Inevitability

A sense of inevitability and inability to escape fate is a common theme of tragedies and features heavily in Death of a Salesman.

A classic theme

A sense of inevitability, of tragic heroes powerless to escape their fate, has been a feature of tragedy since the time of ancient Greek dramatists such as Aeschylus and Sophocles.
Tragedies often revolved around characters controlled by forces beyond their knowledge or understanding.

Title

Miller creates a sense of inevitability from his title alone: audiences will witness the death of a salesman.
Willy Loman’s fate is known before the drama even begins.

Foreshadowing

Miller also uses the technique of foreshadowing early in the play.
Willy tells Linda, “I’m tired to the death”, reinforcing the sense that Willy’s demise is fast approaching.

Fate

Act One ends with a similar reminder of Willy’s inevitable fate.
As Willy dreams of Biff’s future success (“he’ll be great yet”), the gas heater, behind which Willy has hidden some rubber tubing, begins to “glow”.
The audience are reminded, just as Willy has begun to hope again, that he is set on the path to self-destruction.

1Introduction

1.1Introductions

1.1.1Author

1.1.2Historical Context

1.1.3Setting

1.1.4Social Issues

2Act One

2.1Key Events

2.1.1Staging

2.1.2Key Events 1&2

2.1.3Key Events 3&4

2.1.4Key Events 5&6

2.1.5Key Events 7&8

2.1.6Key Events 9&10

2.1.7Key Events 11&12

2.2Key Themes & Literary Techniques

2.2.1Foreshadowing, Flashbacks, Settings

2.2.2Family, Reality, Fantasy

3Act Two

3.1Key Events

3.1.1Key Events 1&2

3.1.2Key Events 3&4

3.1.3Key Events 5&6

3.1.4Key Events 7&8

3.1.5Key Events 9&10

3.2Key Themes & Links

3.2.1Pride

3.2.2Metaphor

3.2.3Self-Realisation

4Extended Passage Analysis

4.1Act One

4.1.1Staging

4.1.2The Woman

4.2Act Two

4.2.1In Howard’s Office

4.2.2The Final Confrontation

4.2.3The Requiem

5Character Profiles

5.1Willy & Linda Loman

5.1.1Willy Loman

5.1.2Linda Loman

5.2Biff & Happy Loman

5.2.1Biff Loman

5.2.2Biff's Relationship with Willy

5.2.3Happy Loman

5.3Other Characters

5.3.1Uncle Ben

5.3.2Charley

5.3.3Bernard

6Key Themes

6.1Concepts

6.1.1The American Dream

6.1.2Fathers & Sons

6.1.3Nature & the City

6.1.4Success

6.1.5Men & Women

7Writing Techniques

7.1Structure

7.1.1Act One

7.1.2Act Two

7.2Realism

7.2.1Introduction

7.2.2Staging

7.2.3Language

7.3Expressionism

7.3.1Introduction

7.3.2Staging

7.3.3Music

7.4Symbolism

7.4.1The Garden / Seeds

7.4.2Diamonds

7.4.3Alaska & Africa

7.5Motifs

7.5.1Introduction

7.5.2Cars

7.5.3Silk Stockings

7.5.4Money

7.5.5Mythological Figures

8Historical Context

8.1Historical Context

8.1.1Miller’s Family & The Great Depression

8.1.2America’s Recovery

9Literary Context

9.1Tragedy

9.1.1Introduction

9.2Applying Tragic Concepts

9.2.1The Tragic Hero

9.2.2The Tragic Flaw

9.2.3Recognition

9.2.4Emotional Release

9.2.5Chaos & Disorder

9.2.6Revenge

9.2.7Inevitability

10Critical Debates

10.1Introduction

10.1.1Introduction

10.2The Marxist Reading

10.2.1Marxist Analysis

10.2.2The Marxist Reading

10.3The Feminist Reading

10.3.1Feminist Analysis

10.3.2The Feminist Reading

10.4The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.1Eco-Critical Analysis

10.4.2The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.3Post-pastoral

10.5Other Debates

10.5.1The Play as Tragedy

10.5.2The Critics

11Recap: Main Quotes

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