Modern Commercialism In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

One style of living can dominate and overrule another style of living; that way of life gets stepped on and those who practice it feel the ruining effects. Arthur Miller tells a story of Willy Loman, a salesman in New York, who yearned for a simple country life. He travels around cities with his suitcases to sell stuff but he never actually reaches his life goals. As the years went on, the pace of the city sped up and almost everyone held modernized attitudes. Miller emphasizes how the rural way of life is lost amidst the modern commercialism. This is shown by Willy’s loss of a yard, trees, and the ability to grow a garden.
Willy’s house lost its provincial and country charm when the new apartments intrude and bring the contemporary way of life with them. When describing the setting, Miller illustrates, “Before us is the Salesman’s house. We are aware of towering, angular shapes behind it, surrounding it on all sides… the surrounding area shows an angry glow of orange” (11). Willy’s quaint house held a rustic quality when they first bought it. The city grew and …show more content…
He loses his once beautiful and abundant yard to construction. The trees that his boys grew up with and played on were ripped from the Earth when the apartments were built. His oldest son Biff cannot stand the city and is constantly wanting to escape its poisonous grasp. Lastly, Willy’s dream garden will never be accomplished. New York bustles with activity and a new American spirit. Contemporary attitudes and business motivations thrust the rural way of life to the side. Willy cannot find his place in this new pace; he struggles and fights but in the end, he makes his own peace by ending his life. America is a great place to birth new ideas and opportunities yet it can sometimes crush those who do not want or cannot keep up with the modern