3. The Author
Arthur Miller (1915-2005)
He was an American playwright and essayist.
Prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include
plays such as “All my sons” (1947), “Death of a Salesman” (1949), “The
Crucible” (1953) and “A view from the Bridge” (1955-56).
He was often in the public eye, particularly during the late 1940s,
1950s, and early 1960s.
He received the Pulitzer prize for drama (1949) and the Prince of
Asturias award (2002).
5. The Plot
Major Characters
Happy Linda
Conformist mysterious
Lives in his enigmatic
brother’s shadow
Willy Loman (The Salesman)
Biff childish
Inflated expectations self-deluded
Rebellious spirit a loser, a failure as a man
mentally degenerating
6. Main Ideas
•Willy’s state of mind (his mental degeneration) and his working conditions
and dismissal.
•Willy’s image as an American anti-hero. (consumerism and materialism).
•Willy’s relationship with his son Biff.
7. Language
Register: Informal English with emphasis on middle-class American lingo.
Expressions
Gee (interjection): An expression of surprise of enthusiasm.
(to) be tired to the death
(to) be a pest: Be a annoying person, specially a child.
“Coulda”= could have
Crestfallen: disappointed and sad because of having failed in something.
(to) fade away: to slowly disappear, lose importance or become weaker.
To flunk: to fail an examination or course of study.
“Gotta” = (have) go to
“Kinda”= kind of
Knock’em dead: used to tell someone to perform or play as well as they can.
“Lotta”= lot of
(to) make a point of doing sth: to always do something or to take particular care to do something.
Mixed-up = confused
“Shoulda”= should have
Well-liked: liked by many people.
Wire: telegram
“You make mountains out of molehills”: to make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem.
