear a good news from Biff, but Biff sadly tells him that he could not get the loan. Biff realizes that he and
his family have been lying to each other. They are living in the illusion. They leave their father at the restaurant who is
busy in dreaming and reliving the past.

When Biff and Happy return home, their mother is mad at them for being so careless about their father and
leaving him alone at the restaurant. An argument starts among the family. No one is ready to listen to the other, but Biff
tells that he cannot live according to his father's expectation which is just a failure. He tells them all that they are living
in a lie. They are running away from the ground reality. They fear to face the bitter truth about their life.

Willy realizes that though Biff is a failure like him, he loves him much. Distressed and frustrated, he decides to
commit suicide so that the insurance money could be some use to Biff to start a new business. Within a few minutes, he
commits suicide. Linda feels so strange that though her husband is well liked by all employees why no-one attends his
funeral. Biff feels sorry for his mother who is still living in an illusion. He decides to be honest to himself, but,
unfortunately Happy wants to follow the footprint of his father.

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