Author and Era: Death of a Salesman, the "first great American tragedy", is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. Miller is known for being a true activist, supporting and participating in many liberal issues, including the fight for civil rights and protest against the Vietnam War. The basis of Death of a Salesman lies in Arthur Miller's relationship with his uncle Manny Newman, a salesman. Miller expresses Manny's emotions through Willy Loman, the main protagonist. By doing so successfully, Miller was considered an American who understands the true nature and values ​​of the United States (Bloom). The show mainly deals with the painful conflicts within one's family and larger issues regarding the American. Language, or diction, is closest to natural conversation. However, Miller also incorporates expressionism throughout the work, as he presents his character's inner psychological reality, a subjective view of the world. Miller was interested in expressionism but did not want to abandon the conventions of realism. So, he instead used a dramatic form that combined the subjectivity of expressionism with the illusion of objectivity offered by realism (Wilson). This ultimately provides a much more accurate assessment of American values: "The blurred line between realism and expressionism is not the weakness that some critics have claimed, but on the contrary, one of the work's subtler successes" (Parker). Even the death of a salesman is, in many ways, a tragedy. Indeed, Arthur Miller created the tragedy of the common man. Willy Loman is a misguided common man who decides to do something he believes is the right thing, similar to many of us. Miller demonstrates that the problems your “everyday” person faces have equal value, meaning, and importance; we cannot diminish these “ordinary” problems. Ultimately, using a realistic and expressionistic approach to this tragedy, Miller addresses the social issues surrounding the effect the capitalist myth of the American dream has on an ordinary American like Loman (Porter). Willy Loman must struggle to achieve his dreams of success, a struggle that is relatable to his audience. And, in doing so, Miller also raises questions regarding universal human controversies about the nature of happiness and happiness