Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by Arthur Miller, his most famous and commonly performed work. Seen by many as a caustic attack on the American dream of success through economic enterprise, it made both Arthur Miller and main character Willy Loman famous. It was met with rave reviews, received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949, the Tony Award for Best Play in 1949, and turned Miller into a national phenomenon as a playwright. his grip on reality. Willy places great emphasis on his supposed native charm and ability to make friends; stating that he was once known throughout New England, driving long hours but making unprecedented sales (which was only true because of his philandering with secretaries), his sons Biff and Happy were the pride and joy of the neighborhood , and his wife Linda went smiling everywhere the day. Unfortunately, time has passed and now his life seems to be spiraling out of control. Willy has worked hard his whole life and should be retired by now, living a life of luxury and closing deals over the phone with contractors, especially since increasing episodes of depersonalization and flashbacks are affecting his ability to drive. Instead, all of Willy's aspirations seem to have failed: he is fired from his job - which barely paid enough anyway - by a man young enough to be his son and who, in fact, was nominated by Willy himself. Willy is now forced to rely on loans from his one true friend (and the word is used loosely), Charley, to make ends meet. None of Willy's old friends or previous clients remember him. Biff, his 34-year-old son, has failed to "find himself" due to his inability to settle down (caused by Willy instilling in him the need to "break through in two weeks"), and Happy, his youngest son lies shamelessly to make it seem like he's a perfect Loman scion. By contrast, Charley (who, Willy tells his boys conspiratorially, is not well liked), is now a successful businessman, and his son Bernard, a bespectacled former bookworm, is now a brilliant lawyer. We are told how Willy had at least one affair while on a business trip, one in particular witnessed by Biff (which broke his trust in Willy). Finally, Willy is haunted by memories of his now dead older brother,