key quotes act 1

Question 1

Death of A salesman

act 1

Answer 1

ambiguous, not specific to willy, would just be any man, any salesman, hes not defined as a father, a husband, an individual at all - just how society sees him (possibly line to “a dime a dozen act 2)

Question 2

*we see a solid vault of apartment houses around the small, fragile seeming home * SD OPENING

act 1

Answer 2

solid vault traps their fragile home - could argue their house is symbollic of willy himself, it is not only the house that is trapped by modernity but will himself too

Question 3

“im tired to death” willy

act 1

Answer 3

foreshadowing? excessive tiredness will lead to profound psychological disturbances and problems and when willy is “past sixty years of age” and still on the road 24/7 of course he is going to be exhausted - hamster wheel idea.

Question 4

“But you didnt rest your mind, your mind in overactive, **the mind is what counts dear. **” Linda

act 1

Answer 4

Linda appears to manage him, making excuses and doesnt want to face up to the problem, she doesnt want to admit willys mental state to herself, just as much as will doesnt want to admit it to himself/ linda.
- Millers views here too? resting the mind is what counts

Question 5

‘work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there’s nobody to live in it’ willy

act 1

key

Answer 5

Idea of this rat race + irony of life living this american dream, tragedy is that willy sees this but is too engrossed in this life that he cannot allow himself to escape it.

Question 6

‘I simply asked him if he was making any money. Is that a critisism?” willy

act 1

Answer 6

willy sees the success of a man through how muvh money he makes (and how well liked a man is) - is this a consequence of the american dream? is this really a mark of success?

Question 7

“how can he find himself on a farm” willy

act 1

Answer 7

dismissive of biff - is this in a way jealousy? (of course it is dissapointment too) but there is an element of irony as willy fantasises about nature, and is good at working with his hands yet criticises Biff for working in nature even though it makes him happy.

Question 8

“biff is a lazy bum” “and such a hard worker. Theres one thing about biff - hes not lazy” willy

act 1

Answer 8

within 5 lines of eachother.
complete contraduction, shows his lack of clarity in his own mind, conflicting emotions and fragility (also his temperamental behaviour/modd swings - could link to psych/social time)

Question 9

“the way they boxed us in here. Bricks and windows, windows and bricks’ Willy

act 1

Answer 9

boxed in, trapped by modernity (link 2 the woods are closing in)

Question 10

“the grass dont grow anymore, **you can’t raise a carrot in the backyard” **willy

act 1

key

Answer 10

represents failure and his hopes and dreams not playing out. destruction and failure of nature = willys present day.

Question 11

“i was thinking of the chevvy. [slight pause] Nine-teen tewenty eight… when i had that red chevvy - [breaks off] that funny? I coulda sworn i was driving that red chevvy today.” willy

act 1

Answer 11

Removed from reality, almost an inability to separate present from the past and an inability to distinguish dimensions which becomes evermore evident as play continues.
(stage design here) - designed providing mechanisms for embodyment of willys confusion.

Question 12

Happy is tall powerfully made…he like his brother is lost.. has never allowed himself to turn his face towards defeat.. seemingly more content SD

act 1

Answer 12

Willy is also lost and there are many similarities between happy and willy - both caught up in the american dream. Happy is almost a mirror of willy - is Biff therefore the real hero? is willy merely the villain? the antihero.

Question 13

“its a measley manner of existence.... to suffer fifty weeks of the eyar for the sake of a teo week vacation when all you really desire is to be outdoors. And always have to get ahead of the next fella” Biff

act 1

Answer 13

Biff rejects the idea of the american dream, sees it for what it is - a rat race. Perhaps miller himself putting forward his own views through biff.

Question 14

“theres nothing more inspiring or beautiful… i suddenly get the feeling, my God, I’m not getting anywhere” Biff

act 1

Answer 14

Biff is lost and conflicted. His passion is the cuase of the conflict between what he wants and what society but more importantly what his father deems as successful.

Question 15

“you’re a success, arent you? are you content?”(B)
“Hell no” (H)
“why? youre making money, arent you?’(B)

act 1

Answer 15

does making money = success?
does money = happiness/content?
again a critisism of the american dream: happy is unhappy whilst engrossed in the american dream yet biff is conflicting as he feels a failure because he is not engrossed in the american dream

Question 16

‘thats what i dream about biff” Happy

act 1

Answer 16

Happy is enthralled by the idea of working outside, in a ranch or whatnot, but like willy - happy does not let himself follow that dream because it is less socially accpeted as success - because it is less financiallyy rewarding.
- raises question of what is more important - person reward or financial reward?

Question 17

“maybe i just have an overdeveloped sense of competition or something” “ i hate myself for it because i dont want the girl, and still i take it and - i love it” Happy

act 1

Answer 17

• Happy appears competition driven by social expectations, perhaps comes from childhood, competition for his fathers attention
• A jealousy in Happy, a smugness - egotistical, in his mind if he can look at these men who are more succesfull (business wise) than him knowing he has had their wife/gf he feels like he has one upped them?
• “the girl” “it” - sexual arrogance and an empty optinimism , womanising villain who has no regard for women - perhaps links to “the woman” not having a name - are the women in this play mere props to highlight characteristics of the men?

Question 18

“never leave a job till youre finished - remeber that” Willy psych time

act 1

Answer 18

Is his job as a man to keep working until he makes enough money for his sons (biff mostly) - dies contently at the end thinking he has done so.

Question 19

[laughing with him at the theft] SD ab willy psych time

act 1

Answer 19

almost takes ride in his sons wrongdoings - as if theyre in kahoots. Biff later tells willy this was one of the reasons for his failure ( act 2 “i stole myself out of every good job since high school!…And i never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air i could never stand taking orders from anybody!’

Question 20

“and they know me, they know me uo and down New England” Willy

act 1

Answer 20

All about status to willy, he seems to value popularity more than qualifications or finance. Idea of american dream and what he teaches his boys is the most important.

Question 21

“What’re you lookin so aneamic about Bernard?’ willy

act 1

Answer 21

Ridicules Bernard and thinks his sons are better than him because they’re more athletic (“build like Adnoises”) and therefore thinks that they will be more successful than Bernard althought he is the one with the academic drive.

Question 22

“Im fat. Im very - foolish to look at Linda” Willy

act 1

Answer 22

Insecure and wants reassurance, as if he lies to himself and then has these sudden realisations, Linda reassures him as always (“the handsomest”). Even when hes in this state of reality vs psych, his insecuritites are still present in this dreamworld in his head,

Question 23

[from the darkness is heard the laughter of a woman.. it continues through Lindas lines]

act 1

Answer 23

As though almost ridiculing Linda, mocking/taunting her and her love as if she is stupid to speak in such a manner to the man who has clearly disrespected her so much. This is willy’s past and guilt coming back to bite him.

Question 24

[a brightening area to the left where** the woman** has come from]

act 1

Answer 24

• The Woman - remains unnamed, could be anyone, ambiguous, may also suggest there were multiple?
• the woman is a represntation of Willys guilt
• ## the scope of this dreamworld goes beyond the stage

Question 25

“cause i get so lonely - especially when business is bad and theres nobody to talk to” Willy

act 1

Answer 25

As if he reasons out the affair to himself, but also perhaps creates a mechanism for the audience to empathise with him slightly - this is the common man, before anything else Willy is human and weeks on the road at a time would of course have been lonely - not justified but allows for willy to be seen in less of a purely villainous light.

Question 26

“and thanks for the stockings. I love a lot of stockings. Well good night” The Woman

act 1

Answer 26

-stockings : expensive, sensual, she has a LOT whilst linda is mending hers
- creates a parralel between the passion and sexual interaction between willy and the woman vs willy and linda

Question 27

“I’ll make it all up to you Linda, I’ll-“ Willy

act 1

Answer 27

• Willys guilt, he has just been thinking about the woman/affair in his head (which we see played out)
• guilt = key aspect of tragedy, tragic (or anti) hero oftemn burdened by guilt

Question 28

“Just mending my stockings. They’re so expensive -“ (L)
[angrily taking them from her] “i wont have you mending stockings in this house! Now throw them out’

act 1

Answer 28

• firstly: almost a pride in willy
• but also: we see a complete contrast, the stockings seem to represent a disparity between the confident man he appears to be in the business world when hes on the road - ie with the woman, and the inescapable realities of the life he shares with linda.

Question 29

“you’ll give him the answers” (W)
“i do but i can’t on a regants” (Bern)

act 1

Answer 29

• Bernard is a foil to Biff (as charley is to willy), Bernard emphasises Biffs laziness and willys idea of being ‘well liked’ as the most important thing in life is false. Bernard is like a voice of warning here.
• Willy has allowed this sort of toxic masculinity in biff to flourish as a boy, increasing his self belief that he can get away with anything (ie - stealing, not studying)

Question 30

*[The leaves are gone. It is night again, and the apartment houses look down from behind.] *SD

act 1

Answer 30

the leaves are symbollic of freedom and hopeful possibilities had back in the past (psych time) but not the house is surrounded by just blocks, he is old and hopeless.
(leaves = psych/past time no leaves = present)

Question 31

“that man was a genius, that man was success incarnate”
“Walked out the jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and hes rich” Willy (about ben)

Act 1

Key

Answer 31

• idolises Ben, looks up to him, puts him on a pedistool
• Idea of the American Dream but without the mention of hard work - perhaps where he gets his ideology from.

Question 32

“the woods are burning, I cant drive a car’ Willy

act 1

Answer 32

• life is closing in on him, just like the buildings around his house
• links to end

Question 33

“Everything alright?” Charley

act1

Answer 33

• Real sense of support
• = one of the most tragic elements of this is that he will never utilise the support that is around him, perhaps his pride gets in the way.
• willy likes charleys company but is too proud to say it

Question 34

“no you’re ignorant” Willy 2 charley

act 1

Answer 34

Willy has this need to criticise others to make himself feel better about himself because he knows that Charley is better than him - more successful.

