History YMMV / DeathOfASalesman

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Some argue that rather than being a deconstruction of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream, the play comes off as more of a reconstruction of the American Dream the way Bernard's character is presented. He's portrayed as being diligent, studious, and hard-working to the point of criticizing Biff for blowing off school. While the show is normally interpreted as Willy having worked hard his entire life, some people view it differently, believing that Willy didn't seem willing to put in the effort he needed to live the life he wanted. In the end, Bernard's work ethic pays off, and he grows up to be a wealthy lawyer and Willy is dependent on his money.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Some argue that rather than being a deconstruction of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream, the play comes off as more of a reconstruction of the American Dream the way Bernard's character is presented. He's portrayed as being diligent, studious, and hard-working to the point of criticizing Biff for blowing off school. Willy and his family, on the other hand, while they dream big, don't seem willing to put in the effort needed to live the lives they want. In the end, Bernard's work ethic pays off, and he grows up to be a wealthy lawyer and Willy is dependent on his money.

* HilariousInHindsight: In 1999, Creator/LaurenceFishburne had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cRPPn9OzXI&frags=pl%2Cwn presented]] Creator/BrianDennehy (whom Fishburne referred to as "the big man") the Tony Award for his performance as Willy Loman, then cut to ''Film/AssaultOnPrecinct132005'' where Fishburne and Dennehy both played the bitterest of enemies towards each other (which Dennehy's character refers Fishburne's character as a "piece of shit" and "dealer", an ironic way to call someone played by the actor who gave the former's actor the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play).

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Some argue that rather than being a deconstruction of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream, the play comes off as more of a reconstruction of the American Dream the way Bernard's character is presented. He's portrayed as being diligent, studious, and hard-working to the point of criticizing Biff for blowing off school. Willy and his family on the other hand, while they dream big, don't seem willing to put in the effort needed to live the lives they want. In the end, Bernard's work ethic pays off and he grows up to be a wealthy lawyer and Willy is dependent on his money.
** Bernard doesn't really feature in the story much, but his (successful) father, Charlie's line that: "My salvation is that I never took interest in anything" doesn't make him sound happy or self-actualized, but rather broken and demoralized. Perhaps to an even greater extent than Willie.

** Most interpretations of Ben Loman see him as rather cruel and uncaring toward his kid-brother. On the other hand, one could say that Ben Loman cared more about his brother than Willy's own family, who did nothing to try and dissuade Willy from his own folly until it was far too late. One of the most pivotal scenes in the play is when Ben comes by and visits the family before they're to attend a football game Biff was playing in. He straight-up offers his brother a third of his mines in Africa (where Ben had found his riches) and the chance to escape from the vicious cycle Willy was caught in. It was Willy who refused and insisted he could make it big in New York. This was reinforced by Linda, who basically scolded Ben for the offer and insisted that Willy stay in New York.

** To what extent is Biff's failure in life caused by his disappointment in his father? Though he did chose not to retake the required math class and attend college shortly after discovering Willy's adulterous affair, it's also strongly implied that Biff's upbringing was setting him up for failure regardless. By his own admission, having Willy tell him repeatedly how he's destined for greatness gave Biff a sense of entitlement, to the point where he would become easily discouraged and quit the moment any job or task became at all difficult.
** Linda is another character who gets a variety of interpretations: Is she a doormat? A nag? An enabler of Willy's worst qualities? Just trying to be a dutiful housewife? Did she crush Willy's chances for success by discouraging him from going to Alaska, or did she prevent disaster by holding Willy back from pursuing an ill-advised pipe-dream? Does she know about Willy's infidelities?

* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Between his memory loss, hallucinations, random emotional outbursts and difficulty operating even relatively simple machinery, Willy appears to be suffering from some undiagnosed form of dementia, possibly the early stages of Alzheimer's.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: In 1983, the play debuted in China as part of a cultural exchange, with Arthur Miller himself directing. The performance was a smash hit and solidified Miller's plays as a favorite of Chinese theater, helped by its resonant themes of working-class toil and the importance of family, as well as Miller's decision to revise the script so it takes place in China (most prior performances of western theater made no such modifications). This popularity is probably best known to westerners thanks to ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' Season 16 episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E12GooGooGaiPan Goo Goo Gai Pan]]," where the family sees a Chinese performance while on vacation.
* HarsherInHindsight: The play disturbingly turned out to be somewhat predictive, as [[http://www.vox.com/2015/11/7/9684928/angus-deaton-white-mortality a 2015 study]] revealed that many, many middle-aged men in the U.S. were basically going through a 21st century version of what Willy Loman went through, with tragic consequences. So many deaths of so many "salesmen"...

* MisaimedFandom: The play was initially scrutinized for its perceived anti-American message. So much so that Miller had his passport revoked when he was suspected of promoting socialist propaganda. This was clearly a case of poor reading comprehension, as 1) The play was meant to criticise people chasing a fruitless American Dream, not the American Dream itself, and 2) The play clearly portrays Charlie's son, Bernard, as an inversion of HardWorkHardlyWorks.

** The 1985 version starring Creator/DustinHoffman features Creator/JohnMalkovich and Creator/StephenLang as Biff and Happy, as well as Creator/JonPolito as Willy's boss Howard.
** The 1966 version starring Creator/LeeJCobb has a very young Creator/GeneWilder in a rare non-comedic role.

* DiagnosedByAudience: Between his memory loss, hallucinations, random emotional outbursts and difficulty operating even relatively simple machinery, Willy appears to be suffering from some undiagnosed form of dementia, possibly the early stages of Alzheimer's.

** The 1985 version starring Creator/DustinHoffman features Creator/JohnMalkovich and Creator/StephenLang as Biff and Happy, as well as Creator/JohnPolito as Willy's boss Howard.

** The 1985 version starring Creator/DustinHoffman features Creator/JohnMalkovich and Creator/StephenLang as Biff and Happy.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: In 1983, the play debuted in China as part of a cultural exchange, with Arthur Miller himself directing. The performance was a smash hit and solidified it as a favorite of Chinese theater, helped by its resonant themes of working-class toil and the importance of family, as well as Miller's decision to revise the script so it takes place in China (most prior performances of western theater made no such modifications). This popularity is probably best known to westerners thanks to ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' Season 16 episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E12GooGooGaiPan Goo Goo Gai Pan]]," where the family sees a Chinese performance while on vacation.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Chinese love this play about father-son relationships, which is why ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' see it performed when they go to China in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E12GooGooGaiPan Goo Goo Gai Pan]]".

** The 1984 version starring Creator/DustinHoffman features Creator/JohnMalkovich and Creator/StephenLang as Biff and Happy.