Capitalism, Morality and the Human Cost: A Comparative Study of Death of a Salesman and All My Sons

This comparative study explores Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and All My Sons through the thematic lenses of capitalism, morality, and the human cost. Both plays offer a searing critique of the American Dream, exposing the moral compromises and emotional toll exacted by capitalist ideology. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is consumed by his delusional pursuit of material success, leading to personal and familial disintegration. Conversely, All My Sons presents Joe Keller, whose moral failure in prioritizing business over ethics results in tragic consequences for his family and community. Through character analysis, dialogue, and symbolism, this study examines how Miller portrays the dehumanizing effects of capitalism and the tragic erosion of ethical responsibility. The plays, while distinct in narrative, converge in their condemnation of a society that values profit over people, revealing the universal and enduring human cost of moral compromise in capitalist systems.