AMERICAN DREAM IN THE PLAYS OF ARTHUR MILLERshodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/4054/9/09_chapter 3.pdfThe play Death of a Salesman , written in 1949, brought immense reputation

CHAPTER – III

AMERICAN DREAM IN THE PLAYS OF ARTHUR MILLER

3.1 ARTHUR MILLER : LIFE AND LITERARY CAREER

The history of American civilization is the story of the rise and fall

of the great American Dream. ‘The Progressive Era’ and ‘The Great

Depression’ were the two prominent phases of American civilization. The

progress era witnessed the ideals of harmonious human community largely

operative to bring the Dream of prosperity to core reality. The poverty,

stagnation, pessimism, and imperfection were considered un-American

words. Whereas the depression decades shook the ‘greatest society on the

earth.’ The ‘chosen few’ of ‘promised land’ realized poverty stagnation,

pessimism and imperfection which were inbuilt in its structure.

Obviously, the transformation diversely affecting the American

society has to be reflected in American literature. The playwrights like,

Odets, Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller belonged to the ‘Depression’

phase of American civilization practised their literary craftsmanship with

the backdrop of socio-economical milieu of the Depression age.

The names of Tennesse Williams and Arthur Miller have linked

together very often as “the twin stars of Gemini in the theatrical business”

(1969:247). Both shone with equal brilliance in the limelight of theatre.

Arthur Miller was born in the Harlem section of Manhatten on

October 17, 1915; the second child of Augusta and Isidore Miller, both

emigrated from Poland. Even if there were indifferences in his family

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Miller was provided strong moral and ethical atmosphere evident in his

literary works. Right from the childhood Miller was influenced by his

mother’s artistry and inquiring mind.

Miller’s father was a successful businessman proved his metal as

manufacturer of women’s clothing. But the economic downfall of the

Great Depression ruined his business. Miller simultaneously hated and

admired his father. He annoyed at his incapacity to fully recuperate from

the Depression and admired his ability to recognize man’s inner goodness

(1987:2). The character of Willy Loman (Death of a Salesman) is based on

his father.

Before 1920s, Miller family was enough wealthy to have their own

chauffeur and attractive household. With the Great Depression they caught

in financial tightness forced them to move to smaller house. Miller,

attending Abraham Lincoln Highschool, Brooklyn, enjoyed his athletic

inclination than academic one, graduated in 1932, with the dream of

reputed footballer. He started to do with short-term jobs to save up the

money which he required to attend the University of Michigan.

By the end of the year 1932, Miller started to work as a clerk in the

auto parts warehouse where he got an experience of American

semitism. In the year 1934, he could save enough money to enroll his

name to University of Michigan. During the vacation of the year 1936,

Miller wrote his first play No Villain, to take part in the contest of Avery

Hopwood Writing Awards.


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The award proved fruitful for Miller, it sufficed his financial needs

and strengthened his morale to choose the dramatist career. As a recipient

of an award Miller reacted that “it helped me with the belief that ability to

write plays is born into one, and that is a kind of sport of the mind”

(1987:47).

During his Michigan days, he joined Prof. Kenneth Rowe’s

playwriting class where he wrote the rewrite of the play of No Villain as

They Too Arise, won the award from Bureau of New Plays. Moreover, his

drama Honours at Dawn added one more Hopwood Award to his credit.

In the year 1938, graduating from University of Michigan, Miller

moved back to New York to join the Federal Theatre Project as a

scriptwriter. But the agency soon shut down with an allegation of

communist connections. In the following years, he searched other avenues

of work, particularly, the popular radio shows, Columbia Workshop and

Cavakade of America. He wrote scripts and radio plays for these

institutions. Despite his uncertain career, in 1940, he married his college

sweet heart, Mary Slattery, a Catholic girl. His belonging to the Jew origin

stirred this relationship with suspect. But somehow he could manage to

win the trust.

In the year 1944, Miller’s first play The Man Who Had All the Luck

saw the light of the stage and deservingly won the Theatre Guild National

Award. The Man Who Had All the Luck is all about an impact of

materialism on family relationships. It is a tragic story of prosperous


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business man, David Beeves who despite his material success could not

maintain harmony in family relations and eventually led to a suicide.

Throughout Miller’s literary career, disintegration of American

dream of material prosperity was close to his sensibility. Almost his every

work underlined the impact of material quest weakening the bonds of

family relationship. The Man Who Had All the Luck did not get expected

reception from the audience and critics as well. Discouraged Miller almost

decided to give up the playwriting career. It compelled him to check his

hand in writing the novel.

In the year 1945, he wrote a controversial novel Focus based on the

theme of American Semitism and exploitation of immigrant Jews by

orthodox nativists. Even if, the novel got the moderate success, the

playwright within him could not be silenced. In 1947, he wrote

All My Son which gave him professional recognition and an identity as

promising playwright.

All My Sons is the play about realization of success, guilt and

responsibility in the course of material greed. Joe Keller, the father in All

My Sons, for the well-being of his family commits the crime of selling

defective aircraft parts, causes the death of several pilots. Joe Keller for

the quest of material success involved in malicious business ethics

eventually loses his sons. Joe cherishing wrong dreams fails to attain

humanistic values and finally pays the severe price. Miller in the play tries


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to emphasis the fact that devoid of humanitarian values, the attainment of

American Dream is meaningless.

With this regard, the play All My Sons is extensively analyzed

further. In fact, Miller was largely interested in commenting

on “contradictory forces all around, operating on people creating

tension between past and present, society and individual and greed and

ethics” (Atmaram 35).

The play Death of a Salesman, written in 1949, brought immense

reputation to Miller’s credit. New York Times reviewed the play as ‘must

see’ play. Miller won all the major awards of the year for Death of a

Salesman, including Pulitzer Prize, New York Drama Critics’ Award, The

Theatre Club Award, Toni Award.

The play is about the life and Death of a Salesman, at times, poetic,

tragic, social, realistic and expressionistic. Moreover, the play is

remarkable as, “the neurosis of the American Dream is projected, with

more consistency and complexity both in dramaturgy and symbolic terms”

(1990: 66).

The character of the protagonist Willy Loman is marked with

initiative, drive ambition, competitive spirit and an urge to be at the top.

His quest for upward mobility and consistent realization of failure fills his

life with tension which finally leads him to the death. American Dream in

the play is negated and proved futile. The play is analysed further, in


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detail, observing the nature of American Dream and its impact on

American society.

The problem of guilt consciousness of an individual is one of the

major themes Miller dealt in his plays. The play The Crucible written in

1953, is based on his background of association with ‘House of

Un-American Activities.’ It is an implied analogy to the activity of

McCarthy Group. Though the play has got mixed critical reactions, it was

warmly welcomed by the theatre-goers. Miller as a man of profound

thoughts is always concerned with the immediate social issues. His

another play A View From the Bridge (1955) embodies the theme of sense

of guilt and social dignity. Loyalty, betrayal and need for self and public

esteem are other familiar themes can be traced in the play.

Miller, in his play After the Fall (1964), rejects the so-called passive

good which to him supports the evil and more dangerous than evil itself.

The play emphasizes the need of introspection and self-searches in the

process of self-rectification. Whereas his play, Incident at Vichy, (1964) is

the study of guilt and moral responsibility. The mysterious social force

operation victimizes the man who fails to discriminate between good and

evil. Miller, throughout his dramatic career emerged as the social critic,

compelled audience to introspect and appealed to recognize the importance

of values and social responsibility. He sensed the danger in quest of

American Dream devoid of all moral values rested on materialism of


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capitalistic society, which was harmful for both, family as well as

social structure.

The Depression decades instilled quite general notion of an

apprehension of failure among American society. The failure-stricken

people had always lame excuses to please their ego. The Price (1968) is

another remarkable play of Miller based on the theme of confrontation of

success and failure. Again the family is at the focus of the action. It is the

story of the two brothers diversely reacting the failure of their father.

Miller in the play emphasized the importance of reestablishment of family

relationship which to him was more important than success or failure in

the life.

3.2 ALL MY SONS (1947)

All My Sons, the play written in 1947, was the first Broadway hit of

Miller, established him as the playwright of reputation. It opened at the

Coronet Theatre, New York, on 29th January, 1947. The play was

performed and appreciated worldwide. It got an immense popularity that it

ran for 328 performances surpassing Eugene O’Neill’s drama The Iceman

Cometh. The play won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award and

Tony Award for best play. The success of the play lies in Miller’s

employment of versatility of theme and skillful dramatic technique. The

play is deservingly appreciated as:

(All My Sons) has encompassed such themes as father-son conflict, guilt of father, conflict between social and personal, a man’s personal integrity, survival and social responsibility,


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a moral crisis, individual and family pride, pursuit of dream of success in the form of a traditional tragedy, as well as family and social play (2002: 99).

The quest for dream of success is one of the prominent themes in the

play, directly influencing other thematic shades of the play. The

consequences of economic downfall in Depression era and World War II

are at the background of the play. The play is based upon a truestory

which Miller’s then mother-in-law pointed out to him. It was a news in an

Ohio newspaper, that a woman informed about her father who sold faulty

parts to U.S. Military, during World War II. The matter was investigated

by Truman Committee and an issue of wartime responsibility was raised

thereby. It appealed to the consciousness of Miller that the quest of

material was reached to an extent to disregard the integrity and

responsibility towards nation. To Miller, upward mobility was never a

crime but his emphasis is on the moral and ethical ways to attain it; lest the

success could be hollow vessel. Philip Gelb, a noted critic, honours Miller

as thinker, dramatist and above all the prophet who “warns us of the

possible bitter harvest that may be reaped from our present limited ways”

(Roudane 27).

