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Summary: death of a salesman
Review: Death of a Salesman was overall a good book. The fact that it was more modern then the other books that my class had read made it even better. The book Death of a Salesman was positive to me because I thought there were a lot of good life lessons in taught through the story.
I think the main purpose that Arthur Miller was trying to get people to notice is that the relationship between a father and a son should be close. Even though Biff loved his father, Willy he didn't recognize it until the very end of the book. As soon as Willy realized that his son loved him, he killed himself believing that Biff would benefit from the 20,000 dollars from insurance.
I have personally learned from this book how my relationship should be between my father and me. We shouldn't argue or fight all the time. We need to understand, too, that I need to live my own life. Also another main point is that you shouldn't let your parents tell you how you are going to live your life when you are at the age of 34. Neither should you be living with your parents at that age.
I would recommend this book because it teaches some good life lessons about relationships between family members. It also gives advice about how to become a good salesman. The most important thing to being a good salesman is to know people and have them like you.
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Summary: Death of the "American Dream"
Review: This book/play was a good read, with a lot of lessons to pull from it. Your situation in life defines what lessons you will most likely pull, but all in all, most everyone can gain something. It was close to modern times, with a lot of insights into modern problems.
When Arthur Miller wrote this, he was trying to give a view into the business world. He was trying to show America as whole just how cruel the business world had gotten, how it would chew you up and spit you out when it was through with you, and how things had gotten very cold. This was shown in the scene with Willy Lowman getting fired. One thing he screams is," You can't eat an orange and throw the peel away! A man is not a piece of fruit!". This is so true, but it is also how the business world treats people.
Miller also shed some light on how a man had more duties to his family than just to put bread on the table and a roof over their heads, how sometimes they needed a husband and a dad more than anything. After all, Willy worked his whole life to provide his sons with clothes and food and things, but in the end, what they could really have used was a dad at home more often to teach them morals and work ethic. Biff and Happy had trouble finding themselves in life because from the time they were young, Willy had worked very hard to give them everything, they hadn't had to go out and get it themselves. All Willy ever taught them was to be liked, and that that was enough to get you through. This backfired on the two boys when they hit the real world and found out it wasn't enough just to be liked; you had to have more.
Personally, I learned that living your whole life on what others think of you can only lead you to feeling empty. Near the end of the play, Willy goes out to buy seeds for his garden, because he has "nothing in the ground". This is because Willy has worked his life for people to like him, to gain respect everywhere, and when it comes right down to it, he feels his sons don't like him, he got fired from his job because nobody likes him so he can't sell, and he feels as if it's all for naught. He even tells his neighbor Charlie that he feels Charlie is "his only friend". As the old saying goes, "You can't please everyone all the time, and the man who tries to please everyone ends up pleasing no one not even himself". You have to live your life to please One, that is, the Almighty God, and if you don't, you're going to fail in trying to please others.
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Summary: Choices...
Review: Death of a Salesman is a very practical, yet somewhat disheartening play on the true importance on what life is about. I think that Willy had a very twisted look on what the American life and dream should be. Willy's main goal in life was to be "well liked" to be remembered and highly respected. He pushed and strived for utter and instant success, also thrusting for his sons to be proficient in this way and in a short time period. He relied heavily on people, for petty reasons, to be raised to a higher position because of his former accomplishments. His concentration was set so decisively to the standards of everyone else in his life, that he forgot the people most essential to him, his family.
He was so guilt ridden of his past that he couldn't bare to handle the future of responsibility. He made foolish mistakes based on immediate pleasure because of his lack of perseverance and commitment in his childhood. Throughout the entire episode of his last fifteen years he is constantly fighting the reality of his consequences to the choices he made. He relentlessly enfolds himself in guilt and despair but lacks the initiative to become decisive in decisions and confront the issues that are holding him back in his past. He takes refuge in and scuttles back to his imaginary haven of a life.
