ARTHUR MILLER - DEATH OF A SALESMAN

Death of a Salesman has been called the « quintessential American play », and Arthur Miller remains above all the creator of Willy Loman and his tormented family. Half a century after its epochal première on Broadway the play is constantly revived in the USA and all over the world, including China. It has been made into several cinema and television films, and audiences are still deeply moved by this poignant « American tragedy » that manages to present all the contradictions and the beauty of the American Dream. Using colloquial American English, Miller has written not only a great play — a world classic —, but also a vibrant poetic tribute to his country. In his own words, Death of a Salesman « is really, a love story between a man and his son, and... between both of them and America ».

The author of the present essay explores the various facets on the drama. Taking into account most of what has been written on Miller's masterpiece, he advances his own theories about a play he has taught in French and American universities for over twenty years.