The protagonist of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman. He is the ultimate sales everyman -- defeated, hopeful, desperate, optimistic. He has high hopes for his son, Biff, a conduit through which he can transfer his own unfulfilled dreams. Throughout the play, he carries two sample cases, the contents of which are never specified. Once, a theatregoer buttonholed Miller and put the question to him: "What's he selling? You never say what he's selling." Miller quipped, "Well, himself. That's who's in the valise." Miller adds, "You sell yourself."