Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller.

¶ … Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller. Specifically, it will address how Miller foreshadows Willy's suicide throughout the play, and how this foreshadowing creates tension. Willy's death comes as no surprise at the end of the play, for he has been doomed since the opening curtain. He is a man whose time is past, and Miller makes this clear with his foreshadowing and depiction of Willy as old, and past his professional prime.

WILLY'S DEATH

Death of a Salesman" has become a classic drama, made into several movies, and still performed around the country. It is the tragic story of Willy Loman and his family, a group of people who love each other, but do not know how to show that love, or communicate about it. From the very title, it is clear Willy is doomed to die in this drama, for there is nothing else for him to do. In a modern world, he is passe and old-fashioned, from his ideals to his sales techniques, and he has no other way to provide for his family except for the life insurance policy he has kept for his "ace in the hole." The policy itself is another link to Willy's impending death, for why would it be mentioned unless it was going to be used?

When Willy is first introduced, he is a salesman who is "down on his luck," and immediately there is tension from his wife, Linda. "Why? What happened? Did something happen Willy?" (Miller 1021). Clearly, Linda is worried about him, and not simply because he is growing older, has a hard time concentrating, and makes mistakes while driving. There is something not right with Willy, foreshadowing how something must happen to him later on. He says "nothing is wrong," and he continues to say those words throughout the play, but they ring false, and only add to the tension growing onstage.

Willy has never amounted to much, so he built himself up in his children, who he thinks can do no wrong. Biff was a high school football hero who never went any further with his career, and Hap is an unscrupulous businessman, who seems like he will never amount to much, either, and in fact, may end up just like his father - old, pathetic, and contemplating suicide.

Willy, the protagonist, believes in the "American Dream," but he has not achieved it, so he feels like a failure. "Willy's failure to achieve the American Dream is a personal one, this line of reasoning goes, not an inevitable result of the American economic system. The real truth is, Willy fails because he never understands what is really needed to succeed in business, insisting to the end that 'personality wins the day,' when, as Charley says, he ought to know from experience that 'all you have is what you can sell'" (Murphy 5).

As the action continues, so does the tension. The family sees Willy unraveling, but does not know what to do about it. Typically, Biff talks to Linda, rather than confronting Willy, who will only deny there is anything wrong. "Biff: God Almighty, Mom, how long has he been doing this? Linda: Don't, he'll hear you. Biff: What the hell is the matter with him?" (Miller 1031).

Also typical of a traveling salesman, Loman has a girlfriend on the road, referred to only as "The Woman." Biff discovers his father with her by accident, and this discovery changes his life. Disappointed with his father, he leaves the family, and does not go to college, which ruins all of Willy's dreams for him. Here is another clue that Willy cannot outlast his children. Disillusionment and depression go hand in hand, and Willy is certainly disillusioned with his children, and depressed about his situation. He has survived this long, but he is beaten now, and he knows it. All of these situations that point to Willy's suicide also add tension to the play. It is clear the characters are tense with each other, and do not know how to relieve the tension, because they really do not communicate with each other.

A major theme in the play is love, but it also foreshadows the doom that approaches, for the family does not know how to talk about their love. In the end, Willy kills himself after he finds out Biff really does love him, and Biff is the only one to voice what they all know. "He's going to kill himself, don't you know that?" (Miller 1047). Willy cannot cope with this love, because he thinks he does not deserve it. His ultimate failure is not his inability to take care of his family; it is his failure to accept love from those that care about him the most. Willy is a sad, pathetic character because he is the perfect example of a "loser," not because he lost his job, but because he has never thought of himself as anything but a loser, despite his boasting otherwise.

There is tension about money throughout the play too, and this adds to the feeling of doom that hangs over everything. Willy has lost his job, and what will the family do? "Well, there's nine-sixty for the washing machine. And for the vacuum cleaner there's three and a half due on the fifteenth. Then you roof, you god twenty-one dollars remaining" (Miller 1027).