Death of a Salesman: Beyond Hunger, Attention Must Be Paid to Swiss Cheese

Abstract

In Arthur Miller’s foreword to his “Theater Essays,” the playwright lists three elements he deems essential in a play: food, sex, and an image. Death of a Salesman stages the Loman family in a time of turmoil, and the play ends in a tragic way with the death of Willy Loman. This article focuses on food, analyzing the ways in which nutriments and nutrition relate to social and family links, questioning the status and the role of food at family, social, and even political levels. From Linda’s offers to make sandwiches to Willy’s statement according to which “a man is not a piece of fruit!”—including, among others, the restaurant scene—this article shows how thanks to food-centered scenes, Miller exposes the deep alienation of human beings.