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calarco 's review for:
Death of a Salesman
by Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller is a brilliant narrative playwright; I think this is just a fact. I cannot believe I’ve made it this long without ever having read (or seen) [b:Death of a Salesman|12898|Death of a Salesman|Arthur Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554514105l/12898._SY75_.jpg|2722054], but this powerful story of a dysfunctional family being crushed by the harsh realities of the “American dream” could dumbfound anyone, especially given how incredibly relevant it still is 70+ years later.
Similar to how the immature and narcistic matriarch Amanda Wingfield destroys her own family in Tennessee Williams’ [b:The Glass Menagerie|92517|The Glass Menagerie|Tennessee Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391591003l/92517._SY75_.jpg|1324493], we see the deep-rooted destruction of the immature and narcistic patriarch of Willy Loman with this tale. Honestly, it was like reading into the later life of a “popular” high school bully, and as a result could not be more fascinating in premise. Willy works as a salesman to support his family, but is dissatisfied with himself, and by extension the other members of his family.
He makes selfish choices and overly relies on his charisma to make a living, and once his mind fades so too does his perceived value. I think this in and of itself is an interesting critique of capitalist driven culture—where people’s self-worth tends to be determined by their monetary success and physical ability to compete in the workforce. I don’t think it’s uncommon for anyone’s self-worth to be linked to one’s ability or success, but when it gets weighed down by the toxic myth of rugged individualism and “bootstrapping” to a path of achievement, this is when ego enters along with crushing shame when failure ultimately comes. And it does come for most everyone.
Life is not a fairytale of upward mobility, especially not in the current economic system, so I think people are often unfair to themselves (and the people they love) when they are overly hard on themselves in this way. This is not to erase the importance of personal responsibility, for the lack of this quality is what makes Willy so especially dysfunctional.
It quickly becomes apparent that Willy is suffering from some sort of depression, dementia, or likely both. As Willy unravels, we see sequences throughout his life that his mind fixates on—his highs and lows—including the moments he regrets most. As my grandfather once taught me, “woulda, coulda, shoulda’s are useless four letter words that rot the brain.” Without future options, it can be hard not to get stuck in a doom spiral, and the shame entrenched in narcissism only amplifies the injury within the individual.
Overall, this was a great play and I highly recommend it.
Similar to how the immature and narcistic matriarch Amanda Wingfield destroys her own family in Tennessee Williams’ [b:The Glass Menagerie|92517|The Glass Menagerie|Tennessee Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391591003l/92517._SY75_.jpg|1324493], we see the deep-rooted destruction of the immature and narcistic patriarch of Willy Loman with this tale. Honestly, it was like reading into the later life of a “popular” high school bully, and as a result could not be more fascinating in premise. Willy works as a salesman to support his family, but is dissatisfied with himself, and by extension the other members of his family.
He makes selfish choices and overly relies on his charisma to make a living, and once his mind fades so too does his perceived value. I think this in and of itself is an interesting critique of capitalist driven culture—where people’s self-worth tends to be determined by their monetary success and physical ability to compete in the workforce. I don’t think it’s uncommon for anyone’s self-worth to be linked to one’s ability or success, but when it gets weighed down by the toxic myth of rugged individualism and “bootstrapping” to a path of achievement, this is when ego enters along with crushing shame when failure ultimately comes. And it does come for most everyone.
Life is not a fairytale of upward mobility, especially not in the current economic system, so I think people are often unfair to themselves (and the people they love) when they are overly hard on themselves in this way. This is not to erase the importance of personal responsibility, for the lack of this quality is what makes Willy so especially dysfunctional.
It quickly becomes apparent that Willy is suffering from some sort of depression, dementia, or likely both. As Willy unravels, we see sequences throughout his life that his mind fixates on—his highs and lows—including the moments he regrets most. As my grandfather once taught me, “woulda, coulda, shoulda’s are useless four letter words that rot the brain.” Without future options, it can be hard not to get stuck in a doom spiral, and the shame entrenched in narcissism only amplifies the injury within the individual.
Overall, this was a great play and I highly recommend it.