Question

what would you guess Arthur Millers viewpoint to be on capitalism?

Answer 1

Capitalist Society in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller "Death of a salesman" is a "tragedy of a common man". Throughout the play the reader sees how Willy Loman struggles to achieve something, which is beyond his capability. He has a dream, the American dream of success and accomplishment. And yet, he is not able to ever thrive because his idea of how to succeed is wrong. The times have changed, the play is set in the period of an economic boom and increasing desire for material goods in America and the Loman family is now living in a capitalist society, however, Willy seems not to have realised that things have changed. He is constantly battling between the present and the past, the…show more content…
Howard therefore simply sees the relationship as diplomatic and business like and understands that Willy is not able "to pull his own weight" anymore. Yet for Willy this is all about loyalty gratitude and comradeship, because he "was in the firm when Howard's father used to carry him in his arms". Willy perceives his relationship with his boss as being far closer, than it really is. All Howard has to say to Willy, however, is that "business is business". This a good example of Willy's misunderstanding of the co-operative and benevolent nature of capitalism and his inadequacy to put aside feelings and emotions, which should not interfere with the business. Loman has been unable to learn that business ethics, the morality of his work-community oppose the traditions he assumed were still in action: the personal ethics of honour.

Arthur Miller said that other than a doctor saving someone’s life, “writing a worthy play was the most important thing a human being could do.” Why? Because he believed that plays could ask difficult questions about morality and responsibility and then challenge people to change their lives and the world. “The mission of the theater,” he said, “is… to raise the consciousness of people to their human possibilities." And that’s exactly how Miller changed American theater in the twentieth century.

Arthur Miller was born in New York City in 1915. By the time he was a teenager, his family—like many others—was struggling through the Great Depression. His father lost his clothing business during the Wall Street Crash and the family had to move to a smaller house in Brooklyn. After working his way through high school and college, a young Miller learned first-hand how hard it could be to make a living in tough times.

It’s clear that the Depression and the after-effects of World War II influenced Miller to write plays about vulnerable, everyday people—working and struggling to get ahead. Miller revealed, "I think the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing—his sense of personal dignity."

Miller wrote his most successful plays early in his career. Between 1947 and 1964, Broadway played host to All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View From the Bridge, and After the Fall. While their stories may be different, there are common threads among them, including morality, responsibility, compassion, and the fragility of human relationships—especially between fathers and sons. And there is one more thread—all are based on real-life events that were either personal or political or both.

You see, by the mid-1950s, Miller was famous not only for his plays, but also for when he was called to appear before Senator Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee. Just as other Americans had been subpoenaed, Miller, too, was asked to identify writers who he believed were communists. Miller stood his ground, held to his principles, and pretty much risked his career by refusing to name names. The result? He was convicted of contempt of Congress. (The conviction was overturned in 1958.) A theater critic at the time said that Miller’s refusal to cooperate showed “the measure of the man who has written these high-minded plays.”

Miller continued to write plays, articles, film scripts, books, and speeches throughout his life, exploring the great political, social, and moral questions of our time. Arthur Miller died in 2005 at age 89. He remains one of the most frequently produced playwrights—and a giant of American theater.

Arthur Miller once said that Death of a Salesman was a “tragedy of the common man.” Think about it: The main character, Willy Loman, is a regular, everyday guy—an aging, travelling salesman weighed down by his sample case. With each trip, he’s finding it increasingly difficult to cover his territory in search of the next big order. His mind is starting to slip away but he still believes that his charm and optimism will make him rich. But the realities of life haunt him. He’s ashamed that he can’t pay the bills. He’s been unfaithful to his wife. And as Willy turns to his memories and delusions to combat any feelings of failure, he begins to lose touch with reality. Willy is flawed and is brought to ruin by his own weaknesses. In Willy Loman, Miller created a tragic hero—twentieth-century style