I think the main purpose of Arthur Miller's scenario in this play was to make the distinctive point of the frailty and impractical view of the American Dream. Willy struggles to fulfill his dream to be a respected businessman and have a perfect family. He only didn't understand that commitment is a big part of a family. His understanding of a true husband and a good father was deficient. He reasoned that when he became an able businessman, to be well liked, and have money then he would suddenly become the great father and husband.
From this script, I have learned the value of confronting your consequences and take hold of responsibility on the type of choices you have made. I think that the main lesson I have learned from Death of a Salesman is the importance of what you base your choices in life on. You need to establish your life on the things that are substantial and meaningful. When you totally rely on God and what His plan for your life, He will help you through the pains and worries in your life. You must allow Him to seize total control of your life, letting Him work it out to His glory.
I would recommend this play because it shows the importance of the choices you make in life, and taking the responsibility to stand up to the consequences, whether they are bad or good.
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Summary: Dumb
Review: I thought this play, to its entirety, was outlandish. It was totally nonessential; some episodes were difficult to understand. It threw me off in the beginning when Ben, Willy's brother, came into the picture and all of a sudden left. I soon came to realize that it was a flashback. I thought the book was a repeat, which became predictable, and extremely boring. In few words, I could summarize this play: Willy and Linda fight; Willy is disappointed in his sons; Biff tries and fails at getting a job from Oliver; Willy is released from his job; Biff and Willy get into a huge fight at their house; Willy kills himself. As a result, Death of a Salesman was a waste of my time and I highly encourage you not to spend your precious time reading this play.
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Summary: Death of a very sad man
Review: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is the story of a man, Willy Lowman, and he gets to the end of his life and realizes that he has done nothing of great importance. That he has worked all his life and has nothing to show for it. That is not entirely true he has a son that steals and a son that is a nothing. The reading itself was not positive because this is a very sad story about Willy Lowman.
I believe that Arthur Millers purpose for writing was to convey to the audience what is wrong with the American view of success. Most Americans believe that success is determined by who you know and how well you are liked. We can see that this is wrong because this was Willy's view on life he judged all of his decisions on what would make him more liked. This is also how he raised his boys and they had all of their priorities screwed up. After basing all his decisions on this principal including how he raised his kids he came to the end of his life and realized that he had nothing.This book has many important life lessons that everyone can take into thought. One of the lessons that people can learn is not to think that the only thing in life that matters is what others think of you. This is what Willies world revolved around and in the end he ended up killing himself with nothing to show for his life. I would recommend this book because everyone can gather a lesson or two that can be applied to themselves, or can be used to help others.
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Summary: death of a salesman
Review: The book Death of a salesman was a Very intresting and yet Commen book. It wasnt a very positive story either. I say that because in the book a salesman named Willie has 2 sons and a wife,linda. Throughout his sons lives hes been teaching them that Being liked and well known is the only way to be succesful.when u start that teaching at a young age its hard to undo it when they are all grown up. Willie used to be a Good salesman.He is now old and getting older so there isnt really much that he can do. This Charactor goes throught so many changes throughtout the book with his sons and his wife. He even see's his Brother Ben in these sort of "visions".In the Book you see Willie getting closer and closer to almost Insanity.He is seeking attention from everyone and he is pushing his eldest son Biff to be more then what he is. Willlie was once a pretty good salesman but because he was now old and the company was changing, there were new owners and younger salesmen comming in. willie thought he could keep up but the new owners knew....he couldnt. I think the autors main point in the Book was that The everyday salesman works hard to get to where he is his whole life and in the end he Gets no where because tyhe buisness world is constantly changeing. I have learned from this book that You must not let People likeing you be your only means of success. People will come and go, but the good work that u do....will always be remembered.Willie was so caught up in people likeing him that after a while his work didnt matter. I would reccomend this play for a older crowd because to tell you the truth it seemed like if I went to see it on stage i would of fallen asleep. It was a "triffle bit" more dialoge then i would have prefered.but all in all it was a okay play.
