In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller describes the journey of failed salesman Willy Loman and how his false pride in his success and his family lead to his suicide ultimately. Miller wrote the play in 1948, after the Second World War in which America was experiencing an economic boom and salespeople were very successful, but ironically Willy Loman is struggling in this setting which reveals the central message of the play. Miller uses lighting and sound to enhance his message throughout his play as well. For example, the flute playing in the background highlights Willy's sense of abandonment, and the golden light that lights the house in the second act illuminates Willy's nostalgia for the past, especially for Biff's success. In the play, Miller amplifies the theme of dreams vs reality, and often times the American Dream and Ideas of success are not attainable practically due to the amount of hard work and talent it takes. This theme is complicated by the boxed-in, abandonment, and Cant get near him motifs.
The boxed-in motif reveals how Willy believes he is trapped and has nowhere to go in his life. This reveals how Willy knew he was a failure and that his family was not all that he thought it to be. This is revealed on the first page in the stage direction where it says, Before us is the Salesman's house. We are aware of towering, angular shapes behind it, surrounding it on all sides. (Miller 1) This lets the audience know from the onset of the play that Willy is struggling. His house represents himself while the towering, angular buildings that are pressing down upon it are the new young salespeople that are coming into the workforce and don't have empathy for people like Willy. Willy knows that there is. No other outcome as he has already tried to kill himself in the past with the rubber hose and his car. This puts into light the pressure Willy has to be successful in New York after World War II as a salesman. Moreover, when Willy gets back from his sales trip where he has sold nothing, he tells Linda in his house, The way they boxed us in here Bricks and windows, windows and bricks. (Miller 6) This reinforces the fact that Willy knows that he is not successful, and he blames it on the new age of salespeople who are much better at selling than he is. This displays the irony of the situation as the country is booming and everyone is performing well financially except Willy who has to get money from his only friend Charley to support his family.
The next motif that is seen throughout the play that reflects the central message is the motif of abandonment. Willy's father and his brother, Ben, abandoned Willy at a young age in South Dakota and Willy continues to feel that in his life even that sixty years old. I remember you walking away down some open road. (Miller 33) When Ben appears in Willy's head, Ben recalls the story of coming out of an African jungle very rich and then Willy recalls that Ben abandoned him in South Dak...
