Deceit Quote by Arthur Miller
“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”
About This Quote
Source Play: Death of a Salesman, 1949, Arthur Miller's dialogue on identity and integrity
The character cries out for the preservation of his name and soul against falsehood and self‑devaluation
In simple terms: He demands to keep his identity and truth alive
Key Takeaway
Stand firm in your identity and reject self‑deception
Themes
identity
integrity
self‑worth
existential crisis
Mood
dramatic
urgent
Type
theatrical
existential
When to use this quote
- theatrical monologue
- personal crisis
- dramatic literature
Key Concepts
name as self
self‑destruction
Questions to Reflect On
- What does your name represent to you?
- How can you protect your integrity when pressured?
A Different Perspective
The plea may be dramatized and not literal for all readers
![“(Looking at the letter in his hand) Then what is this if it isn’t telling me? Sure, [Larry] was my son. But I think to him [the pilots killed] were all my sons. And I guess they were, I guess they were” quote by Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3e8/arthur-miller-947_quote_looking-at-the-letter-in-his-hand-then-w_55336.jpg)
![“Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari [living a worldly life] regardless of whether one is an ascetic or a family man. And where anger-pride-deceit-greed are absent, one is regarded as being asansaari…” quote by Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7ec/dada-bhagwan-31_anger_where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-dece_5756.jpg)
