CMU School of Drama


Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A timeless masterpiece

The Tartan Online: "For those of you on the hunt for a job post-graduation, an interview question you are likely to encounter is, “What is your definition of success?” For Willy Loman, the tragic hero in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the answer to that question would be “to be well-liked.” Stroll down the aisle of any Barnes & Noble and plenty of business advice books will tell you the same thing: In order to “make it” in the business world, all one needs is a rolodex filled with contacts. And yet, in Death of a Salesman, Willy’s downfall is rooted in this need to be popular and well known. Willy’s determination for others to respect him makes him lose all respect for himself. This is a tragic yet poignant reflection of the obscuration of values evident both when this play was written and in society today."

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