Death of a Salesman Writing Assignment

Death of a Salesman
Your Name
Subject and Section
December 10, 2018
In the Death of a Salesman, one of the most memorable concepts that audience remember is the concept of ‘self-awareness.’ This concept which has been at the center of the whole story has made those who see the play think about how material things and existence relate to one another. Specifically, in the play, Biff can be remembered as telling his brother that he already knows ‘who he is,’ despite his deceased father not ‘knowing who he was.’ What Biff meant in saying this is that he already realized what a successful businessman like his father failed to do when he was still living. He failed to plant his own seeds to things that are eternal, transcendent, and those who are out of the confines of the material world. Biff’s statement that he already knows ‘who he is’ means that he knows that he should pursue the things that he wants in life, and make the most out of every little thing.
One of the things that prove that Biff has already realized the importance of pursuing things that are outside the confines of materialistic desires, was the instance when he said – “And I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I do not want to be” (Miller, 1996)? It is during this time when he realized that the power to transact with other people and generate money from it (as symbolized by the pen), is not what he really wants to be in life. It was then when he also said...