Death of a Salesman

            I first read Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman around this time last year, and, reading it for a second time, I got a lot more out of it. I was especially struck by Willy’s focus on “being liked.” He seems unable to differentiate between superficial and genuine relationships. As such, he seeks the approval of those who mean nothing to him while neglecting his family, the ones who should mean the most to him. Similarly, he cannot accept that Biff’s simple ambitions, as they do not fit in with his superficial definition of success.

            There are certain elements of the staging that I have difficulty imagining while reading it, namely the music.  I haven’t often encountered music in plays I’ve read, so I’m not quite sure how to react to it. Clearly its important to the dramatic tension of the scene, but the only way to get its effect while reading is to stop reading and look it up, thereby breaking the flow of the play. As annoying as it is, it at least offers incentive to see the play live.