act 2 quotes: Flashcards
“But not enough sun gets back there. Nothing’ll grow anymore.”
Willy plants his “seeds”, hopes and dreams into a garden but does not nurture one dream in the right way, switching from one idea to the next with his false ideals. Forebodes the downfall of his own visions of the AD.
“Will you stop mending stockings?.. It gets me nervous.”
Reminder of Willy’s affair, symbolic of his infidelity and the guilt/secrecy this involves.
“Be loving to him. Because he’s only a little boat looking for a harbour.”
Linda is protective of Willy and understands that he is lost. Perhaps too over-protective as she nurtures him like a child?
“You can’t eat an orange and throw the peel away - a man is not a piece of fruit!”
Willy cannot strip himself of his false ideals, betrayal and infidelity? He cannot remove his facade or be left with his true feelings?
Foreshadows - throughout the play, Willy has been stripped down and his true feelings have been revealed to the audience.
“[Bernard is quiet, earnest, but self-assured young man.]”
Bernard, previously depicted as weak and “anaemic” has reached success, the success Willy dreamed of Biff reaching. Presents how in this case, physical strength proved to be in fact weaker in comparison to Bernard’s academic successes.
“But sometimes, Willy, it’s better for a man just to walk away.”
“But if you can’t walk away?”
Willy cannot “peel” away his dreams - “a man is not a piece of fruit..”
“You end up worth more dead than alive.”
Relative to insurance money. The irony is that Willy does not have any insurance money as he committed suicide. Foreshadows.
“I’m not interested in stories of the past or any crap.”
Hypocrisy- Willy mainly lives in the past. Willy pressurises Biff into reaching success where he has failed to.
“[A single trumpet note jars in the ear.]”
Irreconcilable difference between Willy and Biff. Freudian characteristic of reacting against his Father.
