Death of a Salesman

Personal Critique:
The play is introduced to the audience in a confusing manner. The only concrete understanding of the first twenty pages of the play is that Happy and Biff are the only kids (sons) of Willy and Linda; all other events and descriptions within this section can signify different things, and are left open to interpretation. Subsequently, after these first pages the audience is confused by changes of time; suddenly the play goes back to a memory and back to the present time causing one to easily become lost or uninterested. However, all of these negative aspects of the play begin to dwindle since, all the unanswered questions within the beginning of the play become resolved towards the end of the Act. Act Two is a significant shift of the play, it focuses on the current state of Willy rather than the past. It realizes much about his actions, internal struggle, frustration, and psyche. Every line of the two builds up simply to the Requiem, in which the play can truly be appreciated for it significance and powerful message.

Overall, the play starts with a difficulty to overcome its boring introduction of characters and confusing scenery; however as the main character, Willy, is further emphasized and revealed the audience becomes more interested in the direction of the play. Finally, the ending scene resolves and gives the reader an absolute understanding of the novel. Therefore, the play begins very slow and dull but then shifts to interest and captivate the reader.

Plot:
A man named Willy has lost his purpose in life; he has came to America in search of the American Dream but has lost sight of the spiritual and personal fulfillment of himself. He has become too focused in the material aspect of the American Dream; in fact, he has become completely immersed in the material world that he became willing to commit adultery simply for the chance to advance of the business world. His downfall was his desire to simply become somebody that is known and will provide for the family; he did not intrinsically act, he acted and did as society told him was the American Dream.  

Characters:
Willy is described as a troubled man. He has lost sight of his own desires and lost himself in the financial world therefore explaining his deranged state. His death shows that money is not the answer to all problems. In fact, it is better to be happy without money; people must find a balance between the importance of money and simply desire to fulfill their ambitions.
Linda expresses the greatest amount of love possible; he knows the state of mind of his husband and comes to terms that he will soon cause his own death. She, sadly, cannot change this fate of Willy. After all of Willy's deranged state of mind, for perhaps years, she became completely desensitized to the death of Willy.
Biff is the product of Willy's neglect of family and pursuance to the best businessman for simply capital gain. Willy has traumatized Biff with the affair of an unknown woman which he personally saw first-hand. The entire occurrence had ironically affected his desire to follow the American Dream.

Important Aspects of the Play:
Willy's perception of the American Dream as a strict guide caused about his downfall and downfall of Biff. His death can almost be interpreted as a significant moment in which they can move on; Biff finally realizes the person he is and Willy committed suicide in order to do best for his family. Willy was already dead on the inside; he spent nearly every waking moment in a reminiscent state.
Money is neither bad or good in this play; it simply people's perceptions of it and the material world that can cause happiness or absolute misery.
There exists a correlation between Biff's desire to plunder his future life and the deranged state of Willy; Willy had large hopes and expectations of Biff due to him being the first son.