Death of a Salesman-Final

This is a final post discussing the themes present in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. This play explored many themes. Two major themes are denial and regret. Two minor themes are the American Dream and reputation.
Denial is the first major theme of this book. In times of struggle, denial is prevalent because reality is more difficult to accept. Willy's character exhibits the most self-denial during this play and it is one of the causes of his insanity. His hallucinations allowed him to believe that he was in a more pleasant situation than where he actually was. He still believed that even though his sons were nearing middle-aged and had found no success in live, they were still stars. He deluded himself into believing that he was an exceptional salesman when he was simply mediocre. Linda did not exhibit denial but she perpetuated her husband's by not setting him straight. Happy, always acting the part of his father's son, convinced himself into believing that he was an assistant buyer when he was really an assistant to an assistant. The entire family was affected and broken due to this denial. It is possible that in an easier era to live in, Willy wouldn't have had to deal with these hallucinations or the denial he lived with. However, since the Great Depression was a time of struggle, his life was too hard for him to deal with when he let himself hear the truth.
Nostalgia and a sense of hopelessness about the present often lead to regret and living in the past, leading to inability to move forward. Linda regrets that no matter what she does, she cannot reconcile her sons to her husband. She single-mindedly strives for family unity and regrets how her life has changed and that leaves her unable to seek help for her husband. Biff regrets not continuing his football career so even into adulthood, he is unable to allow himself to follow his dreams. Happy is paralyzed in the past, still acting like a teenager and trying to please his father because he regrets that he was never enough for Willy. Willy constantly regrets not going off with Ben to make his fortune, leaving him unable to do a good job as a salesman. He regrets his affair and that Biff found out about it, stripping him of his self respect. The longing for the past present in the Loman family led to regret that paralyzed the family.
The American Dream, a concept so important to this nation's pride, nearly collapsed during the Great Depression. Many people lost sight of their dreams and hope for the future because the crippling economic issues did not allow for anyone to strike out on their own. Ben embodied the American Dream to Willy because he was brave enough to try something new and he succeeded. Willy went the safe route and had confidence in his skills. He always maintained hope for his sons because of the American Dream, even though it was unrealistic that they would suddenly be successful at 34 and 32. Linda is the only one in the family who fully gave up on the American Dream. She was content to mend her stockings and live paycheck to paycheck as long as her family was happy. Though she had given up on that source of hope, she was also the happiest, most fulfilled family member because she didn't have a grand illusion about someone sweeping in to save her. The American Dream and the lack thereof during the Great Depression left a mark on this story.
Another lesson that this play has to teach is that while reputation is important, popularity does not triumph over hard work. Willy constantly told his sons that Bernard and Charley were smart but not well-liked, assuming that since his sons were handsome and popular, they would succeed over Bernard. When they became adults, Bernard was a successful lawyer and the Loman brothers had nothing. Despite Willy's superiority, Charley continually lent them money. Willy maintained his stubborn attitude that reputation was everything. He refused to admit that hard work and studying were a more useful path and in the end, that led to his downfall.