Looking at Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman through the Lens of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection Theory and Family Systems Theory

Abstract Death of a Salesman is not about one or two individuals; rather it is about a family system, a unit of interlocking relationships, which shapes individual members' behaviors and attitudes. Using family systems theory and interpersonal acceptance and rejection theory, the authors explore the father and son's problematical relationship and analyze the reasons for the dysfunctional Loman family. Support for the argument includes unpublished draft material from Miller's working notebook of Death of a Salesman. The notebook includes Miller's explanations of the motivations for the behavior and attitudes of the characters, notes on the plot, and dialogue.