The failure of a success-oriented society in Death of a SalesmanIn the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the playwright focuses on the theme of failure in a success oriented society. Willy Lowman, a failed salesman, is the central character. Willy's downfall is caused by his belief in the propaganda of a society that only has room for winners. The significance of this theme, still very relevant today, is heightened by Miller's skillful use of a number of key techniques, including setting, characterization and symbolism. The drama focuses on the life of a middle-aged salesman, Willy Lowman, who, at the beginning of the show is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He lives with his adoring but overprotective wife, Linda, who serves as a buffer between her husband and their two adult children, Biff and Happy, whose relationship with their father is permanently under strain. The work chronicles the tragic collapse of a man who fails to face his moral responsibilities in a society whose false values ​​place a dangerous importance on success measured in transitory terms such as income and material possessions. Living by these values ​​means that failure is also defined in economic terms. The setting of the show helps us understand the meaning of this theme. Willy Lowman's house is presented as "small and fragile-looking", dwarfed by a wall of condominiums whose presence contributes to a trapped and claustrophobic atmosphere. It refers to a time before the development of this area, when there were "two beautiful elm trees", now felled by the builder, and a garden in which fragrant wisteria and lilacs bloomed in profusion. Willy complains about the airless quality of his apartment, despite...... middle of paper......air society. To today's audiences, Willy Lowman remains a poignant figure of failure, partly as a result of society's false value system, but partly because of Willy's inability to face life with integrity. Works Cited and Consulted Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 4th ed. New York: Norton, 1994. Corrigan, Robert W., ed. Arthur Miller. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1969.Florio, Thomas A., ed. "Miller's Tales." The New Yorker. 70 (1994): 35-36. Hayashi, Tetsumaro. Criticism by Arthur Miller. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1969.Martin, Robert A., ed. Arthur Miller. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982. Miller, Arthur. The Archbishop's Ceiling/The American Clock. New York: Grove Press, 1989.---. Death of a salesman. New York: Viking, 1965.