Death of a Salesman

[chamo]

Good stuff, I saw it recently, it is a play/book about a salesman trying to live out the American Dream but he is overconfident in what the future for his son and his job holds. Written 1949

Also by Arthur Miller is "the Crucible". It focuses around the Salem Witch Trials but was written in abouts the fifties when the American government was bad-mouthing communists and blaming them for everything bad that happened, so the author was shunned by the government, this was also the time that manywriters were being "exiled" to Britain where they could write in safety.

[Uhuru na Umoja]

Miller is an excellent playwright. If you enjoyed 'Death of a Salesman', you should read 'A View from the Bridge'. It's not as good, but has a similar message. Personally, though, I think 'Death of a Salesman' was his crowning achievment.

[Pete]

I have not read this book, but when I was in grade 11 it was used by over one thrid of my English class as their review book. So I heard 13 or so synopsis of it, the Crucible is true for my Grade 12 English class.

They both seem to examine the faith of an individual. On religious faith, in the other material faith.

[canikickit]

It's a great play. I did it for my leaving. I loved it.

"A man's not a piece of fruit, you can't eat the orange and throw the peel away". - this quote is in the Simpsons - I think it's a quote from the play.

[PolskiComrade]

I read "Death of a Salesman" it was good but I didn't find it to be as brilliant as lots of other people do. A good book everyone should read is "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov. It is one of the coolest and most riddiculous books I have ever read yet, it is brilliant in almost every way. The depiction of Soviet life and the refusal of the intellects to accept what they see going on. A must read, read the newest edition it is unedited and has a good reference section in it!

[Uhuru na Umoja]

Quote: from canikickit on 11:24 pm on Mar. 23, 2003
It's a great play. I did it for my leaving. I loved it.

"A man's not a piece of fruit, you can't eat the orange and throw the peel away". - this quote is in the Simpsons - I think it's a quote from the play.

I believe in Miller it is just 'A man is not an orange...' (I am about to be examined on the play), but yes that is definitely from 'Death of a Salesman'.

PolskiComrade... perhaps it is that you are missing some of the context of the play. In general I think Miller works better for those who have lived for some time in the US (or Canada, in my case, is close enough). Many of my present friends - at an international school - find that the play doesn't speak to them.

[canikickit]

In general I think Miller works better for those who have lived for some time in the US (or Canada, in my case, is close enough

Well, perhaps the "west". I'm from Ireland, and it made perfect sense to me.

Yeah I was pretty positive it was from the play, just when I was writing it I suddenly thought that maybe it was one of those time in the Simpsons where they take the piss out of something by impersonating it (if you know what I mean).

I think Miller's skill is demonstrated by the fact that the three main characters (Hal, Willie and Biff)are assholes, but you still care about them. At least that's what I felt.

I did it in school aswell, are you doing it in college or secondary?

[chamo]

I know the question wasn't addressed but of complete randomness I'll shoot.

I just went to this play because it was on in my local theatre (about 100 seats leg room, minimum) The actors were all very good, the main character "Willy" was teriffic and so was "Biff". (I don't know how you got Hal, he was an actor from a 1996 rendition of the play) The play is on the A-Level syllabus, so there was plenty of talent there;)

The play was three and a half hours long and I thourghourly enjoyed it. I love tragedys, and this was no exception.
Illusionism is the key to the play here, and bringing yourself into false confidence of your dreams and how things will turn out.
When Willy is too confident about things he ignores what could go wrong, and when things go wrong, he takes the burden badly. He is too proud a man to accept the job offer from Charlie, at the cost of his own financial status.
Happy, the other son, is ignored and it seems that he is infact the son that Willy wanted Biff to turn into, yet he was too concerned about his older son who was the more popular in high school.
Willy does however admit to his misjudgement over Bernard. Bernard, unlike Biff, worked hard at the expense of his social life, and while Willy was always laughing at Bernard, his son failed him. When Willy meets Bernard again, he realises how foolish he was and that Bernard is the son he never had.

Well, that's my two euros.

[Uhuru na Umoja]

I also like Miller's idea of the Tragedy of the Common Man. You can imagine Willy being your neighbour, or relative. He proved how outdated the tradition of dealing only with 'great men' in drama was.

I did it in school aswell, are you doing it in college or secondary?

End of secondary exams (IB), in about a months time.

[canikickit]

Happy/Hal, it's all the same thing. :biggrin:

[man in the red suit]

I just started reading this play and if you ask me I think the two brothers, hap and Biff are a little to close......*quivers in disgust* it said something about them shaving together or something. I can't concentrate on anything but the fact that these brothers are gay, incestual, and womanizers all at the same time.