In fact, All My Sons is the story of a dream delusion of Joe Keller,

seemingly successful, self-made man who to attain the material upward

mobility, adopted unethical and immoral means in the past. And at the

introspective phase of the life realized the emptiness of his success. The

seeds of unethical means he sowed in the past brought him bitter harvest

and sore fruits. The protagonist of the play, Joe Keller is a representative


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type of the character who has lived through the Depression and despite a

lack of education has been able to attain the worldly success, hoping his

son to inherit it. Joe represents general, common hopes and aspirations of

American society, ultimately willing to achieve the material prosperity.

The play opens at backyard of Joe Keller’s house in the outskirt of

an American town. The play is set in Sunday morning of August 1947.

Joe Keller, the protagonist is about nearing sixty, heavy man of solid mind

and build, a successful business man shows his success ego in all his

activities, though an uneducated man, his hard work has brought him

‘success’, is at his leisurely time, reading a Sunday paper and talking to his

neighbour Dr. Jim Bayliss. He is a successful doctor but frustrated with

the domesticity of the life. He wanted to be a medical researcher but

realizing the importance of money-making he has changed his mind. Jim

Bayliss is a close friend of Joe Keller family, regularly visits the

Keller’s house.

Frank Lubey, another neighbour of Joe Keller of age 32, was

interested in astrology and making horoscopes of the people, enters there.

With casual remarks of here and there, Frank shows his pleasant nature.

His opinion about reading news is typical. He believes that there cannot be

any good news, as the Depression and World War II has brought lot

of difficulties, newspapers can nothing report different but the

calamities only.


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Without spending much space, Miller shifts his play to the

development of plot. Frank notices that a small apple tree planted there in

the backyard as the tribute to the memories of Larry is blown down. Larry

Keller, a son of Joe Keller was reported missing during World War II and

is presumed dead as there has been no contact with him more than three

years. Kate Keller, Joe’s wife, is yet clinged to her hope that Larry will

come back. Joe too is of the view that to support her motherly affection for

Larry, he should pretend to believe in her hope.

Kate has asked Frank to prepare the horoscope of Larry, she wanted

to know, November twenty-fifth, the day on which Larry was assumed to

be killed, whether the day was a favourable day for him or not. Frank as an

astrologer believes that “a favourable day for person is a fortunate day,

according to his stars. In other words, it would be practically impossible

for him to have died on his favourable day” (1947: 92).

Dr. Jim, the man of practical mentality does not believe in Frank’s

idea of ‘fortunate day’. An issue is raised to an extent to comment on the

beliefs and disbeliefs of the old and new generation. In fact, the

uncertainties of Depression era, and the feeling of insecurity has turned old

generation to doubt and despair. Moreover, Frank expects, Dr. Jim should

help the humanity by doing research in medicine. But Dr. Jim, who has

witnessed bitter results of Depression is not willing to do any service of

humanity sacrificing the money. He reacts: “I would love to help humanity

on a Warner Brothers Salary” (AS 93).


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It focuses on the selfish mentality of American society that the

making money is more important than anything else. Service at humanity

and nation are comparatively less important aspects.

Chris Keller, thirty-two year old son of Joe Keller, returned home

from World War II. He is a man of immense affection and loyalty, he is

furious about people they were continuing their life as if nothing had

happened. He is ever proud of his uncommon task of saving life of his

colleagues in the war, yet he has feeling of vague guilt for them who could

not survive but he could. He is the man of idealistic nature, never believes

in the world of fantasy and make-believe.

Realizing the wretched state of his mother-waiting hopefully for

Larry, he expects Joe should tell her the reality about Larry’s death. He

thinks that it is quiet unjust to hide the reality from mother. But Joe is not

willing to do so. Though he justifies that the skipping the truth from Kate

is good for her health, there at the deep corner of his mind, his sense of

guilt is associated with the suicide of Larry.

Moreover, Chris has invited Annie to meet Kellers. Annie Deever, a

26 year old daughter of Steeve Deever, is Joe Keller’s partner in the plant

of manufacturing wartime airplane cylinders for the military. During the

war period, they were hurriedly working to meet target of Government

order to supply the cylinders. One day when Keller was late to go to work,

Steeve discovered the cracks in the cylinders and he informed Keller. But

Keller telephonically asked him to conceal the truth. Obviously, the faulty


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cylinders caused fatal to crash the several planes with young pilots. In an

official investigation, Joe Keller denied his responsibility and Steeve was

held as the principal convict, consequently sent for imprisonment.

In fact, an origin of the plot of All My Sons lies in the incident of Joe

Keller’s rejection of guilt and its consequences. Joe Keller is the self-made

man who attained his success, starting from rags-to-riches. His success is

stained with blood and conceit. Chris Keller, an idealist representative of

younger generation tackles with the practical-minded Joe Keller, who

betrayed his integrity to please the bitch goddess of the success.

Miller skillfully presents the different implications of success

through the conflict of ‘father-son’. The conflict begins with the desire of

Chris Keller to Marry Annie who is, in fact, Larry’s girl. As, still Kate is

hopeful about Larry’s return, Chris knows, it is difficult to get consent of

her. So, naturally, he expects his father to help him which can be either

way fruitful, in making Kate aware of the fact of Larry’s death and

fulfilling Chris desire to marry Annie. Chris has his own dreams and

expectations from his life. But his dream of success is not an

individualistic, the family relationship for him is of more worth. Chris

Keller almost gives an ultimatum to his father saying that if the marriage

does not take place, he will leave the home. Joe tries to soften his anger

appealing him to think about the business they own. But Chris is least

tempted, and inspired by the business. His determination and ideology

reflects through his nature when he talks to his father in a way :


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Chris : The business! The business does not inspire me.

Keller : Must you be inspired.

Chris : Yes, I like it an hour a day if I have to grab for money all day long at least at evening. I want it beautiful. I want a family, I want some kids. I want to build something I can give myself to. Annie is in the middle of that (AS 102).

The ‘father-son’ conflict is significant element in Miller’s plays;

particularly his plays, Death of a Salesman, All My Sons and The Price,

remarkably deal with this conflict predominantly based on diverse

implications of American Dream of success. Miller in an extensive

interview conducted by Ronald Hayman, makes it clear that: “the whole

son-father thing is a dried husk in the plays” (Roudane 188). It is much

operative tool in, All My Sons representing the Dream attained with

honouring the values and on the other hand, dream attained with betraying

values and integrity.

Annie Deever, initially, Larry’s girlfriend, has rejected all contacts

with her father assuming that her father’s action of selling faulty aircraft

cylinder is related to Larry’s death. In fact, All My Sons is the play of

coincidence and contrivance. Throughout the play the past is continually

imposing the present. Miller, gradually works skillfully to make his

audience aware of the past. Though the play is taking place in the light of

present it is significantly related to the things happened in the past.

James K. Flanagan in his extensive study of Miller comments

precisely about the exertion of ‘Ibsensque technique’ of Miller as :


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Miller crafts his drama deftly, drawing for its structure o n ‘Ibsensque’. In such structure, the past is continually intrudes upon the present … Miller found such structure particularly hospitable for this story (1990:44).

Annie is the genuine knowledge-bearer in the play. Her expressions

and the manner in which she talks it seems that she alone can reveal many

things. Kate Keller still expects that as she believes in the return of Larry,

Annie too should believe. But it is shocking for her that Annie flatly

refuses to believe in. Chris too supports Annie. Annie is with an

assumption that her father was really guilty and responsible for the death of

pilots. Joe Keller, the real culprit has successfully managed to feel all his

neighbours and even Steeve’s children that he is innocent and Steeve’s

negligence caused that fatal accident. In fact, nobody has forgotten Joe’s

crime, rather Keller himself wants to forget the past and he even appeals to

Annie to forget. But it is quite difficult to forget that incident and its

consequences, which almost distracted her family; her father is being

punished an imprisonment, her mother is expecting a divorce from her

father. Moreover, an incident made them to leave their house. Still, the

taunts of her neighbour are echoing in her ears, she recalls it by saying:

Annie : The last thing I remember on this block was one word – ‘Murderers!’ Remember that Kate? … Mrs. Hammond standing in front of our house and yelling that word? She is still around, I suppose?

Kate : They are still around. (AS 115)


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Joe Keller, an escapist, wants to run away from the fact. To

safeguard himself, he has prepared around him a web of his false

assumption. On the remark of Kate, Joe hurriedly reacts: “Don’t listen to

her. Every Saturday night the whole gang is playing poker in this arbour.

All the ones who yelled murderers talking my money now” (AS 115). He

asserts the power of money that makes people to forget Joe’s indulgence in

crime. The truth seems surrendered to almighty money. His assertion

underlines the corrupt mentality of American society to recognize and

honour the material success attained by betraying the character-ethic.

By the end of the Act I, first time, Joe Keller, talks about the

incident of faulty air craft cylinder supply resulted into the death of twenty

one pilots. But his approach is rather egoistic to declare his exoneration

and changed outlook of the society. Despite all the blames and minor legal

punishment, finally he could have bigger shop than earlier one is the matter

of proud for him. In a way, he tries to emphasis that money has the power

to win all the favours.

An implication of American Dream of success of Benjamin Franklin

based on character- ethic and humanistic conviction of Cotton Mather’

‘Special Callings’, in modern American Society, seems to be forgotten.

The Dream of success and its interpretation of Joe are shadowed with

bloodshed and deceit. Apart from this, it seems that he is in hurry to prove

the futility of poetic justice:


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… I was getting out that day; the porches were loaded … none of them believed I was innocent. … The beast! I was the beast; the guy who sold cracked cylinder heads to Army Air Force; the guy who made twenty-one P-40s crash in Australia. Kid, walking down the street that day I was guilty as hell. Except I wasn’t. And there was court paper in my pocket to prove I wasn’t … Result? Fourteen months later I had one of the best shops in the state again, a respected man again, bigger than ever (AS 116).

Chris Keller, ‘a good boy’ of his parents, appreciates the guts of his father.

