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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would give this play a higher rating, and it likely deserves it. Unfortunately, I just did not quite enjoy reading it and found it a drag. I can imagine it does much better on stage but the dialogue simply does not read well. These themes for me personally--the American dream, capitalism--are overdone and although it did a good job of bringing out believable characters, I just could not get interested. It feels like another mid-tier book they force you to read in high school. However, I'm sure it would be better to watch actually acted out.
Each year, my goal is to read 24 books. Fell short last year. February is a short month and I've learned that, for the most part, plays can be a quicker read. So I picked up Death of Salesman to read this weekend and read it on a Sunday. How's that for efficiency?
I knew the basics of the story of Willy Loman, he being a failed salesman at the end of his rope and conflict in the family. After reading it, though, I wonder if I ever did actually read the play, or just gleaned enough from popular culture to get the gist of it. Which is sad. Because there is so much more than just getting the gist.
Willy is a tragic hero. I want to root for him, but it's difficult because he makes such bad choices. Then there's Biff, and the bad example his father set and the (spoiler alert) finding his father with a mistress in Boston. But does that mean he has to throw away his life because of the sins of his father?
It's also likely a sign of the times when it was written, in the late 1940s, when masculinity meant bottling up emotions and feelings until they reached an exploding point. Which is what continuously happens with Willy and Biff. Happy is no prize either. Linda, Willy's wife, well, while she's sympathetic has also bought into this "we're going to be big!" dream. And while dreams are good, they have no specific dreams other than being rich and famous.
I felt sorry for Biff because he seemed to want to be an outdoors guy, going out West and working on farms, not wanting an office life like his father wanted for him. Of course, he snowed me because really he spent a bulk of time in jail and stole a lot.
The most sympathetic are the supporting characters who try to help Willy, but he won't take their help.
Ah, pride.
Ah, the American Dream. Long may it complicate our lives.
I knew the basics of the story of Willy Loman, he being a failed salesman at the end of his rope and conflict in the family. After reading it, though, I wonder if I ever did actually read the play, or just gleaned enough from popular culture to get the gist of it. Which is sad. Because there is so much more than just getting the gist.
Willy is a tragic hero. I want to root for him, but it's difficult because he makes such bad choices. Then there's Biff, and the bad example his father set and the (spoiler alert) finding his father with a mistress in Boston. But does that mean he has to throw away his life because of the sins of his father?
It's also likely a sign of the times when it was written, in the late 1940s, when masculinity meant bottling up emotions and feelings until they reached an exploding point. Which is what continuously happens with Willy and Biff. Happy is no prize either. Linda, Willy's wife, well, while she's sympathetic has also bought into this "we're going to be big!" dream. And while dreams are good, they have no specific dreams other than being rich and famous.
I felt sorry for Biff because he seemed to want to be an outdoors guy, going out West and working on farms, not wanting an office life like his father wanted for him. Of course, he snowed me because really he spent a bulk of time in jail and stole a lot.
The most sympathetic are the supporting characters who try to help Willy, but he won't take their help.
Ah, pride.
Ah, the American Dream. Long may it complicate our lives.
I've been reading a lot of plays this month and it's been a blast! "Death of a Salesman" was no exception (despite being a bit depressing). The play has excellent characters and excellent storytelling. I'm used to unreliable narrators in novels, but this may have been my first experience with an unreliable narrator in theater. Willie Loman, the protagonist, is a salesman who will say whatever makes himself look good, even if it contradicts something he said two lines earlier. Much of the information that viewers receive in the play either comes from Willie directly, from his hallucinations, or from characters who are themselves basing their statements off of secondhand information from Willie. It was challenging at times to figure out what was really going on (in a fun way, not a confusing one).
Willie and his sons were fascinating characters. Willie reminded me of a less successful Donald Trump, yet was still somehow a sympathetic (or at least pitiful) character. Miller's play shows how everything can crumble when it's built on lies.
I quite liked reading this and would enjoy watching it if I ever got the chance, although to be honest, Miller wrote it descriptively enough that I didn't feel like it was necessary to actually watch it performed.
Willie and his sons were fascinating characters. Willie reminded me of a less successful Donald Trump, yet was still somehow a sympathetic (or at least pitiful) character. Miller's play shows how everything can crumble when it's built on lies.
I quite liked reading this and would enjoy watching it if I ever got the chance, although to be honest, Miller wrote it descriptively enough that I didn't feel like it was necessary to actually watch it performed.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tremendously written. Great character work and rich in context. Lovely. Amazing. Perfect for the time it was first written and now too. Can’t wait to see visualised productions and read more of Miller’s work. I love plays. I love this play. Awesome
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes