Context Flashcards
Manny Newman
Miller’s Uncle who was also a Salesman.
He imaged a competition between his son and Miller
Where did Miller write Death of a Salesman?
In a cabin he had built in a rural area: wanted to shut the world out.
Comsumerism
buying material goods
What is Death of a Salesman about according to Miller?
“the play looks from the edge of the grave at life”
American Dream
American Dream, ideal that the United States is a land of opportunity that allows the possibility of upward mobility, freedom, and equality for people of all classes who work hard and have the will to succeed. The term/idea was became popular in the 20th century.
When does DOS take place?
1949
What was the play inspired by?
Miller’s experience of The Depression, which he said ‘is my book’
- the onset of the Great Depression after the Wall Street Crash in 1929 meant that Miller and his family faced a period of poverty and upheaval.
- his family—like many others—was struggling through the Great Depression. His father lost his clothing business during the Wall Street Crash and the family had to move to a smaller house in Brooklyn.
- Miller succeeded in reflecting the shattered dreams of his family, and most of the American people’s using the character of Willy Loman.
What effect did The Depression have on Arthur Miller?
The Depression put a great strain on his family, and forced him to become a salesman for a short period (thus Death of a Salesman could be allegorical)
When was the great depression
1929 - 1941
What technique is used throughout the play?
Expressionism
How is expression demonstrated in the play? What quote supports this?
What quote supports this?
Through the use of Willy’s memories - In the opening scenes ‘an air of the dream clings to the place’ (act1)
Miller shows that dreams were a central aspect to people living in the house and the lines between dreams and realities were blurred in the house.
What other technique does the play use?
Realism
Why are there no conventional scenes in the play?
Miller said there are not conventional scenes, to make the play be as ‘seamless’ as possible, like in real life
What effect does realism have on the language used?
The language is realistic and not poetic, but therefore creates pathos as we can empathise with the characters
What did Miller say was the reason for ‘the common man’ for his play?
Miller said that ‘the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy as kings are’
Where is the play set?
Brooklyn, New York
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are owned by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.
Capitalism is one of the key things Arthur Miller was trying to critique when writing Death of a salesman, and suggests the financial pursuit of Willy is ultimately pointless.
The Great Depression
With the stock market crash in 1929, America plummeted into the worst economic downturn it had ever faced - many banks, businesses, and individuals lost everything.
For Arthur Miller, Death of a salesman illustrates the personal effects of the great depression. The shattered dreams of the Loman family, and of the American people are reflected in the character of Willy Loman.
World War II
The limping U.S. economy improved as parts of the globe plunged into WW2 in 1939. The economy shifted into high gear as manufacturers began to develop mechanized weaponry, communication technology, and advancements in medicine. By the time the war ended in 1945, new technologies focused on domestic improvements, everything from washing machines to automobiles.
The American Dream
The American Dream is the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. In Death of a Salesman, the American Dream of the 1940s is reflected through the character of Willy Loman with his desire to achieve social recognition and materialistic success.
Post War America
At the end of World War II, American soldiers returned home to a country quite different from the one they had left four years earlier. Wartime production had helped pull America’s economy out of depression, and from the late 1940s on, young adults saw a remarkable rise in their spending power. Jobs were plentiful, wages were higher, and because of the lack of consumer goods during the war, Americans were eager to spend.