As an idealist, Chris is ignorant about his father’s guilt. Encouraged by

Chris’ appreciation Joe is more enthusiastic to talk about his success. He

suggests Annie to move back with her family. Annie in the course of

conversation asks Joe whether did he hold anything against her father,

reminding him that her father has helped him in the hours of crisis. But the

man, Joe, who by applying the strength of his material power has hidden

the truth of unforgivable guilt of killing twenty-one innocent pilots, and

made Steeve’s life wretched, Joe replies: “Annie, I never believed in

crucifying people” (AS 116). Moreover, Keller succeeds to make Annie

feel that her father was responsible for the death of pilots. Naturally,

Annie, Chris and even Kate are holding Steeve as the cruel murderer. But

Joe tries to justify Steeve’s role as if he is justifying himself. He has a

story of lame excuses. In the name of business and then situation, he tries

to explain that Steeve was, though at fault, one cannot call him murderer.

Even after the death of 21 pilots, the mechanical negligence in production

of cylinders was the matter of business for him. In business these things do

occur, is Joe’s business mentality. Joe, the real criminal by using the


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power, money becomes the law enforcer, makes people to misinterpret the

facts and assumes the role of the innocent. By the end of Act I, Chris

proposes to Annie and in quite sentimental tone expresses his grief for the

death of his colleagues. In his tender conversation with Annie, his truthful

and genuine feature of character is explicitly exposed. He feels ashamed of

him that he survived in the war whereas his colleagues could not. He feels

wrong to be alive. His expression focuses on his idealist bent of mind.

He says :

And then I came home and it was incredible … I felt … ashamed somehow. Because nobody was changed at all. It seemed to make suckers out of a lot of guys. I felt wrong to be alive, to open the bank-book, to drive the new car … I mean you can take those things out of a war, but when you drive that car you have not got to know that it came out of the love a man can have for a man, you have got little better because of that, otherwise what you have as really loot, and there is blood on that. I didn’t want to take any of it (AS 122).

Chris’ interpretation of dream of success is quite humanistic where

character-ethic is the cardinal element. He is not against making money

but he emphasizes the virtuous manner of making it. The play, All My

Sons is the play not merely commenting on the conflict between two

generations, it also juxtaposes different interpretation of American Dream.

In the play, particularly, Joe has witnessed the consequences of

Depression, adversely affecting the mental and physical state of American

society. So, probably his implication of American Dream lacks the

character-ethic and humanistic approach towards it. Whereas Chris

belongs to a new generation which believes in idealistic and romantic ideas


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of the success. Annie, too, is of the mind that : “ … there is nothing

wrong in your money. Your father put hundreds of planes in the air, you

should be proud. A man should be paid for that …” (AS 122). Annie’s

view regarding material success, though practical one, having resemblance

with Chris’ idealist approach. Chris, in a course of conversation, dreaming

pleasant life with Annie, assures her sound fortune.

By the close of Act I, the news of George Deever’s arrival, alarms

the danger-bell in the mind of Joe and Kate Keller. George, 31 year old,

Annie’s elder brother is a successful New York Lawyer and childhood

friend of Chris, has never met his father in jail that he believes in the matter

of his involvement in unforgiveable guilt of killing innocent pilots. But

recently he has met his father in the jail and soon after he is about to meet

Keller’s and specifically, to his sister, Annie. This, forthcoming visit of

George creates unrest among Kellers. Joe is now doubtful about even

Annie. He expresses doubt to Chris that Annie might have come here to

dig out something regarding her father’s case. And, in case, it becomes

successful in her motif, Chris should not support her, so Joe tempts him

assuring even brighter material prosperity. Joe the strong believer in the

power of money tries to convince Chris as: “I am going to build you a

house, stone, with a driveway from the road. I want you to spread out,

Chris, I want you to use what I made for you” (AS 124).

Joe believes in the power of money as a remedy for any question.

He does not hesitate to tempt his son. For him, money is trump card works


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as an ultimate weapon. Chris as a good son has always believed in his

father. But realizing urgency in the words he expresses his doubt about his

father’s money, Joe further emphasizes his attitude about money.

“Sometimes I think you’re … ashamed of the money. … It’s good money,

there is nothing wrong with that” (AS 124, 125).

In fact, Joe is trying to make up his mind for tentative danger

coming in the life, with an arrival of George. The care and curiosity of Joe

and Kate is intense by the end of Act I. Kate warns him to ‘be smart’.

Joe’s success has made him arrogant and self-assured. He has realized

that, long-ago in the past the offence he committed is going to stir his life.

Though he has tried long-enough to cover the crime with the colour and

power of money, it is now going to crack his castle. Miller, by the end of

Act I, skillfully, develops the plot, applying Ibsensque technique. The

characters, with conflicting convictions are arranged properly, commenting

and criticizing the diverse implication of American Dream as one of the

major themes of the play.

The Act II begins by the evening of the same day. Miller, in this act

offers an effective balance of bitterness and sweetness, of anxiety and

relief, prolonging his dramatic questions, he has raised by the end of Act I.

Particularly, father-son conflict based on diverse ideologies regarding

success phenomenon, becomes the centre of the focus. Chris is as assured

in his belief that the family has nothing to hide he is relaxed and not much


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concerned about the arrival of George. But Joe and Kate are in tense, Kate

with womanly care asks Chris to protect them.

Sue Bayliss wife of Dr. Jim Bayliss comes to Kellers’ house to see

her husband who has been sent to depot to bring George home. Annie gets

chance to have a conversation with Sue. She knows what people think

about Kellers particularly regarding an issue of Joe’s guilt of involving in

the death of twenty one innocent pilots. Sue makes it clear that: “There is

not a person on the block who doesn’t know the truth” (AS 131). She adds

more that people gather around Joe not because they are considering him

innocent. It is all credit of his smartness that by applying his monetary

power, he has fooled people. Moreover, to Sue, Chris, too, is not real

idealist; if he would have been, he could not have taken any money of his

father which is stained by the blood of young pilots. For Sue, Chris who

always gives lessons of ideology and values to Dr. Bliss too has done some

compromise with his idealist nature. After the departure of Sue, Annie

tells Chris that how people on the block including Sue consider Joe is

guilty. But Chris’ love for his father makes him to deny the fact. Annie,

too, seems convinced by Chris firm opinion about his father. However, she

reminds him that she has turned her face from her father assuming him

guilty. She has not forgiven her own father, and threatens Chris that if

anything wrong she comes to know she can do the same with Kellers.

James Flanagan, a notable critic of Miller, reads arrival of George as

an activity giving different dimensions to several strands. To him : “The


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play is a web, then of home spun fidelities, of faith placed and misplaced, a

network of belief that, like the apple tree, snaps under pressure”

(Flanagan 41). George comes with the snap of truth to shake belief of

Chris and Joe’s web of illusion. Realizing the danger in George’s arrival,

Joe offers to set his career as a lawyer in his home town. By doing so, it is

his effort to win the sympathy of Annie and George. Moreover, he tries to

tempt Annie offering a good job for her father. But on the other hand, he is

not willing to accept Steeve Deever as his partner. The practical minded

Joe is not ready to show any concrete favour to Deever who is actually a

victim of Keller’s deception. Joe’s selfish nature makes him to forget the

sacrifice of Deever, which saved him from total ruin.

In a fiery conversation, George tells the fact to Chris and Annie, that

Joe has destroyed their family, he has deceived Steeve Deever. In fact,

Steeve Deever, on that day, brought to the notice of Joe that the cylinders

are faulty. But Joe asked him to cover up the cracks and ship the cylinders.

Consequently it proved very fatal to the life of the pilots. At the time of

investigation and in the court also Joe denied the fact and the due

responsibility. George accuses that Joe Keller has taken everything they

had. There is a backdrop of crime and bloodshed behind every success of

Joe. So he appeals Annie not to marry Chris.

Naturally, Kate too supports her husband saying that on that night,

he was suffering from pneumonia though he was willing to go to the

factory he was unable to do so. Kate is well aware of the fact and Joe’s


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involvement in the crime. She has realized that the truth can shatter her

family. So she prefers to keep it closed to save her husband from the

total ruin.

Meanwhile, Frank comes with the horoscope of Larry, which

according to him is in absolutely in favour of Larry. His study of stars has

brought him to a conclusion that, “somewhere in the world Larry is alive.”

To Chris, it is all insane to believe in. Kate suggests to Chris and Annie

that, as according to horoscope Larry is alive and hence they cannot marry.

She is almost ready to drag Annie out. Chris is still insisting to marry her.

In a tone of ultimatum, Chris threatens Kate, if she does not permit him to

do so he is going to leave the home. Already with the loss of a son Kate is

turned psychic, suddenly looses her control and bursts that, “if Larry is

dead, then he is killed by his father.” Chris is shocked by this stance of

Kate. It is all unbelievable thing for him to assume his father as a cruel

killer of innocent pilots.

Miller effectively plots the state of revelation and confusion in his

dialogues as :

Chris - Dad … Dad you killed twenty-one men !

Keller - What killed?

Chris - You killed them, you murdered them.

Keller - How could I kill anybody?

Chris - Dad! Dad! (AS 156,157).

Joe, horrified at Chris overwhelming fury, tries to give unjust

explanation of his guilt that underlines the greed of American society for


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success and status attained by adapting means of crime and decent. On the

part of Joe, it is very shame to say, that what he did was the part of his

business. Joe tries to convince Chris :

… What could I do? I’m in business, a man is in business; a hundred and twenty cracked, you’re out of business; you got a process; the process don’t work, you are out of business … Your stuff is n o good, they close you up, they tear up your contracts, … you lay forty years into a business and they knock you out in five minutes, what could I do, … let them take my life away … (AS 157).

