1) The story takes place in a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. It is about an aged business man named Willy Loman who is failing, or at least struggling very deeply, with his job and his family alike. He has two boys, Biff and Happy Lowman, and a wife named Linda. The play also reveals that he has a few hidden things in his secretive "work life." He has a mistress. He sees her every once in a while he is "out for business." At the end of the novel, Willy commits suicide.
2)The major theme in the novel Death of a Salesman in the pursuit of success. It all about Willy and his struggle to come out on top and his desire to be like his brother (a successful man) and to have his children also prosper. There is also an underlying theme in the novel which is about family. The lack of respect that is demonstrated in between the men in the family is combated with the love and hope that Willy has for his children. It seems as though Willy doesnt seem to like his kids very much but he wants them to succeed and to not follow in his footsteps of failure.
3)The tone in Death of a Salesman is a over exhausted and frustrated one (due to Willy's attitude and how dominant it is in the story.) It does go both ways though, For example
- BIFF: "Will you let me go, for Christ's sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens? "
- BIFF: "Pop, I'm a dime a dozen and so are you..."
4) Literary Techniques were abundantly used in the novel. The use of flashbacks really help demonstrate the ideas of Willy's past and how much they effect his modern day life. Metaphors and similes are also used to shed a light onto an underlying meaning in Miller's writing style. The diction and syntax also play a huge part in the story. The way that Willy and his family speak among each other illustrates the theme of family and the frustrations that come along with the territory.
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