Question 35

“I’ve got nothing to give him Charley, I’m clean, I’m clean” Willy

act 1

Answer 35

• Repetition of clean - emotionally, paternally, financially, he has got nothing to give to Biff
• willy still feels this wayy even though Biff is not a 36y/o man - he is desperate to have something to give to Biff (never 2 Hap)

Question 36

“thats the way im bringing them up, Ben - rugged, well-liked all around” Willy.

act 1

Answer 36

all hes concerned with is being well liked but he himself is not the well liked prodigy he liked to imagine himself to be - and to further that, we as the audience do not like him very much at this point
He wants this reassurance from Ben, because he idolises him so much.

Question 37

(withdrawing her hand coldly, frightened): Have a nice trip. Linda

Act 1

Answer 37

• Linda doesnt approve of these ideas that Willy seens so enthralled by from Ben
• even in psych time ( w ben) he subconsiously knows that Bens behaviour lacks warmth, familiarity - there is no real relationship
• Linda recognises that there is no real relationship.

Question 38

“William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was
rich!” Ben

Act 1

Answer 38

• 3rd repetition of this phrase now
• He doesnt tell anyone what he has done (shows willys imagination)
• as if this is success? no mention of education but about physcial strength and hussling, no actual mention of how he became successful.

Question 39

“Gotta break your neck to see a star in this yard” Willy

act 1

Answer 39

• surrounded by buildings
• wants to reconnect with nature but had restricted himself because of American Dream

Question 40

‘well come around more often and you’ll hear him” Linda

act 1

Answer 40

• admitting her frustration to Biff
• she puts up with it all on her own

Question 41

“he likes to have a letter, just to know that theres still a possibility for better things” Linda

act 1

Answer 41

• she loves and cares for willy so much, she wants willy to have hope even though she has not got much hope herself, but she needs to keep him going.
• A letter from Biff could be enough to do so

Question 42

When you write you’re coming, he’s all smiles, and talks about the future, and — he’s just wonderful. And then the closer you seem to come, the more shaky he gets, and then, by the time you get here, he’s arguing, and he seems angry at you. Linda

act 1

Answer 42

• the idea of Biff and what he could become brings willy joyy, but as the reality pf biff coming gets closer he knows he will be dissapointed and also perhaps fears biff returning because he knows that biff knows about the affair.

Question 43

I just can’t take hold, Mom. I can’t take hold of some kind of a life. Biff

act 1

Answer 43

He cannot seem to settle down as happy and willy chose to, he cant come to terms with it?

Question 44

“biff a man is not a bird, to come and go with the springtime” Linda

act 1

Answer 44

linda believes it is about time for biff to do something and stick to it

Question 45

“Oh, it’s been gray since you were in high school. I just
stopped dyeing it, that’s all” Linda
“Dye it again, will ya? I don’t want my pal looking old. (He
smiles.)” Biff

Answer 45

• biff recognises for possibly the first time that his mother is ageing - perhaps a recognition that willy is too
• she stooped dying her hair- as if shes stopped trying, lost hope? given up with trying to make things seem as if theyre ok
• Biff doesnt want to see his mother as old, if linda is still young does that make Biff less of a middle ages failure? - seems like a reality check that Biff was not willing to accept.

Question 46

“the man is exhausted” Linda

act 1

Answer 46

exhausted with life - tragedy of the common man

Question 47

“a small man can be just as exhausted as a great man He works for a company thirty-six years this March, opens up unheard-of territories to their trademark, and now in his old age they take his salary away” Linda

act 1

Answer 47

Hes being replaced, older gen by younger gen. Willy is losing control, other people are making decisions for him that are out of his control, taking his salary away etc - the one thing he feels he can control is his death (suicide)

Question 48

“How can I mention it to him? Every day I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But, when he comes home, I put it back where it was. How can I insult him that way?” linda

act 1

Answer 48

• Linda doesnt want to damage his pride by showing him that she knows, doesnt want him to think that she thinks less of him
• constantly walking of eggshells out of pure love

Question 49

“dont interrupt”
“stop interrupting”
“will you stop!”
Willy 2 linda

act1

Answer 49

• willy completely disrespects Linda, he doesnt want her involved in the conversation - VS the sheer volumes of respect that Linda has shown for Willy silently - we lose respect for Willy here.
• An element of the patriarchy: talk is about business, a womans opinion was not valued + women were expected to endure disrespect from men just because.

Question 50

‘Because you got a greatness in you, Biff remember that. You got all kinds of greatness” Willy

act 1

key

Answer 50

This is the problem: willy puts biff on a pedistool, just as biff once did to willy. That is the crux of tragedy - when someone is placed on a pedistool, a fall is inevitable.

Question 51

(*The light on Willy is fading. The gas heater begins to glow
through the kitchen wall, near the stairs, a blue flame beneath red coils.) * SD

v end of act 1

Answer 51

Talk of willys dreams (‘first thing in the morning everything will be alright’ and “a star that magnificent can never really fade away”) and then a sudden reminder of the horror - the rubber tube +light fading.
Horror against optimism