Joe expects Chris should forgive him, because whatever he has

done, it was a part of the business. Miller, through Joe’s argument focuses

on the throat-cutting competition in American society, which has entirely

changed the implication of success. Crime, betrayals and deceit have

become the means of the way of wealth and status. It seems that the

definition of American Dream, particularly during post-depression period,

lacks the moral values. Moreover, the success aspirers have their own

justification behind their adoption of the wrong means to success. It is

their general mentality to win the sympathy on the grounds that they have

been suffered lot from the consequences of depression and above all what

they have done and whatever they are doing, is for the sake of business and

the welfare of their families.

Joe too is not free from this mode of justification to appeal Chris to

forgive him. But Chris, man of genuine feeling, is almost out of his temper

to know about his father’s guilt of pushing innocent pilots in the cruel jaws


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of death. It makes him to forget all his love and attachment for his father

though he has assured him better material life and prosperous future.

Of curse, Chris, too believes in the importance of success and

fulfillment of American Dream. But being an absolute idealist, his idea

and interpretation of success is based on the parameter of ethical values.

The revealation of Joe’s guilt proves sheer emotional breakdown and

delusion of his dream. It gives intense pains to Chris. At the end of the

second act of the play, he is quite furious and emotionally broken to say:

I was dying everyday and you were killing my boys and you did it for me? What the hell do you think I was thinking of, the goddain business? Is that as far as your mind can see, the business? What is that world – the business? What the hell do you mean. You did it for me? Don’t you have a country? Don’t you live in the world? What the hell are you? You are not even an animal, no animal kills his own. What are you … I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth ... (AS 158).

The anger and disgust of Chris is not resulted merely out of the

father-son confrontation more than that, it is a confrontation of values and

ideologies against the compromises and betrayals. It is a conflict between

virtues and sinful means, employed in the way of attainment of success and

so called status. In the course of period, Joe’s admission of his crime

significantly emphasizes the emptiness of his success. Already, among the

neighbourhood Joe’s crime is the matter of criticism, posing interrogatory

mark against his success; his wife is turned manic hiding her husband’s

guilt so long and now, his only son Chris has caught him as a cruel

criminal. Neither Joe’s material success nor his sham status tempts Kate


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and Chris to neglect the fact and forgive him. Undoubtedly, vice is bound

to be punished. Death of his son-Larry and his wife Kate consistently

living under the shadow of his guilt can be certainly considered as the

punishment of Joe for the sin committed.

At the beginning of the final act Kate is seen worriedly waiting for

Chris who after fierce interaction with Joe, has left the home. Dr. Jim

Bayliss arrives there. Though Jim is one of the minor characters in the

play, his reactions regarding American Dream are quite noteworthy. He,

too, is the victim of wrong notion of American Dream of success. He

knows the futility of unethical success but he is helpless as many other

Americans. His observation regarding increasing ill health in American

society is quite remarkable. The long lasting greed for money and restless

efforts to attain it has adversely affected the health of the people. He

rightly remarks :

Half of my patients are quite mad. Nobody realizes how many people are walking around loose, and they’re cracked as coconuts. Money - Money – Money – Money – Money. You say it doesn’t mean anything (AS 159).

Whereas, while assuring the come back Chris to Kate, Dr. Jim is

really quite philosophical to say that the private revolution dies soon. It is

the age of compromises and Chris, too will compromise with his ideals.

Though Joe has admitted his guilt, he is of the view that he should be

forgiven because whatever he has done is solely for the sake of family. He

tries to convince his wife Kate as: “ … You wanted money, so I made


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money. What must I be forgiven? You wanted money didn’t you?”

(AS 162). But Kate is disgusted of the material mentality of Joe. She

knows the nature of Chris well. She has realized the intensity of pains

Chris has felt. So to Kate, there are many people in this world believing

that there is something bigger than family and money. Chris, always under

the over influence of his war-experience and basically as an idealist

considers nation and integrity are the more important elements than the

individual material prosperity.

Chris returns home with a firm decision of leaving home for ever.

As Dr. Jim has already predicted he is now with his compromises.

Though, to him, there are many things bigger than money, he is upto the

decision that he should have to be more practical by punishing Joe. He

knows no dead pilot can be brought back. It is his defeatism to run away

from his ideals, declaring the world as inhuman zoo. His love for his father

finally, overpowers his idealism. He feels himself odd in the world. His

anger and disgust is explicitly expressed in his words as :

This is the land of great big dogs, you don’t have a man have, you eat him! That’s the principle; the only one we live by –it just happened to kill few people this time, that’s all. The world is that way, how can I take it out on him? What sense does that make? This is a zoo, a zoo ! (AS 167).

Still Joe Keller is trying to tempt Chris to excuse him in the return

of money what he had earned for his family.

Joe’s guilt, self-disgust, sense of meaninglessness and worthlessness is unmitigated because no one in family is willing to share it. Instead they are proding at him and


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setting him up as space-goat. And he does not know his complexes, … his gross materialistic culture which worships the bitch-goddess success with which he has reflexive relationship (Atmaram 18).

In the words above cited, Atmaram, an Indian scholar in Miller, analyses

the state of mind of Joe Keller. His American Dream makes him, finally,

to reexamine his success. The meaninglessness of his success has already

uprooted him from the society and now his space in family is also denied

for whom, according to him, has done everything. In the midst of empire,

he built he is all alone and completely detached from the family. The

moment of revealation his guilt is quite critical for him, which has

dissected him in the two diversely different poles – his material success

falsely rested on the guilt and complete denial of his family to share and

support the crime, he committed. Miller rightly notes in the introduction

of Selected Plays :

Joe Keller’s trouble, a word, is not that he cannot fell right from wrong point that his cast of mind cannot admit that he, personally, has any viable connection with his world, his universe, or his society, he is not a partner of the society, but an incorporated member (1963 : 2).

Naturally, Joe’s attitude towards the society is quite commercial and

by the power of money, in the course of time, had proved it. He has to do

nothing with the world around him. The society, for Joe Keller is merely a

business laboratory, where he has experimented his ideas of making money

casting least importance to character ethic. But he always believed that the

family is an autonomous entity. To safeguard his family he has chosen the

way of wealth devoid of virtues and integrity. So to him, his guilt is


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excusable, as he says : “nothing bigger than that … I am his father and he

is my son any of there’s something bigger than that I’ll put a bullet in my

head!” (AS 163).

Throughout play, right from the time Annie is arrived, she is

consistently trying to make Kate believe in Larry’s death, finally, she reads

the very letter Larry wrote to her before he committed the suicide. Joe,

now, realizes that he himself is responsible for the death of Larry. He

realizes Larry’s anger and disgust about him. It is his complete submission

now to acknowledge that there is something definitely bigger than the

family and the money itself. He is totally broken to say, “ … Sure he was

my son. But I think to him they were All My Sons … ” As for Joe, family

was everything and always bigger than anything realizes the emptiness of

his thinking. His sons Chris and Larry made him to realize the fact that

there are certain things in the world for which can be lived and sacrificed

the life. Bigger than the family, there is certain noble cause to die for. At

the end, there is no another way for Joe than to punish himself. He puts, as

he said earlier that bullet into his head and commits the suicide. The

struggle between recognition and forgiveness comes to an end by the

punishment of the false notion of material mentality.

Miller has dealt with the theme of ‘father-son conflict’ on a wider

canvas. The conflict, crossing the domestic walls extends to the diverse

implications of American idea of success. The conflict represents struggle

between ideologies and values on the other hand, juxtaposed against


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materialistic approach towards the life. In the play, the meaner

individualistic approach towards success and status is examined against

wider canvas of ideologies and value, where so called American Dream of

success, eventually proved meaningless.

Som P. Ranchan, in his article, ‘Four protagonists of Miller and

integral consciousness’, published in a volume, Perspectives on Arthur

Miller analyses, the story of protagonist – Joe Keller as American Dream –

come- true, failed on the level of values and principles. He considers Joe

as an inhuman as Chris himself has considered his father. Ranchan

evaluates Joe’s American Dream :

Joe’s libido or virtual is like that of an animal. It is not concerned with the uncovering the past, seeing what went wrong, and identifying where his values are shoddy. His vital is focused on the things of the world. … He is American-Dream-come-true and American Dream is something physical and vital. It is comfort and material power and ego-enlargement. Considerations of right and wrong, aspirations to culture and refinement, altruism and sacrifice, i.e. values coming from the higher mental and physical planes donot enter into it (1987:18).

Basically, Joe’s theory of attainment of American Dream is based

on wrong notions. His implication and interpretation of success is entirely

based on his faith in the power of money and status resulted out of it. His

character is moulded and ill nourished in typical era and society which

least cares for the special callings’ and humane approach for the fellow

beings. His greed for money and status has cut off himself from the world

around him, rather his world selfishly shrinked into the mean orbits of


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family. Consequently, his idea of American Dream of success in confined

to limited interests. But, at the end of the play, he realizes, his idea of

success is not approved either by his family, his so called success myth

proves mere delusion for him, leads him to finish his life.

Miller is quite effective to emphasize the importance of an ethical

and the moral fabric of social health. Through the play, All My Sons, he

advocates the earnest need and necessity of ethical values in the dire

competitive spirit of the society. Particularly, post-Depression American

society, Miller believes, badly in need of the reassessment of their notion

of success. Material security of the family and survival in the competitive

society cannot be the viable excuses to overthrow the values and ethics of

the life. Of course, it may result into so called material success; but on

psychological level, it can definitely hurt the conscience of an individual.

Joe, though, admits his guilt, repeatedly goes on arguing

inevitability of his deed on the grounds of material security of the family

and business sake. But it seems, rather than protecting himself, to self-

console to sooth his consciousness. An uprooted, Joe now does not see any

place to run away, neither his lame excuses nor his material prosperity

tempt his family to safeguard him. Rather, at the end of the play, he is late

awaken. His conscience makes him to run away from himself and he finds

death as ultimate destination. Realizing futility and meaninglessness of his

dream of success he finds the death is the only way to escape from the web

which he himself has knitted around him.


