Death of a Salesman

by Arthur Miller

Overview

The tragedy of a typical American--a salesman who at the age of 63 is faced with what he cannot face: defeat and disillusionment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780812415445
Publisher:	Perfection Learning Corporation
Publication date:	07/01/1977
Series:	Penguin Plays
Pages:	139
Sales rank:	665,866
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Arthur Miller was born in New York City in 1915 and studied at the University of Michigan. His plays include All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953), A View from the Bridge and A Memory of Two Mondays (1955), After the Fall (1963), Incident at Vichy (1964), The Price (1968), The Creation of the World and Other Business (1972) and The American Clock. He has also written two novels, Focus (1945), and The Misfits, which was filmed in 1960, and the text for In Russia (1969), Chinese Encounters (1979), and In the Country (1977), three books of photographs by his wife, Inge Morath. More recent works include a memoir, Timebends (1987), and the plays The Ride Down Mt. Morgan (1991), The Last Yankee (1993), Broken Glass (1993), which won the Olivier Award for Best Play of the London Season, and Mr. Peter's Connections (1998). His latest book is On Politics and the Art of Acting. Miller was granted with the 2001 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He has twice won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and in 1949 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

Read an Excerpt

INTRODUCTION

Note to Teacher

 

ABOUT ARTHUR MILLER

Arthur Miller was born in New York City in 1915 and studied at the University of Michigan. His plays include All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953), A View from the Bridge and A Memory of Two Mondays (1955), After the Fall (1963), Incident at Vichy (1964), The Price (1968), The Creation of the World and Other Business (1972) and The American Clock. He has also written two novels, Focus (1945), and The Misfits, which was filmed in 1960, and the text for In Russia (1969), Chinese Encounters (1979), and In the Country (1977), three books of photographs by his wife, Inge Morath. More recent works include a memoir, Timebends (1987), and the plays The Ride Down Mt. Morgan (1991), The Last Yankee (1993), Broken Glass (1993), which won the Olivier Award for Best Play of the London Season, and Mr. Peter's Connections (1998). His latest book is On Politics and the Art of Acting. Miller was granted with the 2001 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He has twice won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and in 1949 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Preparing to Read

1. How is the American Dream characteristic of American ideals and philosophy? What are the differences between the materialistic and the idealistic values associated with the American Dream?

Understanding the Story

Act One

Writing Responses

Exploring Further

* included in the Viking Critical Library edition
** excerpted in the Viking Critical Library edition

What People are Saying About This

Arthur Miller

The suddenness of the '29 crash and the chaos that followed offered a pure instance of the impotence of individualist solutions to so vast a crisis. As a society we learned all over again that mass social organization does not neccessarily weaken moral fiber but may set the stage for great displays of heroism and self-sacrifice and endurance.

Editorial Reviews

A contemporary classic....Listen to this album.

New York Times Book Review

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Winner of the National Book Award Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters

"By common consent, this is one of the finest dramas in the whole range of the American theater." —Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times

"So simple, central, and terrible that the run of playwrights would neither care nor dare to attempt it." —Time

From the Publisher

Stacy Keach portrays the quintessential traveling salesman, Willy Loman, who has endured the pressures of years on the road to support his family and is now coming to the realization that some of his most precious dreams will never be achieved. As his family relationships unravel, the cast, performing before a live audience, delivers the highs and lows of dysfunction, heartbreak, selfish motives, depression, and compassion—all of it coming to a riveting peak in what many consider to be the greatest play in American drama. Jane Kaczmarek is outstanding as Willy’s wife, his rock who has turned a blind eye to just how he managed to get through the doors of so many important buyers in his younger years. The audio quality is perfection and simulates a front-row seat right in the listener’s headphones. B.J.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2012 - AudioFile