Although there are many things we don't know about the characters in Arthur Miller's play “Death of a Salesman,” we are initially concerned about Arthur Miller's attitude. one of the main characters: did he have a relationship crisis? What drives him to act that way? We are sure of one thing from the start: he is an exhausted and irascible old man. In the comedy “Death of a Salesman” the setting oscillates between the late 1940s or Willy's daydreams of the past. During this period, men's roles were very high, as they were the heads of the family. As the play progresses we see some of the many complications that Willy faces in his life. Willy's dreamy flashbacks give us a peek into the life he lived, and also important details from the past needed to understand the meaning behind other parts of the play. Willy was once “on top” with sales and wanted the best for his son Biff. Miller's style helps the reader see enough into the old man's life to have a clear understanding of why he does the things he does and behaves the way he does. We later find out that not only is his current situation affecting him, but also that of his eldest son, Biff. Over the course of the story, a series of events follow one another that transport us into the lives of these characters and also into their past. One of the main concerns within the story is the theme of failure versus success. In Miller's “Death of a Salesman” the use of characterization and symbols is central to the structure of the theme. Willy Loman is the stable central point of the story. Willy spends most of his time on stage in dialogue with multiple characters. During this century families were still focused on “housewife wives” while men with...... middle of paper ...... close to success” (Thomas Edison) Willy sought pleasure from the approval of others. Instead of mistakenly chasing the American dream and failing, he shouldn't have tried to become a great salesman; he should have aimed to become something more like an architect. Willy was good at tactile tasks like raising the ceiling. Willy had an invisible pride. He felt he had things that weren't there. He also made a mistake in being more proud of his son Biff than Biff was of himself, so when his son failed he was more torn by his failure than he was. In some cases, praise can actually undermine your child's motivation. And thinking highly of oneself can prevent a person from seeing their true potential. «Do not continue to speak with such arrogance and do not let your mouth speak with such arrogance, because the Lord is a God who knows, and by him actions are weighed. [1 Samuel 2:3]