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Masohiro Oikawa, a scholar of Miller, is of quite sympathetic

approach to treat Joe as a representative product of the age. He appreciates

Joe’s flight from rag-to-richness and his ‘self-made’ nature of success.

Despite his low education and consistent hardships Joe has successfully

survived in the competitive American society to uplift his family offering

sound financial status. To Oikawa, Miller effectively employs conflicting

father-son relationship, having diverse implications of Dream of Success.

It makes to realize the demise of Alger-type success dream.

Oikawa explains :

It is obvious that he (Miller) is presenting two significant themes : the fall of fatherhood and the demise of the Alger-type ‘success dream’, noticeable in Modern American Society. These clearly illustrate the end of the nineteenth century American ethos, and the father-son conflict represents the myth of family and that of success (Masahiro 17).

To support his stand, he refers Gerald Weales’ interpretation of Joe’s

character, in rather mythical terms, Weales evaluates as :

His (Joe’s) death is more than a Singleman’s punishment. For Joe Keller is a product of his society. He is not only accepts the American myth of privacy of the family, but has adopted as a working instrument the familiar attitude that there is a difference between morality and business ethics. Joe Keller is a self-made man, an image of American success, who is destroyed when he is forced to see that image in another context – through the eyes of his idealist son (1967:97).

The play, All My Sons is analysed by Miller’s critics tracing out

variety of themes, but they have common agreement on the theme of

American Dream as a prominent feature of the play. It is a play of


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criticism of American Dream, practically proved as a delusion or

degeneration of myth of Dream in American Society. Miller, for his

All My Sons, is criticized for the complexity of the structure and lack of

straightforwardness. But on the other hand, by using Ibsensque technique

of plot composition, Miller provides certain theatrical elegance to the play.

Apart from technical excellence, the play, All My Sons is widely

appreciated for its thematic treatment, wherein Miller, distinguishly

advocates the importance of values and ethical principles for the

sustenance of social and family fabric. There is nothing wrong in the quest

for material success, but, for Miller, if it is attained at the cost of moral

values, it is sheer futile and meaningless, which, he predicts, may lead to

the tragic consequences.

3.3 DEATH OF A SALESMAN (1949)

It is an undeniable fact that a writer’s creative art and genius is

shaped by his intellectual and cultural milieu and the socio-economic

forces of the age in which he resides. It creates an effective backdrop of

influences, ultimately reflecting in his work of art. Essentially, moulding

of certain values and ethics, the writer advocates in his literary crafts, is

predominantly an impact of the age in which he is nourished.

Miller, in a speech delivered before the New Dramatists

Committee, recalls the influences he shaped by. He registers, the great

Depression of 1930’s and the Civil War as the most influential historical

events to mould his literary genius. For Miller, the age of depression is ‘a


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book’. It was an inescapable disaster stirred American society with the

feeling of insecurity, posing challenge against the existence itself. His

faith as an artist moved by the wretched conditions of the depression

straightway challenged the place of moral values in the life. It was a kind

of bewilderment to analyze things, countersecting the beliefs and appearing

as the fact. The perspective of Miller is absolutely based on a practical

problem. Whether still to believe in the success or to consider it as an

illusion going to be blown out. Of course, upto certain extent, Miller seems

to be accepting practical realities. But for him, yet the question remains,

What about a Man- beyond flesh and bone made up of the emotions and

feelings? Miller believes in thinking beyond the formal edges of the things

and beyond the surface realities of the matters he approaches to. Miller’s

peculiarity of literary genius lies in his interpretation and assessment of the

things on the basis of logic and cause and effect theory, keeping man at the

centre.

Commercialization of family relationships, father-son conflict,

search for identity, sustenance of an existence and American Dream of

success as an illusion are the prominent themes, Miller deals with in his

plays. Notably, like All My Son, his Death of a Salesman, too, is a play

analyzing the theme of American Dream, with its wider implication.

Death of a Salesman is significantly remarkable for the interpretation of

American Dream beyond the shades of success and failure but its

consequences disturbing emotions and relations as well. The play,


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alongwith its other themes, primarily, can be treated as the case history of

success-worship and self-delusion in an intensely material society. It is

certainly far above from the flatland of moral values and contemporary

dilemmas. Miller is distinctly different from other American playwrights

for his equal emphasis and justice to the milieu and representative

characters.

Death of a Salesman is appreciated and analysed by various critics

as the play of dilemma, as an expressionistic play, a play as a social

tragedy, etc. However, the researcher here intends to analyse the play,

observing American Dream and delusion as the key theme, encompassing

other thematic features of the play.

On 10th February, 1949, Miller’s widely appreciated play, Death

of a Salesman, opened at Morosco Theatre, New York. Technical

accomplishment of play in the areas of script, setting and staging made

critics to rank the play at higher level. Technical competence, imagination

and compassion are the peculiar features of the play to win the general

recognition as the outstanding play of 20th century. Including most

prestigious Pulitzer Prize, Death of a Salesman won the Drama Critics’

Circle award, Antoinette Perry, Theatre Club and Front Page awards of the

year of its opening. The several print-editions made the record of the sale.

Naturally, the play added grace and glory to Miller’s recognition as a

playwright of social criticism. Miller more subtle and mature approach at

human life flourishes his literary craftsmanship. Death of a Salesman is a


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good example of Miller’s capability in reading human mind minutely and

its inescapable impact on human life.

Death of a Salesman, truly speaking, is the play of mind game of the

protagonist juxtaposed against worldly realities. Miller started to write the

first draft of the play with the title, The Inside of His Head. He believed in

his belief that the past plays the major role in an accomplishment or

deeming of human life. Always the ideas are nourished on the past and the

experience. So the protagonist of the play, Willy Loman, true to this type.

His ideas of success and failure are based on his past and amount of an

experience he received from it. It is quite natural that an indulgence in past

and long experience of life should enable everyone to have mature and

realistic self-evaluation, but in case of the protagonist of the play – Willy

Loman, it does not materialize and consequences lead him to wrong notion

of dreams and desires. He could never make to analyse the things on the

grounds of true merit. It may be his own life and his capabilities, Willy

always misevaluated and in the efforts of attainment of dream and

expectations failed to work on proper note. Ultimately it withered him

psychologically and physically to be victimized of unfortunate suicide. So

to analyse the play with a perspective to probe into contemporary

implication of American Dream, its success and failure and reaction of

society towards it, is an intention of further study of the researcher. Miller,

himself while commenting on the nature of the play, Death of a Salesman

explicitly asserted his views :


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Death of a Salesman is a sleepery play to categorize because nobody in it stops to make speech objectively stating the great issues which I believe it embodies … it reverberates, echoes, resonates its rhythms roll deep down towards and into American desires and delusions (Heyen 47).

Though the play can be interpreted in many other ways

concentrating on different issues, it deals with an indisputable fact that

American Dream of success as a one of the greater issues of human life,

and it is at the focal point of the play. Willy Loman as a representative

character is at the centre of the play who is a victim of misjudgment of his

inner self and outward realities resulted into delusion of his desires and

aspirations.

Willy Loman, the protagonist of the play has been working as a

travelling salesman for Wagner firm since last thirty-four years. Now at

the age of 63, not bringing expected business for the firm and straightway

removed from salary to commission as he is not remained valuable for the

firm. Willy is hurt by this ungrateful act of the company and quite

disgusted with his state. Yet he has no other way than to keep himself

associated with his work to run his family. Linda Loman , Willy’s wife, a

typical middleclass house wife, having much concern for the family, feels

pleasure in sacrificing her own wishes for the sake of her husband and

sons. Despite his illusions and difficulties she has great care and love for

Willy. She feels it is her divine duty to be always with husband, in all his

adversities and pleasures. Biff Loman is thirty-four year old, elder son of

Willy, a recognized star foot-baller at his high school level. His ‘physical


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attractiveness’ has heightened Willy’s expectation for him. He showed

great promise for future but for last fourteen years he has been “unable to

find himself”. Happy Loman is Willy’s younger son of the

age 32, independent, working in a departmental store, living in his own

apartment. But he feels rejected by his father. Willy, too, is not expecting

much from him that by working in a departmental store, has defied his

lofty dream of success. Charley, a next door neighbour of Lomans having

life-long acquaintance for Willy has loaned money every month to Willy as

he has been put on commission basis. Bernard is Charley’s son, a

successful Lawyer of his age and a childhood friend of Biff. He is always

compared with Biff.

Among other minor characters in the play are – Jeeny, a Secretary of

Charley, Ben Loman, Willy’s brother, never arrives on the stage but

through the memories and dreams of Willy is much projected. He is the

success icon for Willy, Howard Wagner is a Willy’s boss at the Wagner

Company, a very practical businessman having no concern for

relationships but profit in the business is the only thing matters for him.

The first act of the play opens with a background melody played on

flute creating dreamy atmosphere, having close relevance with the thematic

implication of the play. Willy in a dire despair and terribly exhausted,

returned from his business tour of New England territory, enters in a house.

Linda his wife, a loving creature of Willy, having honest admiration for his

massive dreams and desires, is stirred by an unexpected arrival of Willy,


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Linda with natural womanly care enquires about his tour and his abrupt

return. She asks about the possibilities of an accident. Willy explains to

her that how did he, now-a-days losing his mind absorbing into

dreamy thoughts.

Miller, at the very beginning, effectively establishes Willy Loman as

a nostalgic character, who loves to be a wanderer of the past. In fact, it is

quite general phenomenon when one does not feel comfortable with the

harsh realities of the present tries to find out the shelter in the past by

recalling the pleasant memories of the by gone days or shifts himself to the

future with the flight of fancy and imagination.

In case of Willy, too, same is happening. It is, now a routine matter

for him to lose the mind sinking into past and dreaming about future.

