Context Flashcards
Who is Arthur Miller?
He was born in New York 1915 to his father who was a manufacturer, his business was ruined and his family had to move into a smaller house
Why was Miller’s fathers business ruined?
The great depression and the Wall Street crash
How is Miller reflective of Biff?
He prefers sports over study
When was Death of a Salesman written?
1949
What does the play follow?
The last 24hr of Willy’s life having lived through the Great Depression
What is the only year mentioned in the play and what is it’s relevance?
“In 1928 I had a big year”, it is the year before the Great Depression. So the great depression has ruined Willy’s family just like it ruined Miller’s
What quotation shows financial security to be a big issue in the Loman family?
“That I won’t make a living for you”
What was Thomas Jefferson’s American dream?
He believed that for the nation to be successful it needed to be built on independence, so he advocated the ownership of small farms/ranches
How doe Biff and Happy embody Jefferson’s American dream?
They want to buy and run a ranch
Who is the source of Willy’s dream of buying and selling?
Willy’s father
Does Miller support the American dream?
No
What is Cecil Rhodes’ Diamond Miner?
One of Kimberley’s most famous prospectors, their story is the same as Ben’s diamond mining story
What is meta-theatre?
The director/play deliberately draws attention to its own theatrics
How does Miller employ meta-theatre?
Through the staging, so that Willy can be seen talking to himself and multiple scenes can be seen at once during mobile concurrency
What play was inspirational to Miller and why?
Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” where the play opens with no music and no curtains
