Death of a Salesman - CONTEXT

Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman, which was first performed in 1949, only a few years after World War II ended in 1945 and within a decade of the end of the Great Depression (1929–1939). Both eras had a significant impact on the work of Miller and on Death of a Salesman in particular, which is set in the late 1940s in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Boston. 

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

With the crash of the stock market in 1929, America plummeted into the worst economic downturn it had ever faced. Many banks, companies, and individual families lost everything, leaving a bruised national psyche that lacked confidence about the future. 

For Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman illustrates the personal effects of the Great Depression. The shattered dreams of Miller's family, and of the American people, are reflected in the shattered dreams of Willy Loman. As the protagonist of Death of a Salesman, Willy is unable to attain financial or emotional stability despite a lifelong career as a salesman and a long marriage to a faithful and devoted wife. 

WORLD WAR TWO

The limping U.S. economy improved as parts of the globe plunged into World War II in 1939. The economy shifted into high gear as manufacturers began to develop mechanized weaponry, communication technology, advancements in medicine, and improved transportation to support the war effort. By the time the war ended in 1945, new technologies focused on domestic improvements, including everything from washing machines and refrigerators to automobiles. 

Turning away from the horrors of…