Linda advises him to keep his mind, saying : “Your mind is overactive and

the mind is what counts, dear” (1949:9). Willy admits that he is now

becoming habitual of the thing and tells her about his state of mind as:

I was driving along, you understand? And I was fine. I was even observing the scenery … And all of a sudden I’m going off the road, I’m telling you, I absolutely forgot I was driving … So I went again – and five minutes later I’m dreaming again. I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts (DS 9).

Concerned much to the difficulties of Willy, Linda persuades him to

ask for the change in locality of work, that he should ask for New York

region. But already Willy has realized that for his company he is no more

remained valuable so he may not get a relief by getting chance to work at


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New York. In the course of time, he experiences the sheer practical and

money – minded response from his boss. Willy, right from the beginning,

is disgusted with the life he is living. It is quite painful for him, that he is

unable to satisfy his own expectations, naturally whatever the dreams and

desires, he has, wants to be fulfilled by his sons. He is more optimistic

about his son – Biff as he is a man of ‘personal attractiveness’. But, still,

Biff has not shown any promise. He is unable to make thirty five dollars a

week, Willy expresses his disgust for Biff as : “Not finding yourself at the

age of thirty-four is a disgrace” (DS 11).

To Willy, world is a market place and everything is a saleable

commodity. Being an absolute salesman, he thinks Biff is not making use

of his ‘personal attractiveness’ in the greatest country like America where

everything is sold and purchased. Despite all the salesmanship qualities

Biff possesses, his failure and ‘not finding himself’ is a matter of worry for

him. In fact, Willy has a kind of nervousness and haste to materialize his

desires, his own realization of age and Biff’s cool response to his father’s

expectations makes Willy victim of frequent nervous break downs. In such

situations Linda is the only source of consolation and encouragement for

Willy. Though, Linda has no any space in Willy’s dreams and desires, and

she too is not insisting about it; as a good wife and mother she prefers to

encourage her family. Despite Willy’s failure in the life, Linda ranks him

high, saying: “Just try to relax, dear. You make mountains out of Mole

hill” (DS 13). Willy’s ambitions and dreams are always supported by


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Linda’s encouragement and care. It leads him to firm determination of

putting his money in Biff to bring the desired success. In fact, Willy’s all

failure and suffering is a result of misjudgement and miscalculation of

success and failure as well. Man, who himself could not find his way

throughout whole life, is expecting lot from his son who is unable to find

himself ‘at the age of thirty-four’. Whatever tragic consequences Willy

goes through are resulted out of an inadequate reliance and improper

notions of success. The haste for success has led him to wrong moves. His

frequent shifting from present to past has always made him to realize an

urgency to regain the lost golden empire. On the background of present

hard realities and an insecurity of ‘maddening competition’, his haste for

attainment of success has adversely affected the logic of life. In a nostalgic

tone, when he talks about the suffocation which feels in the boxed houses

of bricks and windows, it seems that he feels more suffocated internally by

the bitter fruits of depression. And for him, lungfull breath of success is

the only breath of consolation. Of course, there is nothing wrong in Willy’s

earnest feeling for success but his hopes are residing on wrong values and

wrong means. He wishes to employ Biff as an apparatus in his experiment

of success and is not enough handy to borne the results.

In fact, Happy and Biff, sons of Willy brought up in an inadequacy.

They have closely realized the feeling of insecurity of Willy. They belong

to the generation which actually has not ever enjoyed the glory of

prosperous era. So, on the one hand, maddening of competition of post


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Depression age and on the other hand, lack of confidence in them has made

them less self-assured and quite casual about life. Their remarks for Willy

show little concern for him. Willy’s mental and physical weaknesses are

the topics of their mockery. More or less, Willy, Happy and Biff are the

dreamers of the success, but Happy and Biff are not as serious and earnest

about their dreams as Willy is. It widens the gulf between Willy’s feelings

for his dreams and his desire of fulfilling the dreams through his sons.

Moreover, their implication of success and means of its attainment

are diversely different and clashing to one another. Willy, though wrong in

defining the success, he believes in hard work, but Biff from whom Willy

is expecting more, believes in short cuts like stealing and quick results.

Whereas Happy is much pleased with whatever he has achieved. Biff is,

though man of strong masculine character, he is turned victim of boredome

and frustration. His frequent failure makes him to feel defeated and read

the life as absolutely meaningless burden. Biff admits : “… I don’t know

what the future is. I don’t know – what I’m supposed to want … I have

always made a point of not wasting life, and every time, I come back here I

know I have done is to waste my life” (DS 16,17). Whereas Happy wants

to be a merchandise manager. He dreamt for his own apartment, a car and

plenty of women. By making own apartment and having illegal

relationship with many women, Happy has attained his desires to some

extent. But yet he feels lonely. Moreover, he talks about his compromises

with his ideals. He blames the people around him that they have made him


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to make the compromises. Despite Happy’s own success Willy as a big

dreamer does not consider him a successful character. On the other hand,

Biff, in the past, showed some promise for the future, but by consistently

changing his jobs, finally proved hopeless; Willy is more concerned for

him about the fulfillment of his desires. Willy’s belief in his ‘personal

attractiveness’ and masculine character compels him to see his desires

fulfilled by Biff.

The character-ethic and the work-ethic as the prominent features of

the way of the wealth and the pursuit of American Dream, consider the

well-organized hard work as the cardinal requirement to bring the dreams

in reality. In case of Willy, Happy and Biff, they are representative

dreamers of the age but fail to attain the success because they are not able

to assess and suit their dreams properly to the competitive spirit of

American society. They are neglecting the importance of values like

character- ethic and work- ethic.

Willy, already living under the burden of adversities and haste to

fulfill his dreams, feels physically and mentally tired and uprooted from the

American society. Happy and Biff, are the victims of growing sense of

emptiness, futility and aimlessness.

American Dream of success is predominantly all about constructive

creativity and upward mobility. Just dreaming to please the ‘bitch

Goddess’ is not enough; alongwith high morale, killing competitive spirit

accompanied with dedicated work-ethic are the genuine requirements


161

which Loman and sons lack. Their ambitions are subdued with the

frustration, emptiness and meaninglessness. In fact, they are almost

psychologically defeated before the commencement of the war. For them,

their dream becomes a nightmare of haunting despair and nothingness.

The pursuit of American Dream is a gallantry act, the defeatists and

escapists cannot see the bright light of the victory.

Many critics have rightly evaluated the play, Death of a Salesman as

an expressionistic play of strong yearnings. Generally speaking, in any

society and particularly in American, there is nothing wrong to cherish

deep desires of success. In that way, Willy Loman, too, is true to type that

he himself dreams for success and yearns for the successful life for his

sons. Realizing his own failure, he is more affectionate for the success of

his sons. But besides his love and care for sons he fails in their proper

nourishment. By instilling wrong notions of myth of success and

appreciating improper deeds of his sons, he makes them unfit to sustain in

the throat cutting competition of the American society, particularly, by

appreciating Biff’s physical built. He ignores Biff’s performance in his

studies. Rather he encourages Biff comparing him with Bernard, Biff’s

schoolmate and neighbour :

Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’ understand, but when gets out in the business world, y’ understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him. That’s why I thank Almighty God you’re both built like Adonises. Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead (DS 25).


162

Driving car without license, flunking in mathematics are the matters

which do not worry for Biff. He does not want his son to be a book-

worm. Willy Loman a pathetic figure, living on false ideals, has already

met to his failure. But by ignoring and neglecting the true values for the

success, he is paving path of failure for his sons. When Linda scolds Biff

for his ill-performance, Willy protects him appreciating for his ‘spirit and

personality’. In the course of time, Bernard, an anaemic figure becomes

the successful lawyer and still Biff is ‘finding his life’.

As Willy is now, shifted from salary to work on commission basis,

it is becoming difficult for him to run the family. Linda’s reminder of due

payments makes him to lose his tempers. He is now cursing himself for his

inabilities. In a mood of deep repentance, he reminds his brother Ben who

left home early in childhood and now he is a successful man owning

diamond mines and timber jungles. While leaving, according to Willy,

Ben invited him, and now it is a time of repentance for Willy that he denied

the offer.

In fact, Ben is an idol of success for Willy. He represents Algersque

figure of hero leaping from rags-to-richness. Principally, Willy knows the

ideals of the success but he is wrong at practical grounds, fails to

demonstrate the ideals which can lead him to pursuit of his desires. He

knows success is not any mysterious thing. In case of Ben, he says : “The

man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle

and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he is rich! The world is a


163

Oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a mattress?” (DS 32) This is what a

success formula which Ben used and proved himself a big success. But

Willy in his life failed to employ the same, although he, theoretically, is

well aware about it.

Charley, Willy’s neighbor, is an example of down to earth character

has attained limited success but Willy, man of lofty dreams and false

ideals, does not consider his success as a success whereas the mystique and

imaginary success of Ben is more reliable for him. His dwelling upon

mystique success makes him more desperate and hasty. While talking to

his son he cannot hide his agony of failure. In a real sense, Willy is total

failure in comparison with Charley. But Willy making subtle distinction

between ‘liked’ and ‘well-liked’; respectively regarding himself and

Charley assures his sons about the more probability of success than

Charley. Willy himself has confined in the memories of past and illusory

greatness related. His business connections in different territories, his

warm reception by the people and memories of how cops were taking care

of his car were the significant signs of his status and honour.

On the contrary, at the every walk of his life, he now realizes that he

is ignored, neglected and rejected by the Corporate Society and upto

certain extent by his own people too. The pursuit of American Dream

measures the success in terms of material prosperity and social status

gained. In case of Willy, he is unable to sustain neither the material richess


164

nor the social recognition. So, his story becomes the story of failure rather

than the story of myth of success.

In a deep mood of depression, Willy confesses to Linda : “You

know trouble is, Linda, people don’t seem to take to me. ... They seem to

laugh at me … I don’t know the reason for it, but they just pass me by. I

am not noticed” (DS 28).

