Ben Flashcards
Ben
Ben Loman made a fortune discovering diamond mines in Africa and appears in Willy’s imagination throughout the play. Ironically, Ben’s success is a result of a lucky mistake. Initially, Ben planned on traveling to Alaska but ended up in Africa. He is symbolic of what Willy could’ve been and reminds Willy of his failure.
Willy sees Ben as the epitome of success, and proof that any man can start with nothing and come out rich. He forgets that Ben abandoned him, that Ben got to his position by being exploitative. Willy lived under Ben’s shadow in the way that he forces Happy to live under Biff’s. Ben cements his role in the play as being symbolic of the very wealth and success that eventually leads Willy to his doom.
Ben: (Ben looks at his watch) Act1 pg.35
Ben: (glancing at his watch): Haven’t the time, William. Act2 pg.66
Ben: “Time, William, Time!” Act2 pg.107
Recurring motif of time associated with Ben - builds tensions and suspense.
AO3: A reflection of how the capitalistic society and the idea of the American Dream makes you feel. Everybody is in a rush to achieve it and Willy is running out of time.
“Why boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. (He laughs). And by God I was rich.” Act1 pg.37
The jungle symbolically represents the world of business. Ben tells the boys that he was in the jungle for 4 years before he came out a successful business man and then repeats this phrase to Willy on page 41.
Ben’s story reflects Willy’s world view and the American Dream as a whole; that someone can easily attain massive amounts of wealth at a young age with “hard work”.
“The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.”
Act2 pg.106
Metaphor - the business world is ‘dark’ place and the American dream is difficult but it comes with wealth and success. Ben did some ‘dark’ and immoral things in order to become successful.
Allusion to Willy’s suicide will be “dark” but yield wealth for the Loman family
Ben: “You’ve a new continent on your doorstep William… Screw on your fists and you can fight for a fortune up there.”
Ben is metaphorically telling Willy that he has opportunity right in front of him.
The metaphor ‘screw on your fists’ is masculine, violent language which reflects Ben’s patriarchal views, resemblance to Happy. Ben believes success should be ‘fought’ for and isn’t achieved by being nice.
“And twenty thousand—that is something one can feel with the hand, it is there.”
In Willy’s episode, Ben encourages his suicide by preying on his fear that he has nothing “planted in the ground”
AO3: Materialistic society
Ben: (looking at his watch): The boat. We’ll be late. (He moves slowly off into the darkness.) act 2, pg.108
AO2: Recurring motif of time. Allusion the the river of Styx. The River Styx was the main river in the Greek Underworld that separated the realm of the living from the realm of the dead. ‘Darkness’ symbolic of death.
Links to Linda’s metaphor about Willy needing security “Because he’s only a little boat looking for a harbour..” - Linda Act 2, pg.59.
“Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You’ll never get out of the jungle that way.”
Act 1, Ben to Biff (episode)
Ben’s advice to Biff is that of corruption. It shows that to be truly successful in a brutal world, you need to be brutal yourself. Proves the toxic world through which both Willy and Biff grew.
Page 40
(they are at opposite ends of the stage)
Ben and Willy are metaphorically very far apart. Ben is the epitome of success and Will is a failure.
page 40
willy (hanging onto his words)
Metaphorically, Willy constantly thinks about the things Ben says to him, which emphasises how much he idolises him but also his obsession with the American dream and becoming successful - he cannot let go. Equally Ben belittles Willy for his job as salesman and tells him that their father made more in one day than a man like Willy could make in a lifetime. Perhaps Willy also can’t let go of these words and the remainder that he is a failure pushes him to death.
Ben: “Principally diamond mines” pg. 37
This is ethically not a good way to make money.
Diamonds are mined by enslaved, underpaid and underaged workers, in unpleasant conditions.
Diamonds are symbolic throughout the play of tangible wealth
Miller is making a social comment on how corrupt The American dream and capitalism is. People value money over human life life, and that to both Miller and the audience is tragic.
Ben is materialistic
Act 2 pg 67
Willy tells Ben he’s building something with his firm and Ben responds: “What are you builiding? Lay your hand on it. Where is it?”
