Ben Flashcards
Who is Ben?
Ben is Willy’s older brother who died recently. He is a substituted father figure and guides Willy to his death
Ben can be seen as a symptom…
…Of Willy’s condition
What does Ben represent in the play?
The pioneering spirit of the early American dream
How does Ben leaving for the jungle represent the American dream?
He sets off into the unknown in search of financial reward
What quotation from Willy shows that he sees diamond mining in the jungle as easy money, and ambitious, embodying the American dream?
“Walks into the jungle, at the age of twenty one, and when he comes out he is rich!”
What did Miller keep in mind about diamond mining at the time of writing?
Diamond mining was founded on exploitation of workers in Africa
What does Ben imply when sparring with Biff?
That he employs unscrupulous business tactics:
“Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You’ll never make it out of the jungle that way”
How does Ben push Willy to suicide when Willy consults him on the idea to get the insurance money?
He says that Biff will be “outstanding, with twenty thousand behind him”
What does Ben compare the jungle to?
Death, and the step into darkness of the American dream. The “boat” takes willy into the jungle, the darkness, and death, to achieve the financial reward
