Death of a Salesman Themes Mindmap

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  • Created by: nelliott
  • Created on: 20-01-22 14:11
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  • Death of a Salesman Themes
    • Fathers & Sons
      • The central conflict of the play
      • Biff, who showed great promise as a young athlete and ladies' man, but in adulthood has become a thief and drifter with no clear direction
      • Happy, while on a more secure career path, is superficial and seems to have no loyalty to anyone.
      • The values Willy instilled in his sons led them to disappoint both him and themselves as adults
    • The American Dream
      • The American Dream that anyone can achieve financial success and material comfort lies at the heart of Death of a Salesman.
      • Ben goes off into the wilderness of Alaska and Africa and lucks into wealth by discovering a diamond mine
      • Howard Wagner inherits his Dream through his father's company
      • Bernard, who seemed a studious bore as a child, becomes a successful lawyer through hard work
      • The American dream, while a powerful vehicle of aspiration, can also turn a human being into a product or commodity whose sole value is his financial worth.
      • Willy Loman's version of the Dream,  is that any man who is good looking, and well-liked deserves success and will naturally achieve it.
    • Nature vs. City
      • The towering apartment buildings surrounding Willy's house,  represent the artificial world of the city
      • Biff and Happy embody these two sides of Willy's personality: the individualist dreamer and the eager-to-please salesman
      • Biff works with his hands on farms, helping horses give birth, while Happy schemes within the stifling atmosphere of a department store
    • Abandonment and Betrayal
      • The tragedy of Willy's death comes about because of his inability to distinguish between his value as an economic resource and his identity as a human being
      • Willy doesn't see that his love, not material items, is the primary thing Linda needs from him.
      • Part of Biff's revelation at the play's end is that Willy has betrayed him by encouraging him to settle for nothing less than greatness
      • Happy, and Linda betray Willy by not shaking him out of his illusions, forcing Willy's fragile mind to deal alone with his dreams and his life.

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