“Be loving to him. Because he’s only a little boat looking for a harbor.”
In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is facing a personal crisis and he can’t see but one way out. He was promised a desk job toward the end of his career, but the people in charge have changed and they are putting him back on the road and working on commission. He can’t make ends meet as a salesman anymore because all of his connections have moved on. His wife needs to know when the bills will be paid. On top of that, his sons are back home and neither has made any significant mark in the world. He has no future and no legacy.
Our local library has a summer reading program for adults and one of the categories to read was a book that I should have read in school. I chose to read Death of a Salesman for that category. It’s a play, but I had never read it before.
Death of a Salesman is a sad story showing how much work and having a legacy can mean to a man. It also shows how secrets can have a lasting effect on the family as one son knows something about his father that he can’t share, but affects their relationship in a big way. It is a quick read and I hope to see a video of the play soon.
I can see why Death of a Salesman would be a good book to read in high school. There are many layers to the characters that can be discussed. It gives good insight to the time period as well. I would recommend it to those who want to make sure they’ve read all the classics and enjoy deep stories.
Did you read Death of a Salesman in school? What did you think about the book?