Key quotes act 2 Flashcards
“i slept like a dead one” Willy
- irony
- a sense of normality - family breakfast, a sense of optimism - However: Millers nuanced language suggests darker undertones.
“Gee, on the way home tonight I’d like to buy some seeds.” Willy
- seeds = hope for the future, for biff?
- Biff has just gone for interview with Bill Oliver and now Willy wants to buy seeds.
(laughing): That’d be wonderful. But not enough sun gets
back there. Nothing’ll grow any more. Linda
- lack of sun = symbollic of willys lack of hope and his lack of love that could have encouraged the boys to flourish - idea of the veg in gardens being symbollic of growth as a person
- nothing will grow - there is no hope now, too far gone perhaps?
“A hundred and eight, sixty-eight. Because we’re a little short again.” Linda
Linda manages the finances, looks after him.
Hints of poverty in counting every penny
Doesnt want to insult willys pride by outright saying we dont have enough so instead says “little short” EGGSHELLS AGAIN
“I’m always in a race with the junkyard”
“they time them so when you finally pay for them, they’re used up”
Willy
- Millers use of comedyy to voice personal concerns about consumerism
- willy has fallen victim to consumersim and capitalism, he recognises that hes in this race but cannot see the problem in its entireity: thinks they shouldve just bought a more ‘well advertised machine’ but does not recognise the viscious cycle of consumerism he is trapped it, irony.
- aware of the problem but allows himself to remain victim.
“i will never get behind a wheel the rest of my life” Willy
tragic irony of course, because he will…
“he took it away himself it isnt there!” Linda
In the presence of Willys good mood, linda allows herself a dream of her own: that Willy is no longer considering suicide
“whats that Howard?’ Willy
Doesn’t even know what machine howard is amusing himself with, being left behind by modernitym becomes sychophantic in the presence of Howard and soon becomes desperate too.
“sh, for Gods sake” Howard to Willy
- Willy being shut down, much like how he spoke to Linda - a lack of respect here, shows that Willy is not infact as well liked as he himself likes to think and how he wants his family to think of him
- Howard fails to value Willys loyalty, complete disrespect and disregard
- although willy spoke to linda in a similar manner, we do feel a real sense of pity for willy here
“car radio, camera”
from this brief encounter we are inundated with all the with all of thr gadgets and luxuries Howard can afford without a second thought, insensitive and and out of touch from those without any money
“God knows, Howard. I never asked a favor of any man.
But I was with the firm when your father used to carry you in
here in his arms.’ willy
- willy hasnt done much with his life, same firm, same position
- he thinks that personal ties will get him far in the business world, but it becomes clear that popularity/who you know is not what is important in this world of business.
“no its business kid”
“business is business”
Howard
- ‘kid” condescending and infantalising the man who helped name him? hard to believe
- becomes clear through this converstaion that willy does not have the reputation with this company that he claimed/thought
- willy becomes despearate reliyng on emotional pressure anf personal ties to howards father
- Howards decisions are purel ybusiness based, willys memories have no place in howards world of business
- tragic that willy does not understand business after working as a salesman all his life
“Dave Singleman”… “died the death of a salesman”… “when he died, hundreds of salemen and buyers were at his funeral” willy
- even the name dave singleman is tragic for a man who willy looks up to
- it isnt friends or family at his funeral but people he did business with, his death appears to have only left a mourning in the business world
- willys choice of role model shows us about his interpretation of the american dream - a man who worked himself to death, alone.
“you cant eat the orange and throw away the peel - a man is not a piece of fruit” willy
- irony because of course you can
- man is in this society - and this is where willyys understanding of the world he is in falters
- he knows that man should be worth more rgan the money he can make but insists on being a part of this world where man is valued simply on what he can give to societyy in monetary terms
- willy feels a real sense of injustice.
“i cant throw myself onto my sons. Im not a cripple!” willy
- pride and self reassurance
- miller is suggesting the ruthless business of nature: if business is ruthless and cutthroat - is willy delluded about the importance of personal relationships in business.
“doesnt take much time if you know what youre doing” Ben
- suggestion that Willy doesnt know what hes doing because hes been at it for so long
- Ben seems to offer willy one version of the american dream :an adventurous spirit and a willingness to fight for what uou want as the key to being great - Bens offer involves taming nature and new territories.
“beacause its not what you do ben its who you know” Willy
- This is willys deep rooted belief about life.
- Common man/tragic hero? just trying to make his way through this mundane life
‘i got it pop and remember pal when i take off my helmet that touchdown is for you” Young biff
- genuine love and affection that biff had for willy at this time
- Biff here really looks up to his dad and had him on a pedistool much like willy does to biff - at some point you have to fall, is this the tragedy of the common man?
“willy when are you going to grow up?” charley
- does willy ever grow up? - Linda still mothers him, hes trapped in the past, doesnt really understand the world of business, still lives through his sons (biff really) etc
- willy psychologically lives in a child state (not in an adult or parent state of mind) we see this with charley here “you big, ignorant stupid.. put up your hands”
‘i cant deal with him anymore, and your father gets uoset everytime he comes” Jenny (charleys secretary) to Bernard
both jenny and charley (2 people who LIKE willy) are distressed by how he is which shows how much he is liked - perhaps just by people whom he doesnt appreciate
“ive often thought of how strange it was that i knew he;d given up his life. What happened in Boston Willy?” Bernard
- moment of realisation that something happened between willy and biff that changed biff and not for the better
- willy didnt think it mattered until now
- idea of biff doing this to spite willy for the affair
- willy immediately tries to deflect the blame, refuses to take repsonsibility (“what are you trying to do blame it on me?”) - is this the mark of the tragedy of the common man?
“But sometimes willy, its better for a man to just walk away” bernard
- he is right, but willy cannot and will not a)due to his pride and b) due to his financial strife
“why dont you want to work for me?” charley to willy
He will take a loan from charley but refuses a job:
- in his head, if hes ‘borrowing’ the money, he will pay it back but if he works for charley, pride comes into play and he doesnt want to work for his friend (who he already thinks is more superior and more successful) to be actually above him or his ‘boss’ in real life, because then his thoughts are more of a reality.
“the only thing you’ve got in this world is what you can sell, And the funny thing is youre a salesman, and you dont know that” Charley
Willy cannot sell himself, But he clearlyy cannot see that - links to end, tries to sell himself voa life insurance/suicide
“why must everybody like you?” charley
- willy holds onto the belief that if a man is well liked nothing will stand in his wayy but charley (and the type of level headed logical man he represents) shows how misguided this notion is
- do people like you for what you can do for them? willys idea of being liked is superficial
charley and bernard as foils to willy and biff
- american dream - is it the idea of achieveing or is it the idea of others seeing what you have achieved?
- This is the difference between willy/biff/happy are so bothered by how they seem and charley/bernard are less bothered and the most successful
“dont mention it. Its all company money’ Happy
- part of the tragedy of the common man : not learning from others mistakes (here it is hap not learning from willys)
- many elements of willy in happy here: the flirting, the lies, the false optimism.
“theres not a good woman in a thousand” Happy
- complete irony and sheer disgrace in happys view of women, perhaps miller creates happy as this exaggerated womanising character to portray the backwards views some had of women?
- Happy doesnt see these exact women he is seducing and sleeping with as “good” enough for him to marry for the exact reason that they are sleeping with him, drinking etc.