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Summary: Death of a Salesman
Review: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman offers a tragic yet realistic view on society of the 1950's. Willy Loman's distorted outlook on life, success, and happiness is perhaps the cause of his downfall. This is truly a disheartening play, and has a bleak outlook on the life of an unnoticed, unsuccessful man searching to be great. Although this play was not one to be taken lightly I enjoyed reading about the Loman family and Willy's pursuit to become liked.
Arthur Miller had many lessons in this play, and I believe the one lesson in Death of a Salesman that has the greatest effect on myself and other students my age deals with abandonment. The issue of abandonment and letting our pasts haunt us in the future is an important aspect in this play. Willy's abandonment started at an early age, His father left him and his brother Ben with neither tangible nor intangible heritage. Shortly after Ben left Willy for Alaska on a search for great riches. When Willy has a family of his own he has a distorted view of the American Dream and wishes for his family to conform to it. He strives to be well liked at his job, a wonderfully father to perfect sons, and to be happy, yet his inability to understand reality interferes with the boy's upbringing. Willy believes Biff to be on the verge of greatness and when at the restaurant Biff destroy Willy's view of him and with Happy abandons Willy in a bathroom.
While some may argue that the past will mainly control your actions in the future, I on the other hand disagree. I believe you can change your future and life is what you make of it. We all go through trials and make bad decisions but that is when you must learn from your mistakes and carry one. Willy Loman through no fault of his own had a difficult childhood; it was his fault however that he took out his feelings on his family. Through this play I have been reminded that life can become a tragic waste if focused on the wrong things. Willy's goals in life were focused on the material things; he also searched to be a likeable man in his workplace. Willy was not a great man but his family loved him and in his search for greatness he became blind to their love.
I would recommend this play, although a tragic play it reminds the reader of what is truly important in life.
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Summary: A Salesman's Suicide
Review: When Arthur Miller wrote his play, Death of a Salesman, he knew that he was creating a story that would be applied to every generation. In reading a tragedy drama like, Death of a Salesman, life is put into a tense perspective where the reader may eventually and subconsciously come to evaluate their own past. The story plot deals with issues that many Americans face every day. Issues like: adultery, and stealing, lying, debt, promiscuous behavior, depression and suicide. Miller's play is meant to keep the audience on an emotional roller coaster while following salesman, Willy Lowman, through "the best of times" and "the worst of times" (Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities).
Miller plays out the story of a typical New York salesman, through a character called Willy Lowman. Mr. Lowman travels all over New England, trying very diligently to sell his products. He seems to have the perfect American life. He has a house, a working automobile, two healthy sons and a gentle-spirited wife. Yet, when you look closer into the life of Willy Lowman, you can see that he had past hurts that he never dealt with in childhood, and as a result, his life at present is falling apart.
Willy was the son of a flute maker who had gone to Africa to exhume diamonds. He had been too young to go along then, but his brother, Ben, had gone. Willy grows up and his father dies, but his brother offers him a job in an auspicious diamond mine. Being offended that his father and brother had left him behind, Willy resumes his post as a salesman. All through his later life, Willy Lowman lies to himself and everyone he loves. He goes from place to place, trying to convince the buyers to purchase his products, while being careful to be friendly and amiable.
Willy begins to age and starts to feel that he is worthless and unloved by friends and family. This prompts an affair with "the woman", who seduces him with words of admiration and devotion. Knowing he has a wife at home, Willy feels a bit suspicious one day when a knock comes to the door of his Boston hotel room. He opens the door to his eldest son, Biff, who then finds out about his father's affair and his life of lies. This causes Biff not to pursue any career, but to essentially quite life. Feeling quite hopeless in his future, Willy turns to the past to supply him with joy. He reenacts scenes from his "golden days" aloud in public places without realization of it.
Willy Lowman then becomes incompetent as a salesman, so he borrows fifty dollars from his neighbor, Charley, every week, which puts him into an extreme debt, both literally and emotionally. As Willy ages, he sees that his sons are now in their mid-thirties and still living at home with deadly habits of promiscuity and stealing. He becomes angry and acts out his memory plays even more frequently.
