Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller | Act 1, Section 1

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Professor Kristen Over of Northeastern Illinois University provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Act 1, Section 1 of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman.
Download the free study guide and infographic for Death of a Salesman here: www.coursehero.com/lit/Death-...
Arthur Miller’s play "Death of a Salesman" illustrates the literal and metaphorical death of salesman Willy Loman. This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play is set in Brooklyn in the post-World War II era.
Protagonist Loman, a traveling salesman, is disappointed by his life and appears to be slipping into senility. Fired from his job, he begins dwelling on his failures and reliving his sons' youthful successes.
As his family frets about him, he slips further into despair; ultimately making a climactic decision that has been interpreted as a searing indictment of the American Dream.
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesmen was first staged on Broadway in 1949, only a few years after World War II ended in 1945 and within a decade of the end of the Great Depression (1929-1939). Both eras had a significant impact on the work of Miller and on Death of a Salesman in particular, which is set in the late 1940s in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Boston.
The play contains many powerful themes, such as the American Dream, the anatomy of truth, and betrayal. Miller also uses symbolism throughout the play to support central themes. Symbols, such as distant lands, stockings, seeds and a flute support the visual nature of the work, which is intended to be viewed and experienced rather than read.
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[@joonhopeschimatejinskookie899]

0:40 stage directoon explain how the play handled time. Present - When the action is in the present the actors observe the wall divisions of the set entering the house through the door Flashbacks - these spacial boundaries are broken. Stage direction also describes a flute playing in the background 1:06 - Linda 1:29 60 year old willy's disorientation 2:19 american dream of financial success and social recognition 2:32 theme of man vs nature 3:10 ongoing tension between father and son raises one of the play's most central question of what it means to be successful and leave a legacy

[@maximilianjung1279]

Wow! An amazing summary! You got my greatest respect, it went beyond my exeptions and helped me so much, thank you!

[@joeygholam7792]

Working on an analysis as I am gonna be performing a monologue from the play, this is definitely gonna help me out!

[@zchu7]

amazing work!

[@pearl76187]

Thank you for this amazing video 🥰🥰 I'm from Syria and I study English literature. Your channel helps me a lot. I really appreciate your efforts ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@ritik1226]

Hey, what would you say is the most profound conflict on act 1 and why so? :)

[@kawkabyousif8422]

Good gob👍

[@malekziad6658]

Is there any soliloquy in the death of a salesman ?

[@user-ht3mx2fe1z]

is Willy always reliable when he speaks about success?

[@arcisvar4863]

Never

[@joonseokim2364]

malimabean

[@zaristophanes2]

2:33

[@zaristophanes2]

2:30

[@trevor_phillips213]

i just watch these instead of actually reading the book

[@user-ht3mx2fe1z]

Does willy approve or disapprove of Biffs stealing habit?

[@gionylemus7180]

He doesn’t approve but a couple lines later he’s okay with it...

[@metintekdemir4700]

what does willy sell guys? could you please help me

[@dannyd9324]

Metin Tekdemir it is never revealed

[@metintekdemir4700]

@@dannyd9324 thanks a lot

[@butterflymoon6368]

ck rings

[@JimboPro]

flavoured dildos

[@user-ht3mx2fe1z]

was Willy feeling guilty over his affair with the woman and what the pair socks have to do with his feelings?

[@alishakhan8926]

Yes he does feel guilty. The reason he shouts at Linda when he sees her mending her stockings. Another reason why he remembers and sees his mistress in his flashbacks is that his guilt over betraying Linda and also the fact that his son Biff got to know about his infidel ways. Willy's affair was one of the reasons why a strain was put on the father son relationship. He repents about his deception.

[@leandrobaron3608]

5 teachers that discovered this... hahaha