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Death of a Salesman
&
All My Sons
Works by Arthur Miller
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Theme introduction`
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Stereotypical 50s Family
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Do you or a member of your
family ever make mistakes?
Have you ever done something youre ashamed of?
Do you wish that your circumstances
were different?
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Blueprints
Average Family Miller relates his stories to modern families
by making them normal American Dream
Working Hard will not guarantee yoursuccess
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Synopsis
Arthur Miller, one of Americas most famous
writers, wrote two dramas about the love and
flaws of a middle class everyday family. Death
of a Salesman is the story of a life longsalesman named Willy Loman who struggled
his whole life to give his family the best of
things and teach his sons how to do the same.
All My Sons is the story of Joe Keller, afactory owner, who during World War II made
the mistake of sending out flawed plane parts
and costing the lives of many Allied pilots.
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Both Arthur Millers Death ofSalesman and All My Sons
destroyed the 1950s Perfect Family Stereotype and
created a real family with real problems.
The Lomans struggled with financial issues and
the Kellers battled a lost son. These were not
your ideal families where everyone makes good
decisions and defeats challenges with ease. On
the contrary, these families struggled just like
they did in the fifties and just like we do today.
In both writings by Arthur Miller the focus of the story is
on an average, struggling, middle-class family.
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The American Dream
The American Dream is the capitalistbelief that if you work hard enough you
can be a success in America.
Similarities between the two novels:
Death of a Salesman:
Willy Loman believes he can achieve
success in the American Dream
through being well-liked. "The manwho makes an appearance in the
business world, the man who creates
a personal interest, is the man who
gets ahead. Be liked and you will
never want."
All My sons:
Joe Keller sacrifices his integrity for
materialism in hopes of achieving
the American Dream. It is this andhis longing to become socially
accepted that destroys his ability to
distinguish right from wrong, and
ultimately leads him to be dishonest
and make selfish choices.
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Final Common Theme
Willy Loman commits
suicide in an attempt to
financially help his family
through life insurance.
Joe Keller commits suicide
so his son Chris can live
without guilt, and can get onwith his life unaffected by
his fathers mistakes.
Death of a Salesman All My sons
Both Willy Loman and Joe Keller commit suicide
Joe Keller and Willy Lomans intentions were good, but
their goal of reaching the American Dream was wrong,
and suicide was a feeble attempt to fix the burdens that
they had caused. Although Joe Keller tried to help his
son he only brought more shame to their family name.
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The Life and Times of Arthur Miller
Arthur AsherMiller is born in
the Harlem
neighborhood of
New York City
October 17, 1915
Miller graduates
from the University
of Michigan with a
bachelors degree in
English
1938
He marries his
college
Sweetheart,
Mary Slattery
1940
Millers first
Broadway
performance
opens, The Man
who had all the
luck
November 23 ,1944
All My Sons opens,
earning Miller his first
Tony.
January 29, 1947
Death of a Salesman opens
winning Miller six Tony
awards and a Pulitzer Prize
February 10, 1949
The Crucible Opens winning
Miller yet another Tony.
January 26, 1953
Miller Marries
Marilyn Monroe
June 29, 1956
A made-for-TV
version of Death of
a Salesman earns
10 Emmy
nominations andtakes home 3
awards
1980
Miller publishes his
autobiography,
Timebends
1985
Miller dies of
congestive
heart failure at
his home in
Roxbury,
Connecticut
February 10, 2004
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The End