Death of a Salesman

DEATH OF A SALESMAN-ORAL

In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, the values and ideals of American society in the 1940’s and 50’s are explored through the story of Willy Loman. The attitude towards women at that time is also explored, through both his actions and that of his sons, Biff and Happy.

Biff and Happy are shown quite early on in the play to regard females as objects, merely to amuse themselves with. In their first scene in their bedroom, Happy talks of “that big Betsy something” who was his “first time- I think” as a “pig” whom they both laugh at, with no respect for her as a woman. They later talk about the “gorgeous creatures” they had taken out that night, whom Happy compares to as bowling pins as he “keeps knocking them over”. This clearly shows that they regard women simply as creatures or objects, who exist for men’s pleasure and not as people in their own right. Happy also uses women to boost his own self esteem. He delights in �...