Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman

Michael J. Meyer (DePaul University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1949

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play
Tragedy

Resources

Written in 1949, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is often considered to be based on the financial ruin of the author’s father after the 1929 stock market crash. It also was a direct response to the postwar growth of a “salesman” culture in America that saw products being sold door-to-door even in small towns. A harsh yet bittersweet critique of American life and its twisted value systems, the play was a hit from its very first performance and, despite its particular American flavor, has been staged successfully in various other foreign countries including Germany, Sweden and even in the non-capitalist venue of Communist China. Miller’s theatrical masterpiece has also demonstrated its relevance by influencing other …

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3734 words

Citation: Meyer, Michael J.. "Death of a Salesman". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 January 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5692, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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