False Reality In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

Arthur Miller provides audience with a different kind of experience in Death of a Salesman. He not only provides us with the insight into complex human conditions but also tells us about the false reality that most of the people perceive. Primarily this play does not seem any different from other plays as it involves the basic three act structure comprising of exposition, confrontation and climax. The unique thing about this play is the way Miller has used time and space. He made the characters go back and forth in time which made audience experience both past and present simultaneously. Death of a Salesman not only focuses on a family’s financial crisis but also self-identity crisis that Willy Loman goes through. If one looks at the larger …show more content…
Previously we didn’t see any interaction of both boys with any girls, Miller gives this cheesy conversation to give audience a refreshing feel by a new character. Moreover he intentionally delays the main action that audience is waiting for just to make them a bit more anticipated. Even before Miss Forsythe enters, Happy knows that some girl is coming. This makes audience a bit suspicious about Happy’s character and the way he calls her “Strudel’s coming”. Strudel is basically a type of pastry with a sweet filling inside. Happy here refers the girl to a pastry which is kind of disrespectful and then starts flirting with her. However when Biff arrives he is a bit more reserved and doesn’t take any interest in the girl but they both eventually end up going out with the girls. This shows the lack of interest that Biff and Happy have in their family issues. Through this scene Arthur Miller suggests that both the boys only wanted temporary pleasures which further reinforce the fact that even they are living with the idea of false American dream. Although throughout the play it is clearly evident that whole Loman family keeps on running from their reality by denying all the