Similarities between Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie

Ben: "The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy... One must go and fetch a diamond out...It's dark there, but full of diamonds" (1627).

Both plays, Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie, contained multiple nonrealistic elements. In the beginning stage directions of each, the description mentions dreams and how the stage is meant to convey this dreamlike state. In The Glass Menagerie, this is to illustrate the idea of memories, and in Death of a Salesman, the dreamlike stage is for Willy's imaginings. The similarity that seemed the most significant was the influence of two characters that were absent from the main characters lives. Tom's father was a driving force in Tom's decision to leave even though the father had left many years ago. For Willy, his dead brother Ben would have conversations with him in his mind that helped convince him to commit suicide. Ben tells him of the diamonds right before Willy gets in his car for the last time. Both plays incorporate dreams, memories, and imaginings to convey a truth through nonrealism.