Exhaustion and Fatigue in Egypt: Insights from Arthur Miller’s Play

Before you even begin a minute into reading Death of a Salesman (1949), a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by American playwright Arthur Miller, you sense an ever-present feeling that is palpable from the beginning and continues through continues to the end of the play: the complete exhaustion of all characters.

These characters experience exhaustion not only after a strenuous day at work or a traumatic event; It sticks with the characters like it’s a constant emotion, always floating in the air.

From the moment they wake up to the moment they fall asleep, their exhaustion affects everything around them – the world, people, and most of all, the burden of simply being.

Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the play’s recurring themes of fear, exhaustion and uncertainty resonate in today’s world, particularly as Egypt struggles with an ongoing economic crisis and rising costs that are pushing many families to their limits.

Arthur Miller himself, the author, was deeply affected by the economic turmoil in the United States and was faced with the harsh reality of the Depression as he struggled to make ends meet, taking various jobs as a waiter, truck driver, etc., and factory workers . Witnessing firsthand how the economy was tearing his own family apart, he wrote Death of a Salesman (1949), which examined how economic hardship destroys the human psyche.

The more the characters strive for greatness and success and chase the elusive promise of the American dream, the closer they come to the truth: that human life is, at its core, fragile. The grandeur of their dreams never withstood the weight of their inherent powerlessness.

Family economic distress and mental health

From films to television series, family has always been a cornerstone of American identity. For most Americans, family time takes precedence over other aspects of life, much like in Egypt, where it plays a similarly important role in shaping and defining the individual.

In both cultures, family reputation anchors identity, while family wealth continues to shape and strengthen the next generation. Family is not just the seed but the tree itself; It supports individual growth while providing stability and support for the next generation. Without this family tree, one cannot fully understand their roots or trace the legacy of family wealth.

In the play, economic struggles spoil the seed and break the tree: they not only ruin the fruits intended for the next generation, but also destroy the support system for the current generation. Both the seed and the tree will ultimately be destroyed.

The play’s focus is on the theme of family, with Willy Loman, a struggling salesman, as the protagonist and family man. As the play progresses, it becomes clear that Willy’s mental health is gradually deteriorating. During conversations with his wife Linda and sons Biff and Happy, he begins to hallucinate and turns to his late brother Ben and other old family members to learn more about his family’s past and the success he never achieved.

Willy’s hallucinations and conversations with his deceased family members illustrate the growing gap between the generations and show that the old family wealth is no longer enough to support the current one. In a hallucination where he talks to his brother, Willy thinks about how men in the past were able to provide for their families through practical skills such as carpentry. These days, however, success in business seems to depend more on being liked and looking presentable.

At one point Willy says, “I look very stupid.” His failure in the business world has more to do with his looks and the way he presents himself than with his actual abilities. Unable to be valued for his skills, Willy feels emasculated and struggles to find his place as a man in the modern economy.

His sense of masculinity – and what it means to be a man – collapses as he no longer feels able to fulfill the traditional role of provider and protector of his family.

Likewise, Egypt’s economic problems also affect families’ mental health, with the father’s role becoming increasingly difficult.

Similar to Willy in the play, rising prices not only affect the way families manage their finances, but also strain their relationships. Many fathers find it more difficult to spend quality time with their children due to stress and exhaustion.

The piece basically asks the question: How long can a family stay strong while struggling together with economic problems? How long can they endure the hardship and persevere?

As the play progresses, the relationships between Willy and his wife and sons also deteriorate. The bond that once held them together no longer depends only on their connection as family members, but also on their ability to provide and succeed. Every conversation in Willy’s house revolves around his sons’ professional failures, their inability to live up to traditional ideas of masculinity, and their desire for material wealth.

Regular family conversations gradually fade and lose their meaning and meaning. Willy begins to measure his sons’ worth based on their potential for success rather than valuing them for who they are. Of Biff he says: “He’s going to be great. Such a great star can never truly fade.”

Likewise, his sons begin to view him as incompetent and criticize him for his lack of success, rather than simply appreciating him as their father. The basic identities of being a father, a son, or a wife are no longer enough – one must be a successful father, a successful son, and a successful wife. But if a family member loses their mind or falls apart, who will be there to support them?

There is a constant longing for greatness, an urge to strive for something greater, even if their current life is simple, small and fragile. Willy persistently pushes his sons to feel great, but this contrasts with their exhaustion and desire to go back to sleep. They talk about big dreams and groundbreaking changes, but everyday life drags them out and leaves them unchanged and unremarkable.

Is it a natural right for someone to feel exhausted by the world they live in? When Willy’s sons call him mentally unstable, his wife defends him, pointing out that although he didn’t make much money, his name was never in the newspaper and he may not be the best character, but he’s still human .

And as a human being, he has the right to feel exhausted, she notes. “Why shouldn’t he talk to himself? Why? You don’t have to be very smart to know what your problem is. “The man is exhausted,” she says.

In a global economic system where families are expected to work harder as costs rise, fatigue is rarely acknowledged or valued, even though it has a major impact on their mental health. There are no measures to counteract this overwhelming fatigue, but it permeates every aspect of family life. You constantly ask yourself: How do we stop ourselves from feeling exhausted? How can we free ourselves from this endless state of fatigue?

But the exhaustion never goes away because there is no formal system to help them deal with it.

The lack of focus on everyday exhaustion and tiredness is also evident in Egypt. While there are widespread mental health campaigns and efforts to improve mental health facilities, there is still a lack of integration of mental health care into primary care and other areas such as workplaces and universities.

Everyday fatigue is often considered insignificant compared to more serious mental disorders, but the impact of chronic stress and fatigue remains significant, especially as economic conditions worsen.

The death of the father figure

The end of the play shows how Willy’s pursuit of the elusive American dream leads to his tragic end. As he drives off into the distance and eventually crashes, his symbolic death marks more than just the end of his life – it signifies the collapse of the family’s hopes for great things.

As a result, Biff, Willy’s son, is confronted with the truth: he must give up his distorted vision of the American dream and accept that they are just normal people. When the father figure—the one who provided for everyone and forced them to succeed—is gone, so does their desire for greatness.

The ending also highlights how a worsening economic situation can tear families apart, particularly affecting the role of the father figure. In the final scene, Willy’s wife Linda repeats, “We are free…” as the family leaves, while a haunting flute melody plays and the curtain falls.

The feeling of freedom from the pressure to succeed contrasts with the emptiness of the house, where there is no longer a father figure to care for her. They are freed from his expectations, but also without the support he once offered.

The piece ends with a lingering question: Are they truly free or do they still long for a provider? And if so, who will take on this role – the government, or will it have no one at all?

Just as the Egyptians strive to free themselves from the pressures of success and obtaining material wealth, the end of the play reveals that there is no true freedom. They will continue to search for a provider, trapped in the endless pressure to find the next source of support.