zakcebulski 's review for:

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
4.0
challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
 
WOW! What a read! 
I had heard so much about this play, and, after reading it, I am sad to have gotten to it so late. 
Admittedly so, when I started reading it, I was not sure how the story of a salesman was going to hold my attention. But, Arthur Miller absolutely did something amazing with this play. 

The story follows Willy Loman, a traveling salesman, and his family, and follows Willy's desire to make an impact on the world. He feels like he is looked down upon, like he doesn't get the respect he feels that he deserves- even though he would never come out and demand it. 
What I love about this play is the way in which Arthur Miller writes with such a practiced nuance to his characters- especially Willy. 
We have all been in this position where we want to do something great- where we want to have more than we have, and when confronted with the chance to pursue more, we choose to stand by idly. 
I appreciate that within the 113 pages of this play Arthur Miller is able to explain the relationship between Willy and his family- Linda, his wife, Biff and Happy- his boys. 
Willy harbors a level of disappointment in his kids as he sees them as not having made anything for themselves, and, are largely just moving idly from place to place. 
He gives them advice, but, they do not pursue it. It is, to me, ironic, as Willy has led the advice he has given for over 30 years and It has not moved him in any meaningful way, leading him to always want to cast blame and aspersions on other people. I love how Miller wrote all of these characters to be so layered, and so nuanced, they are not just one note characters. Willy is our down and out protagonist, but, he also is an adulterer. Biff is someone we want to see succeed, but, is also a near pathological liar with no qualms about being a bum. Happy seems to be more in line with what Willy wants, and he is a womanizer. 

To me, Linda is the most heartfelt and tragic member of the Loman family. She is written in a way that is a strong character who tries her best to do right by all of her family members. She witnesses the gradual mental decline of Willy, where he begins to hallucinate his older, and deceased brother, who he takes advice from. Linda constantly has to combat all of this while trying to hold the ideal family life in a tangible way. 
I loved the way that Linda shows such sympathy for Willy, even when he is not around- I got the feeling that she truly does care for Willy, and I appreciate that the way that she cares for him rings true throughout the play. She seems to truly love Willy, to what could be a fault, as she seems to overlook and excuse a good amount of his faults. 
I think that this play serves as an allegory for the American Dream, and those who pursue it- no matter what it does to their mental well being. 
Willy has, according to all of the people who have come before him, lived in a way where he should have been granted success via the American Dream. And yet, he is living in squalor, in near destitute. I think that this serves as a great allegory to the disillusionment of the American Dream, and the detriment which it can have on those who pursue it vociferously. He pursues material things like a heater and a new car- and these things are the things that are becoming a cancer which will eventually kill him.
In the end, Willy kills himself in order to get an insurance payout. 
"It's funny, you know? After all of the highways, the trains, the appointments and the years- you end up worth more dead than alive."
This is such a tragedy, as he saw no other way to make things work. His pursuit of the ideal American Dream coupled with his degrading mental health led to see no options out of the way things were going. 

Absolutely loved this. 
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