Willy feels most pathetic when his ego is hurt. The words of his

devoted wife offer him a bit of consolation. Living in the dreamy world of

illusion and consistent plunging into past adds an abnormality to his nature.

Instead of having sympathetic understanding of Willy’s state of mind, Biff

and Happy show a feeling disconcern and disgust for Willy. Linda does

not like their attitude towards Willy. She warns them :

Biff, dear, if you don’t have any feeling for him then you can’t have any feeling for me. … He is the dearest man in the world for me, and I won’t have anyone making him feel unwanted and low and blue … Either he’s your father and you pay him respect, or else you’ve not to come here (DS 43).

Linda’s assessment of Willy’s nature is quite realistic. Though there

is no space and place for Linda in the dream of success of Willy, ultimately

as a wife, her fate is associated to the fate of Willy. Being a devoted wife,

it is a part of her integrity and sacred duty to be always with Willy in his

glories and graves. Unlike Willy her expectations from her sons are quite

natural and limited. Probably, she has rightly judged the potentials of her

son. For her, Biff , a romantic footballer of his past and good-for-nothing


165

for present, does not have the gutts to satisfy the desires of his father. So,

at the most, she expects that her sons should show at least emotional

concern for father and should pay due respect for him. Because she alone

knows from the deepest of her care that Willy, the miserable creature, has

lost his entire mind in the memories of past and harsh realities of present,

needs the emotional support and affinity.

Willy Loman is lost in the heart of darkness, in a cruel competitive

spirit of American society where the profit is the sole objective, a weak old

and infirm man like Willy has no any place. But the tragic thing is that

Willy ignoring his abilities and realities tries to run with the spirit of

American society. Keeping his desires close to heart, he tries to accept the

challenge of survival. In the cat-rat race of competitive American society

and his dreams he is exhausted. It has instilled an intense spiritual crisis

in him.

While appealing for respect for Willy, Linda brings to the notice of

her sons the wretched state of Willy as :

I don’t say he is a great man : Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He is not the finest character ever-lived. But he’s a human being and terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He is not allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. … A small man … exhausted. He works for Company thirty-six years this March … and now in his old age they take his salary away (DS 44).

Sensing the improbability of getting dreams materialized, exhausted and

defeated Willy has lost the will to live more. He has deliberately attempted


166

accidents to commit suicide. Linda has well realized all this but kept the

secret closed for her sons. But now when Happy and Biff are not much

serious to their father, Linda with all care and emotions urges her sons to

save their father.

By the end of Act I of the play, knowing the reality, Happy and Biff

are moved little to do something. Happy and Biff are enthusiastic to think

of the business of selling sports goods. The idea of ‘Loman Brothers’

business line makes Willy crazy. Biff decides to meet Bill Oliver, a

successful businessman in sports goods business line. Biff is confident

about Olliver’s financial assistance. Willy gives him some tips about trade

talk to impress Olliver. Linda is doubtful about Olliver’s help, but Willy

assures her that Biff is a man of an outstanding caliber and he would

succeed in negotiation and to win the favour of Olliver.

Act I of the play ends on a positive note that first time, Biff and

Happy are doing something, assuring Willy to feel optimistic about his

dreams. Apparently, it seems that Willy is little bit relaxed from the

suffocation and burden of his failure. As usual, Linda encourages him and

she is happy to see Willy mentally well composed. To make him more

relaxed, she reminds him to have a meeting with Howard Wagner, owner

of the Wagner Company, to request him to appoint him as business

representative for local area. Willy’s mood of affirmation and optimism is

at higher degree to assure Linda the better results.


167

Miller, skillfully, concludes the act I, arousing curiosity among the

readers for the outcome of the tentative business meetings of Biff and

Willy respectively. The ultimate success and failure of fulfillment of

Willy’s Dream of success solely depends upon the success of their

meetings. Howard Wagner and Bill Olliver are successful business figures

are the residents of the practical business world of profit and loss. So the

sympathy for Willy turns into worry about him. Willy, though, is the man

of misinterpretations and misjudgments; living in the illusory world of

dreams, basically is a good human being. Naturally, Miller succeeds to

arouse the sympathy and borne well wishes for Willy on the part of

the readers.

Dreaming for the success of ‘Loman Brothers’ Sports goods’ and

assuming him as a successful salesman of New York territory, Willy, once

again at the end of Act I plungs into the illusory world, looking at moon

through the buildings.

The beginning of the Act II is a promise of new dawn for Willy.

The music heard, implies rosy hopes in the mind of Willy. Linda expresses

her pleasure to see her sons accompanying one another with confidence to

win the world. Willy is now quite hopeful to sow some seeds in the yard

which significantly implies that the barrenness of desires and dreams are

about to end. As a part of his nature Willy is dreaming to build a guest-

house for his sons Linda brings him back to the practical reality of

domestic problems. She informs him that they are at the grace period of


168

submitting their insurance premium, amounting one hundred and sixty-

eight dollars. Talking to Howard, Linda reminds Willy to ask for an

advance amount to meet the domestic needs.

Biff and Happy have decided to meet for dinner after their business

talks at Frank’s Chop restaurant. They have invited Willy too. Willy feels

encouraged of the things happening; he is ready to meet Howard with

better anticipations. After Willy’s departure for the meeting Linda

telephonically talks to Biff about Willy’s changing attitude and above all

his will to live more. Linda encourages Biff and wishes better luck for his

meeting with Olliver. She insists him to behave with manners because

Olliver is the only boat for them taking them to the harbour of prosperity.

She appreciates him for trying to save the life of his father.

Willy enters into the office of Howard Wagner. Howard Wagner is

a product of business world. More than human values, monetary loss and

profit is quite close to his way of life. He counts everything in terms of

business. The meeting of Howard and Willy is an encounter of success and

failure. It is a conflict between dehumanized mercantile values and an

anticipation of human treatment. Unfortunately, it is an undeniable fact

that the practical world victimized of almighty dollar is almost dumb to the

cry of any emotional appeal and humanistic treatment. Wagner, before the

commencement of negotiation with Willy, exhibiting his material

prosperity and the life of abundance provided to his kids, makes to look

down Willy. Willy requests him to appoint him as a local representative.


169

He offers his services at minimum cost. But Howard, on the contrary,

wants to remove him from his company as he is no more able to bring the

business. Willy, keeping aside all his self-esteem and confidence, is

completely surrendered to Howard. But business minded Howard has no

time to pay attention to anybody, but the business. Willy reminds him how

he has put in his youthful days for the blossoming of the Company,

bringing good business territories. And now at his old age, he is unable to

run his family and pay his insurance premium.

It is impossible for Willy to keep the patience to express his agony

as : “I put thirty-four years into this firm, Howard, now I can’t pay my

insurance! You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away – a man is

not a piece of fruit !” (DS 64).

The cruel business mentality of American society, forgetting all the

human ethics, has squeezed Willy into nothingness. Receiving all his

youthful services and now it is sheer inhuman act to discard him at his old

age. In the course of time, American idea of success is reached to an awful

destination. Gradually, shedding religious implication of John Winthrop

and Mather, character ethic of Franklin and Emerson, quest for success of

American society is reached to an inhuman juncture where except human

beings and human values everything is counted. Money minded mentality

has entirely dehumanized the world. In the greedy world of business, man

is totally lost. Of course, it is generally believed that the material prosperity

should be treated as the means for the ultimate objective of human welfare


170

which American Dream of success valued in its early version. Devoid of

values and human welfare, the greed for American Dream of success is

mere betrayal of virtues and delusion of dream.

Howard, a worshipper of bitch Goddess success, discards Willy as a

piece of wasted furniture. It rather hurts to Willy. Once again, in an intense

nervous breakdown Willy plunges into the past. The vision of his

successful brother Ben seems to be filling of the vaccum of his world of

emptiness and nothingness. Somewhere, at the back of his mind. It is a

feeling of repentance for the mistakes which he committed in the past and

cursing himself for that.

All his hopes from Howard are met to dust. It is now Biff alone can

save his life, if he could get success in his business talk with Olliver. In a

conversation with Charley and Bernard, as usual, being a dreamer of lofty

desires tells Bernard that Biff is busy with a big business deal. Despite

Willy is almost drowned upto neck, he is still living with and for his

dreams. Charley, realizing miserable state of his friend offers him a job,

but his ego does not permit him to work under his friend, he straightway

rejects the offer but on the other hand, though with little hesitance borrows

money from him.

As it was already decided, after the business meeting they will all

meet at the restaurant for the dinner and to celebrate their success. Happy

is already there at Frank Chop’s restaurant enjoying the Company of

female partners; he has already talked to a girl for Biff.


171

Biff enters there in the hotel, almost lost his confidence and hope,

Happy welcomes him, anticipating better results. But Biff does not know

how to tell about his failure. Somehow, finally he tells Happy about his

strange experience. Biff, with the disgust and anger talks about the

treatment he received at Olliver’s office. Olliver made him to wait for six

hour. He did not show any sign of acquaintance. Probably, first time in

the life Biff is seriously hurt. He expresses agony as : “… Then he gave

me one look and I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been”

(DS 82). His act of snatching the pen from Olliver’s office, implies his

revengeful reaction against the whole world where he realizes no space for

his hopes and dreams. Now Happy and Biff are of more concern and

worry about Willy. Happy suggests Biff not to tell the fact to Willy. Still

they could not hide it from Willy. The way, Biff begins to tell about his

encounter with Olliver, he senses the outcome of it. He realizes, the last

ray of hope of sustaining the life is also vanished in the clouds of the

misfortune. He expresses his sorrows as: “I am not interested in the stories

about the past or any crap of that kind because the woods are burning,

boys, you understand? There is big blaze going on all around. I was fired

today” (DS 84).

For Willy Loman, it is a moment of revelation of harsh reality.