When his sons try to make good by selling an idea to an important sportsman, Willy goes into an emotional high. However, he the comes crashing down into a deeper depression when it doesn't work out and he feels Biff doesn't love him and never did. He plans out his suicide so that a 20,000 insurance policy would go to Biff and that he could see that millions of people adored him by coming to his funeral. The funeral day comes and only five people attend his funeral. Willy Lowman dies the death of a Salesman, alone and essentially forgotten.
To the reader, Death of a Salesman, is a form of parable that serves to remind them of their unresolved pasts and their debt to all of the people who have genuinely loved them in their lifetime. In essence, the character of Willy Lowman, shows Miller's audience that family is the most important thing that one can possibly own. Wealth, possessions, worldly success, and social importance are only a whisking wind that passes faster than they can blink. Family is what gives love, support and importance when life is at it's worst. Yet, family members will disappoint you because they are not perfect. However, God "will never leave you nor forsake you", He will be there when times are good and when times are bad. He will never let His children die...the spiritual death of a salesman.
I recommend this play highly for two specific reasons. First, it fills the reader with emotion. What that emotion may be it based upon the reader. It could be anger at Willy for not raising his children well, it may be joy in the possibility that Biff and Harold are going to make their parents wealthy, or it may even be sorrow after Willy commits suicide. Still, whatever the feeling might be, it will be present in every reader. Secondly, the story guides the reader into seeing what is really important in life. It shows that material things pass away and that a "good name is better than riches", which Willy did not try to obtain in his lifetime. Over all, Death of a Salesman, remains one of my personal favorites.
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Summary: Death of a Salesman Critique
Review: The play Death of a Salesman was not a superior play in my eyes. Its wasn't something that I wanted to read, but had to read. Usually when you have to read something, you start reading it and either keep reading because the plot is gripping and you don't want to put it down or you keep reading because you won't get a good grade if you don't. Well, This play was one of the latter of the two. I didn't enjoy reading it because it didn't have a riveting story line. The signifigance of Arthur Miller writing Death of a Salesman, I think, is to communicate to the readers that things around us HAVE changed, not everything is as "peachy" as we think it is. It is like having a cake made of asparagus and brocoli and then putting a nice chocolate icing on the top of it. It may LOOK yummy, but it's not. People may SEEM to be happy, but they might be covering up what is really happening because they are ashamed or infuriated with what is really going on. Miller wanted to show us that things are changing around us and that things weren't as they seemed to be. Who really knew that Willy was having an affair? I bet Linda had no idea. I bet Charlie had no idea. Willy might have been a little irate at times but surely he wouldn't do something like that, right? Wrong. You can never really know somebody as well as you think you do, and I believe that is the poin Arthur Miller was trying to make. In reading this play, I have found out that if you aren't happy or satisfied with what you are doing in life (as a job) then it's not worth it. It is better to have a job that you love and get payed just enough to get by then to have such a yucky job that it cacuses problems with your family and still get payed just as much. Willy didnt really like his job towards the end of his career. He was no longer the "big man" salesman that he used to be. He could have just swallowed his pride and accepted the job that Charlie offered him, but no, he was happy with his job, he was doing fine. When actually, he WASN'T doing fine. People no longer knew who he was, even his own boss didnt want him on the workforce any longer because he didn't make any profit for the compant and obviously was having some probelms. He couldn't even stay focused on his driving anymore. I don't recommend this play, because I did not find it in the least bit interesting. In all honesty, I found it very dull. It seemed to go on without any real point to where the story was going to. It was not my idea of an outstanding play. I have definately read better.
Rating:
Summary: ok
Review: I was forced to read this book in school. Honestly, I hated the book. Didn't the man just travel from town to town and he had a wife and mistress. How am I supposed to feel for him? I just can't. I hope if I read it again it will shine in a different light.
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