Death of a Salesman: Social Commentary

What is Miller suggesting about the system?

WILLY: ‘Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, & there’s no one to live in it’ (1473).

WILLY: ‘Population is getting out of control. The competition is maddening! Smell the stink from that apartment house!’ (1474).

HAPPY: ‘All I can do now is wait for the merchandise manager to die. And suppose I get to be merchandise manager? He’s a good friend of mine, and he just built a terrific estate on Long Island. And he lived there about two months and sold it, and now he’s building another one. He can’t enjoy it once it’s finished. And I know that’s just what I would do’ (1478).

WILLY: ‘Once in my life I would like to own something outright before it’s broken! I’m always in a race with the junkyard! I just finished paying for the car and it’s on its last legs. The refrigerator consumes belts like it’s a goddam maniac. They time those things. They time them so when you finally paid for them they’re used up’ (1504).