Rather than thinking about the dreams and desires, it is a challenge for him

to sustain his existence. He is now on the itchy plain of reality, thinks

about Linda and her sufferings for the family.


172

By the end of the play, while sowing the seeds, there flashes the

ideas of insurance returns in the mind of Willy. Again it is a talk with Ben,

making him aware of the suicide as cowardice act. But for Willy it is all

futile to be alive ‘ringing up’ zero. It is revealed to him that by living he

can’t make money and make his family live. So he thinks of death though

an extreme but the only alternative to make the money through the

insurance policy. In fact, he is ready to lose against his life but not against

his dreams. If the lack of money is a hurdle in the way of material success

then he is going to make the money paying price of his life. For Willy in

spite of failure in life, there is still meaning in his dreams and desires.

Whereas Biff, at the end admits his futility in the words : “I am nothing! I

am nothing, Pop … I’m just what I am, that’s all!” (DS 104). In his whole

life, Willy Loman, tried to search the fertility from the barren land. But at

the end, true human being and a father in Willy is happy enough at Biff’s

admission of his nothingness and moreover his concern for him. Whole

the life Biff kept cheating himself and his father too but when reveals as a

truthful to himself, it is quite magnificient thing for Willy. At the end of

Act II, Willy Loman, an unfortunate salesman sells himself to death, for

the better prospects of his sons and fulfillment of his dream though

after death.

Miller, by the end of the play, effectively employs the dramatic

technique of using requiem, as a significant tribute to Willy Loman. In

fact, he tries to expose the weaknesses of Willy’s nature. The requiem


173

opens at Willy’s grave, Biff, Happy, Charley and Linda in her mourning

are all talking of success always thought about the social status as a part of

his American Dream. As a salesman, Dave Singleman was his idol. His

popularity and status was well recognized when thousands of buyers and

salesmen attended his funeral. But in case of Willy his funeral, too,

remained incognizance as his life was. Biff evaluates Willy’s death and

life as : “He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong” (DS 110). Charley

does not like this blame on Willy. He quite sympathetically asserts that he

was a true salesman, lived and finally died like a salesman of dreams. And

above all dreams came to him from the very territory of America. Though

his way to attain the dream was abnormal but to have dreams close to heart

is quite natural and normal as every American has. Happy’s reaction about

his father is quite realistic and complimentary to recognize his death:

“Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It’s only dream

you can have – to come out number one man” (DS 111).

Linda is a true sufferer of the death of Willy, she is just stunned with

the shock of the death of Willy. She neither can give way to her sorrow

nor she can cry. In fact, she is not ready to believe in the death of Willy,

for her, he is on another business trip. She feels consolation in the waiting

of her the ‘best man in the world’, Willy.

The greatness of Miller’s craftsmanship can be well realized in his

perception of unconventional tragic hero. Though his protagonist, Willy is

a monumental figure creating pathos at the tragic death he is not a character


174

of elevated spirit qualifying Aristotalian concept of tragic hero, realizing

the tragic flaw he committed and sense of self-knowledge. Yet the tragic

effect felt on the death of Willy Loman cannot be deranked and

underestimated. Of course, Loman meets to his tragic death for absolutely

no any lofty and noble cause, having no possibilities for heroic action, he

represents many trivial souls live and die neglected and ignored.

Miller in his essay, ‘Tragedy and the Common Man’, defends the

legitimacy of common man as a hero and insists to acknowledge the

struggle of common man to sustain whatever dignity he has and the

commitments in the midst of adversities and contemporary challenges. In

case of Willy too, same is true, though his dreams were based on false

ideals and wrong notions, he remained well committed to it even after

his death.

In an extensive work by June Schluter and James K. Flanagan,

entitled Arthur Miller, Death of Willy Loman has been precisely

evaluated :

… Willy dies in service of the dream he has worshipped all his life, the dream that has nurtured a vision of self that bears little resemblance to reality and he leaves that dream as legacy to his sons, who have no more chance at success than Willy has had. … he goes to his death without the wisdom of self discovery, he remains a pathetic “Low man” (Flanagan 63).

Hence, though there is no higher elevation of spirit and noble cause to die

for Willy Loman, no way, the tragic effect can be subdued. Neither his

death can be ignored as George Jean Nathan asserts: “like the experience


175

we suffer in contemplating on the highways a run-over and killed dog”

(Flanagan 63). In the modern world we may have fewer possibilities to

have the havocs and heroic actions. So the play, Death of a Salesman is a

tragic story of a common man and the most salient quality of the play is an

Americanism – which considers the quest of American Dream of success

as the focal point of American life. Willy Loman is a representative of the

large segment of American society cherishing his dream of success.

Thomas E. Porter, in his work, Myth and Modern Drama appreciates the

play Death of a Salesman as it deals with an Algeresque ideal and rag-to-

riches notion of American Dream. While justifying Willy’s desire to the

pursuit of American Dream of success he regard it as a popular formula :

Success is a requirement American make of life. Because it seems magical and inexplicable; as it is to Willy, it can be considered the due of every free citizen, even those with no notable or measurable talents … The citizens may justly and perhaps even logically ask – if Eddison, Goodrich and Red Grange can make it, why not me, why not Willy Loman (1969:17).

Hence, because of Willy’s self-delusion, his ineptness and his

misplaced pride may be leading his American Dream to the delusion and

tragic death; his existence and his quest for American Dream cannot be

discarded. His dellusioned dream intensifies the fear of failure. As he is

the product of ‘producer-consumer’ society, he is the victim of false values

of the society. The burden of coping up with typical values of the society

and his quest for fulfillment of desires fears him out physically and

psychologically. The emotional tension created out of an attempt to attain


176

the past glory in present reality has disturbed his future in homelessness,

loneliness and ultimate despair of failure. As Brook Atkinson remarks that

Willy becomes the victim of “The illusions by he lived – opportunities

missed, his wrong formula of success and fatal misconceptions about his

place in American Society” (1980: 22).

Miller in an extensive symposium co-ordinated by Philip Geb

evaluated his play, Death of a Salesman as a conflict between ideals and

machine-civilized American society. To him, the problem with Willy

Loman is, though wrong :

… he is a man of powerful ideals. Whatever negative qualities there are in the society or in the environment don’t bother him …. he is seeking for a kind of ecstasy in life, which the machine civilization deprives people of. He is looking forward for his self-hood, for his immortal soul, so to say, people who don’t know the intensity of the quest possibly think he’s odd. (Roudane 30)

In fact for Miller, Willy Loman is a character exhibiting the most

terrible conflicts running through the streets of America, and through the

veins of American citizens. Moreover, it is a negative witness, in the way

of moral learnings of the play which warns to avoid the misconception of

quest for American Dream lest it can be an upside down delusion

of Dream.

As William Heyen observes in his essay on Arthur Miller’s Death of

a Salesman and the American Dream, the play absolutely lacks the

religious implication of American Dream. He explicitly asserts : “Salesman

is not a bible, a constitution, a bill of rights. It is a drama with sounds and


177

rhythms and cycles of dream” (1987:57). He admits that, of course, Willy

is committed to the dream of business and power, but the death of Willy

hurts him more. In the name of America, American Society, American

Dream, American business mania he is not going to excuse the death of

Willy.

Certainly, the play, Death of a Salesman, has been analysed and

appreciated as a play of social propaganda, an expressionistic play of social

problem, conflict between father-son relationship, or a play as a myth of

failure, ultimately every critic has focused on the delusion of American

Dream adversely influencing the other aspects of the play.

So in the perspective of the American Dream, Death of a Salesman

is a disintegration and delusion of dream. It is cruel individualistic nature

reaches to an extent to victimize the aspirer. In fact, at least, in case of

Willy Loman it is a chronic addiction that makes him to march towards the

way of death rather than the way of wealth.

D. Venkateswarlu in his article, “America Gonef : The American

Dream and Jewish Drama” contributed to a volume, Humanism and Jewish

American Drama appreciates the play Death of a Salesman for its

projection of American Dream with Miller’s consistency and complexity in

technical and thematic elegance. The competitive spirit, drive, ambition

and urge to be always at the top are all the virtues of American Dream

instilled by American Society, in the protagonist of the play, but

D. Vekateswarlu feels it is contradictory on the part of same society to


178

negate the Dream of success for Willy in name of the utility of the person.

So it is appropriate to see him commenting as :

The death of Willy, the salesman is a story fogged with helpers’ dreams and ironic social reality. The society that encourages his dreams also works as a suicidal undercurrent in his life for he does not assess the inner workings and conveniences of the dream … . He dies in affirming it which speaks of the neurotic version of the success (1990 : 69).


179

WORKS CITED

Gould, Jean. Modern American Playwrights. Bombay : Bombay Popular

Prakashan, 1969.

Atma, Ram. Perspectives on Arthur Miller. New Delhi : Abhinav

Publications, 1987.

Roudane, Matthew. Conversations with Arthur Miller. London : University

Press of Mississippi, 1987.

Venkateswarlu, D. Humanism and Jewish Drama. New Delhi : Prestige

Book, 1990.

Masahiro, Oikawa. Ritsumeikan Annual Review of International Studies.

Kyoto : Japan, Vol. 1, 99, (2002).

Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. Harmondsworth, England : Penguin Books,

1947.

Flanagan, James K. Arthur Miller. New York : Ungar, 1990.

Heyen, William. “Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and American

Dream”, ed. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. New York :

Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Harmondsworth : Penguin Books,

1949.

Martine, James J. Critical Essays on Arthur Miller. Boston : G. K. Hall &

Co., 1980.

Bloom, Harold. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. New York : Chelsea

House Publishers, 1987.

Venkateswarlu, D. Humanism and Jewish Drama. New Delhi : Prestige

Book, 1990.

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Documents

AMERICAN DREAM IN THE PLAYS OF ARTHUR MILLERshodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/4054/9/09_chapter 3.pdfThe play Death of a Salesman , written in 1949, brought immense reputation