Themes

There were many themes I took note of in Death of A Salesman.
The first theme that I immediately saw was Lost Dreams. This is a big theme of the play because every character has a dream that they lost out on that affects them a great deal. For example, Willy had a dream of becoming a well-known, rich salesman... his dream didn't work out, but the journey he went on to try and achieve this goal caused his family and him to suffer.
The next theme I noticed was The American Dream. The American Dream is a theme for many stories and plays because a lot of characters want this ideal living situation. A working husband, a wife and two successful kids. Well, in this case, Willy also had this dream in mind. He wanted to supply his family with his riches from his sales, but his job didn't get him to where he wanted to be. Willy also wanted to supply his wife and kids with food, clothes and gifts, but he didn't have the money to do that. He longed for his sons to make him proud by being successful business men and living out The American Dream for themselves, but his sons- in his eyes, failed.
Another theme was Lies. Lies is a big theme in this play because the Loman family is either lying to other people or lying to themselves. Biff is a good example of someone who lies to other people to get on their good side. One example of this is how Biff lied to Willy and the rest of his family about his job and where he worked. He accepted who he was at the end of the play, but before, he couldn't face the fact that he let down his father and family. Happy, Willy and Linda are are examples of people who lie to themselves. Happy and Willy both can't seem to figure out who they are and lie to themselves that they are this image of who they long to be, rather than who they really are. Linda lies to herself too, but in a different way. Willy is falling to pieces and Linda keeps lying to herself, telling herself that its not his fault, but other peoples.
The last theme that I really saw was Appearances. This is an important theme because through out the story, The Loman family greatly values looks. Willy's memories of Biff involves Biff gliding through high school based on his good appearance. Appearance also comes up with Willy. Instead of admitting he isn't the great salesman he thinks he is, Willy worries that it is his appearance holding him back in business.