Death of a Salesman Study Guide

Death of a Salesman Study Guide

Author:
Original title:
Death of a Salesman
Published:
March 18th 1994 by Heinemann Library (first published 1949)
Setting:
New York City, New York (United States)
ISBN 0435233076 (ISBN13: 9780435233075)

Who said that drama died together with Shakespeare? Arthur Miller proved that it’s still alive and kicking with his majestic play “Death Of A Salesman” that won numerous prizes and has been performed almost a thousand times. 

Reading this book is a tough thing to do – because you just can’t resist the temptation to be in the theatre among the spectators of this magnificent staging. Each sentence and page are so vivid and real, that reading it provokes all your senses and it feels like seeing and listening to the book in real life.

The author himself describes the text as a mere description of a place and recollection of where and how the actor should be moving. It’s small in size but immense in meaning. The central moral of the book will remain relevant for the decades to come. It’s about being humble, living your own life, and knowing what’s real and what’s fake.

Too many people spend their energy, power, and money on things that don’t matter. We pay attention to the surface and miss the essence. People care about making an impression, standing out from the crowd, being the center of everybody’s attention. Maybe if we cared more about loving those around us and devoting time and energy to ourselves, we’d be a little bit happier and a lot more satisfied. 

So let’s stop trying to prove to each and everyone that we are worth something. Let’s start doing things we are good at and making the world a better place because of that input. The play demonstrates many life situations where such philosophy is implemented. 

“Death Of A Salesman” is a highly inspirational reading that is recommended to be kept handy. It teaches us that after all, things that we really need for happiness are already here: be yourself, listen to your heart, do your best in what you are capable of. 

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