Death of a Salesman

Author: Arthur Miller
Setting: New York, 1940s. 
Significant Characters:

• Willy Loman- a salesman with a career in decline, a complicated relationship with his son Biff, and an unstable mental state.
• Linda Loman- Willy's wife, who wants their sons to just go along with his illness, and doesn't do anything significant about his suicide attempts because of his pride.
• Biff Loman- Willy's older son, who rejected Willy's values of popularity and money in order to move out west, and has been living with the secret of his father's infidelity for many years.
• Happy Loman- Willy's younger son, who always seems to be trying to get on his father's good side. In the end, it seems that he will follow in Willy's path.

Summery/Plot: This play starts out with Willy Loman coming home from work to his home and wife, Linda, in New York. His two sons, Biff and Happy, are in town visiting. Willy and Linda discuss his job, which Willy has to drive far away to. Linda wants Willy to relocate his job to the city because he is old and shouldn't have to drive that far. His two sons come down and talk to Willy, and then Willy has one of his daydreams, older memories he has that are most likely twisted to his liking. The daydream is about the family playing ball in the backyard, and Willy's reveal of his new business idea. Bernard, the Loman's neighbor, is also there, and stresses the importance of school and Biff's grades. Linda enters as well, and talks about the expenses the family will have to pay off, and how Willy's pay doesn't cover for them. Willy has another delusion with this daydream, flashing back to an affair he had in Boston.
The scene flashes back to reality. The family is discussing Willy's mental state. The boys can see the evident psychological problems Willy is dealing with, but Linda continues to defend Willy, denying that there is anything wrong with him. After much arguing, they argee to go into business together.
The next day, Willy is heading off to work to ask his boss to relocate his job. Afterwards, Linda tells him that his sons are going to treat him for dinner. So Willy goes to his boss, only to find out that he is fired. Willy, now unemployed, goes to Charley, his neighbor, to ask for more money, an activity he engages in weekly. He finds out that his son, Bernard, is going to argue a case in front of the supreme court. Bernard and Willy discuss Biff's past, and how he flunked high school.
Later, Willy arrives at the restaurant  expecting his sons to treat him to dinner, and expecting Biff is have started the business they were previously discussing. Biff, however, had not pulled off the deal, and the family argues. Eventually, the two sons leave with women from the restaurant and leave Willy by himself in the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Willy flashes back to when he had the affair in Boston. Biff finds out about the affair, thus deterring him from enrolling in summer school and stopping his graduation. This is why Biff is such a "bum" now. Willy snaps out of his dream, and goes back home to his family.
The family has a long series of confessions after that, and make amends about their years of quarreling  Willy, finally content with his life, commits suicide in attempt to help his family financially with his life insurance.

Narrative Voice/Style:

The narrative voice is mostly from Willy's perspective, and the frequent time shifts serve to imply to the audience how muddled Willy's mind is, giving the play a stream of consciousness feel. Symbolism is used by Miller to emphasize important points in the play, such as his use of seeds. His failed attempts to grow vegetables can also be seen as a failed attempt to achieve the American Dream the way he sees it, and his failure to help Biff do the same. The imagery of Willy and the rubber hose also contributes to the story, because the reader picturing the end result of the American Dream as an old man hanging dead in the basement makes it clear that Willy's values don't make for a fulfilling way to live.

Quotes:

"I'm vital in New England." ~ this is an example of how Willy constantly tries to pretend that he's more important than he actually is.

"Pop! I'm a dime a dozen, and so are you!" ~ Biff realizes his father's ideas of grandeur are impractical, and tries to tell him that. This quote is central in the message Miller is trying to show in the play.

Theme:

Miller's Death of a Salesman shows that superficial values make for an empty American Dream. The title, which speaks of Willy's eventual suicide, supports this because it could also be construed to mean the death of Willy's personification of a dream based on emptiness. Willy's juxtaposition with Biff also supports this, because Biff is the opposite of Willy, and shows how insignificant Willy's life choices are.