Before one even reaches a minute into reading The Death of a Salesman (1949), a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by American playwright Arthur Miller, there is a pervasive emotion that is felt from the beginning and carried to the end of the play: the complete exhaustion of all the characters.
Exhaustion, for these characters, is not just experienced after a demanding workday or a traumatic event; it lingers with the characters as though it’s a constant emotion, always hovering.
From the instant they wake to the moment they fall asleep, their exhaustion seeps into everything around them—the world, the people, and most of all, from the weight of simply being.
Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the play’s recurring themes of anxiety, exhaustion, and insecurity continue to resonate in today’s world, especially as Egypt grapples with an ongoing economic crisis and rising costs that are stretching many families to their limits.
Arthur Miller himself, the author, was deeply affected by the economic turmoil in the US, and came face to face with the harsh realities of the Depression as he struggled to make ends meet, taking on various jobs as a waiter, truck driver, and factory worker. Witnessing firsthand how the economy tore apart his own family, he wrote Death of a Salesman (1949) as an exploration of how economic hardship devastates the human psyche.
The more the characters pursue greatness and success, chasing the elusive promise of the American Dream, the closer they come to confronting the truth: that human life is, at its core, fragile. The grandeur of their dreams never upheld the weight of their inherent powerlessness.
Family economic hardship and mental health
From movies to TV series, family has always been a cornerstone of American identity. For most Americans, family time takes priority over other aspects of life, much like in Egypt, where it plays a similarly important role in shaping and defining individuals.
In both cultures, family reputation anchors one’s identity, while family wealth continues to shape and strengthen the next generation. Family is not just the seed, but the tree itself; it supports individual growth while also providing grounding and support for the next generation. Without this family tree, one cannot fully understand their roots or trace the legacy of their family’s wealth.
In the play, economic struggles corrupt the seed and break the tree: they not only ruin the fruits meant for the next generation but also dismantle the system of support for the current one. Both the seed and the tree are ultimately annihilated.
At the heart of the play is the theme of family, with Willy Loman, a struggling salesman, as its protagonist and father of the family. As the play unfolds, it becomes clear that Willy’s mental health is gradually declining. During conversations with his wife, Linda, and his sons, Biff and Happy, he starts to hallucinate, turning to speak to his deceased brother Ben and other old family members to understand his family’s past and the success he never achieved.
Willy’s hallucinations and conversations with his deceased family members highlight the growing divide between generations and how old family wealth is no longer enough to support the current one. In one hallucination, where he speaks with his brother, Willy reflects on how men in the past could provide for their families through practical skills like carpentry. Now, however, success in the business world seems to depend more on being liked and looking presentable.
At one point, Willy says, “I’m very foolish to look at.” His failure in the business world is tied more to his appearance and how he presents himself than to his actual abilities. Unable to be valued for his skills, Willy feels emasculated and struggles to find his place as a man in modern economy.
His sense of manhood—and what it means to be a man— falls apart, as he no longer feels capable of fulfilling the traditional role of provider and protector for his family.
Similarly, Egypt’s economic struggles are also affecting families’ mental health, with the role of the father becoming increasingly difficult.
Much like the character of Willy in the play, rising prices are not only impacting how families manage their finances but also straining their relationships. Many fathers, weighed down by stress and exhaustion, find it harder to spend quality time with their children.
The play fundamentally asks: How long can a family stay strong while facing economic woes together? How long can they endure hardship and hold on?
Throughout the play, the relationships between Willy and his wife and sons also deteriorate. The bond that once held them together no longer depends solely on their connection as family members, but on their ability to provide and succeed. Every conversation in Willy’s home revolves around his sons’ career failures, their inability to live up to traditional notions of manhood, and the desire for material wealth.
Regular family discussions gradually fade, losing their meaning and significance. Willy starts to measure his sons’ worth by their potential for success, rather than appreciating them for who they are. As he says of Biff, “He’ll be great. A star like that, magnificent, can never really fade away.”
In the same way, his sons begin to view him as inept, and criticize him for his lack of success, instead of valuing him simply as their father. The basic identities of being a father, son, or wife are no longer enough—one must be a successful father, son, and wife. But when a family member loses their sanity or falls apart, who will be there to support them?
There is a constant yearning for greatness, a drive to pursue something larger, even when their current lives are simple, small, and fragile. Willy persistently urges his sons to feel great, but this is contrasted with their exhaustion and desire to retreat back into sleep. They talk about big dreams and making groundbreaking changes, yet everyday life drags them on, leaving them unchanged and unremarkable.
Is it a natural right for someone to feel worn out by the world they live in? When Willy’s sons label him as mentally unstable, his wife defends him, pointing out that while he may not have made much money, his name was never in the paper, and he may not be the finest character, he is still, after all, a human.
And as a human, he has the right to feel exhausted, she notes. “Why shouldn’t he talk to himself? Why? You don’t have to be very smart to know what his trouble is. The man is exhausted,” she says.
In a global economic system where families are expected to work harder amidst rising costs, exhaustion is rarely acknowledged or valued, even though it largely impacts their mental health. There are no policies in place to address this overwhelming fatigue, yet it permeates every aspect of family life. They constantly ask themselves: How do we stop feeling exhausted? How can we break free from this endless state of fatigue?
But the exhaustion never leaves, as there is no formal system in place to help them cope.
The lack of focus on everyday exhaustion and fatigue is also evident in Egypt. While there are widespread campaigns on mental health and efforts to improve mental health institutions, there is still a lack of integration of mental health care into primary services and other areas like workplaces and universities.
Everyday exhaustion is often viewed as trivial compared to more severe mental disorders, yet the impact of chronic stress and fatigue remains significant, especially as economic conditions worsen.
The death of the father figure
The play’s ending shows how Willy’s pursuit of the elusive American Dream leads to his tragic end. As he drives off into the distance, eventually crashing, his symbolic death marks more than just the end of his life—it signifies the collapse of the family’s hopes for greatness.
In the aftermath, Biff, Willy’s son, faces the truth: he must abandon his distorted vision of the American Dream and accept that they are simply ordinary people. With the father figure—the one who provided and pressured everyone to succeed—gone, their pursuit of greatness vanishes as well.
The ending also highlights how a worsening economic situation can tear families apart, especially impacting the role of the father figure. In the final scene, Willy’s wife, Linda, repeats, “We’re free…” as the family exits, while a haunting melody of a flute plays and the curtain falls.
The sense of freedom from the pressure to succeed contrasts with the emptiness of the house, now devoid of a father figure to provide for them. They are free from his expectations, yet they are also left without the support he once offered.
The play ends with a lingering question: Are they truly free, or are they still longing for a provider? And if so, who will now take on that role—the government, or will they be left without anyone at all?
Just as Egyptians seek freedom from the pressure to succeed and attain material wealth, the play’s ending reveals that there is no true freedom. They will continue searching for a provider, caught in the unending pressure to find the next source of support.
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