Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” is widely considered to be a modern classic. The play tells the story of Willy Loman, a salesman who is struggling to keep up with the changing times. The play opens with a series of stage directions that set the scene and establish the mood.
The stage directions describe the Loman house as “a small, cramped apartment.” The furniture is old and worn, and there are piles of papers and magazines everywhere. The atmosphere is one of clutter and chaos.
The stage directions also reveal that the Lomans live in a constant state of anxiety. Willy is always worrying about his job, and his wife Linda is always worrying about money. This anxious mood is conveyed through the use of sharp, harsh lighting.
The stage directions establish the setting and mood of the play, and they also foreshadow the events to come. The Lomans’ lives are full of anxiety and insecurity, which will ultimately lead to tragedy.
In Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” (1949), the playwright starts with an extensive description of the Loman family home. By including very specific stage directions involving props, lighting and sound effects, Miller creates a detailed picture that must be followed unerringly in every production of his work to do it justice.
The first stage direction is:
“An apartment house, New York City. A small, cramped living-room.”
This sets the scene immediately as being in an urban environment which is already quite different from the American dream that Willy Loman is chasing. The living room is described as small and cramped which suggests that the family are not doing well financially and their living conditions are not up to par. This is significant as it reflects Willy’s own feelings of inadequacy and being trapped, both financially and emotionally.
The next stage direction is:
“At rise: The action takes place in the present.”
This suggests that the play is set in a time period where Arthur Miller would have been writing, which would have been the 1940s or 50s. This is significant as it shows that the play is meant to be a commentary on the American dream and the reality of life in America during this time period.
The next stage direction is:
“Willy Loman’s house. The front door is at the left of the stage as you face it.”
This tells us about the layout of the stage and where the different elements will be placed. It also suggests that Willy Loman’s house is not a very big one, which again reflects his financial situation.
The next stage direction is:
“There is a small window at the back.”
This window represents hope for Willy Loman. It is the only source of natural light in the room and it is where he goes to sit and think about his life when he feels lost and confused. The window also represents the American dream that Willy is chasing. He can see it but he can never quite reach it.
The next stage direction is:
“There are two chairs and a card table on which are a lamp, an ashtray, and a large plate with half-eaten food.”
This tells us about the props that will be used in the scene. It also suggests that the Lomans are not a very tidy or well-off family. The half-eaten food suggests that they are not able to afford to have proper meals or that they are too busy to sit down and eat together as a family.
The next stage direction is:
“At the back, there is a kitchen door.”
This tells us about the location of the kitchen in relation to the rest of the room. It also suggests that the Lomans do not have a lot of space in their home.
Though the stage directions at the beginning of Act 1 are mostly short and clear sentences, Miller uses a range of different language choices to hint at underlying themes and messages. He does this to prepare the audience for what they’re about to see, as well as setting the scene. The play is set in Brooklyn, New York some years after the great depression, so many references are made already at this early stage to idealism and the American dream; both desperate visions that many Americans had during that time for a better life.
The play is also set in the home of Willy Loman, a man whose profession is being a salesman, which immediately gives us an insight into his character- someone who is on the road a lot, away from home, and whose job involves a lot of travelling and knocking on doors. Arthur Miller uses a range of stage directions to hint at these things, as well as other messages about the characters which will become more relevant later on in the play.
Some key phrases used by Arthur Miller in the stage directions include “a small suburban house” and “a backyard and beyond that an alley”. These descriptions are deliberately chosen to contrast with the grander houses that Willy talks about later on in his reveries, symbolising both the sad reality of his life in comparison to his dreams, as well as the confines of his current lifestyle which make it difficult for him to achieve anything more.
Arthur Miller also writes that “the back door is open and light streams in from the yard”, hinting at Willy’s need for escape both physically and mentally from his current situation. This is a powerful image which will be repeated later on in the play.
Throughout the opening stage directions, Arthur Miller uses a range of language techniques to hint at underlying messages about the play, the characters and the themes. By doing this, he creates a strong opening which sets the scene for the rest of the play.
Miller makes it clear that Willy’s dream is an illusion by adding in emblematic phrases to his stage directions, such as ‘rising out of reality.’ There are also physical representations which add to this feeling of delusion, for instance the broken boundaries where ‘characters enter or leave a room by stepping through a wall onto the forestage.’
In Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” the stage directions are essential in order to understand the true meaning behind the play. By analyzing the opening stage directions, we can see that Miller is trying to portray the American Dream as an illusion.
The American Dream is something that has been ingrained in the minds of Americans for generations. It is the idea that anyone, no matter where they come from or what their circumstances may be, can achieve success and happiness through hard work and determination. Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” tells the story of Willy Loman, a man who is desperately chasing after this dream.
However, what many people don’t realize is that the American Dream is not always attainable. In fact, for some people, it may be nothing more than a pipe dream. This is something that Arthur Miller tries to communicate through his stage directions.
For instance, in the opening stage directions, Miller writes that the Loman house is “a small, cramped two-storey dwelling,” which symbolizes the limitations that are placed on the American Dream. The fact that the house is located in Brooklyn also reinforces this idea, as Brooklyn is often seen as a working-class neighborhood.
In addition, the stage directions also mention that there are “invisible barriers” separating the different rooms in the house. These barriers represent the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving the American Dream. They also suggest that the dream is something that is out of reach for the average person.
Arthur Miller uses the stage directions in “Death of a Salesman” to show that the American Dream is an illusion. He does this by setting the play in a working-class neighborhood and using symbolism to suggest that the dream is out of reach for many people.
