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Sep 27, 2013britprincess1 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I know that DEATH OF A SALESMAN is a classic and I understand why. Its value is that, when it was written in 1949, it questioned and criticized the consumerist American dream in a way that had never been done before, but in this era of Occupy Wall Street, the message is not as profound as it once was. Dealing so heavily in self-deception and foolish pride, Willy Loman is not a likeable character. I'm not asking for a person who is an angel; I can get behind the antihero archetype quite easily, but Willy Loman fails to hold my interest. I feel no empathy for him, and thus, the entire play misses its mark. Even the pitiful wife character Linda is a disappointment. I truly felt that this play went nowhere and led to an inevitable conclusion that was foreshadowed in such a ham-fisted way that I knew it from page 2. I read this play for recreation, and boy, was I not entertained, and if that's your intention as well, I absolutely would not recommend it. Perhaps you have a more scholarly purpose? If you are forced to do a play from this era about family dynamics, I would recommend you read Tennessee William's CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. It's far more interesting, in my humble opinion.