Death of a Salesman

In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, dreams and idealizations of success and happiness of the Loman family are continually and collectively embraced through associations with the natural world. These references are not only the visual and conceptual attractions of the natural world but also contain the conquest of wilderness symbolically, as exploring and exploiting new realms of business. This powerful motif of nature is explored dynamically throughout the play through the human nature of Willy, the natural world and the nature of capitalism. The natural world and its association with happiness are used paradoxically with the destructive nature of capitalism and its effect on Willy’s subjective and illusive perception of the American dream and success.

The play consistently illustrates the dark tone of the play through Willy; a self-tragic character whose flaws are clear even through the complexity of his character. These flaws of his character consist primarily of illusive psychological tendencies and his unrealistic vision of the American Dream disturbed by his own subjective realism. His character contains a childlike implication of perceiving the past as a residual for the present and the future. He believes people who are “well-liked” will inevitably become successful, as attracted by their charm: “..The wonder of this country, than a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!”(2.347-8). Throughout the play, he demonstrates these childlike aspects of his character; by being over-nostalgic and naïve, and lacking knowledge and self-awareness. Other characters that acknowledge this implication of Willy’s personality include his boss Howard who is by fact named by Willy, yet Howard repetitively refers to Willy as “kid.” Even his name, Willy, contains a childlike connotation.