Consumerism In Death Of A Salesman

Arthur Miller is a twentieth century play, write who wrote many classics. One of his classics was 1949 Death of a Salesman which appeared on Broadway that year. The year 1949 is a the death of an old decade and the birth of a new one. The 1950s, was a decade of unprecedented consumerism and technical advances in America. In the 1950’s many new innovations were made for the home such as the Tv was now affordable to most people and so tv programs grew as the audience grew as well. The washing machine was in more homes and thus women had more time for other pursuits. Miller was a man of the past and old fashion, we would say and he expressed his ambivalence towards modern technology and the modern thinking. In a way Willy Loman is Arthur Miller …show more content…
Linda is a typical housewife of the 40’s and the peacemaker of the family. Linda does not know how to handle Willies suicidal tendancy or the friction in the family and so she tried and be the glue and peace keeper of the family. In this time we would call her an enablor. Linda is unable to break free due to her lack of skills , education and desire to mske it on her own. She most likely was raised to like many others that you make it work and your place was in the home and the cheerleader of your husband Stepford wife mentality. We can relate this to todays world as well their are people who still practice this and are not older people but young adults who want to return to simpler times in their …show more content…
Jo Mielziner was in charge of the first designing of sets and lighting cue for the production on Broadway. Jo Mielziner used low lighting to place in shadows the other actors as the actors who are talking are in full spot light. This allowed for a number of rooms that can be utilized immediately. The audiance does not have to wait for scene changes which can disrupt the flow of the play. We see on stage a fully constructed house were the action takes place. Since they used the spot lighting and shadows to concelle the actors we are not distracted by them being on stage . In fact, the stage directions in Act I describe the house as follows: "An air of the dream clings to the place, a dream arising out of reality." (Death of A Salesman, Arthur Miller, Viking Penguin Inc. 1949). Arthur Miller uses the stage to manipulate space and boundaries. For exsample when the action is taking place in the present actors observe the walls and boundaries of the home set piece. When Willy remebers the past or action that takes place in the past actors are in front of the stage and do not observe the boundaries of the house set . This allows the audiance to understand what is in the past and present action. “For example, in Act I, Scene 3, Willy pours a glass of milk in the kitchen, sits down, and begins to mumble to himself. He