Quotes Flashcards
Act 1
Willys description
His exhaustion is apparent
Opening description
Act 1
Linda’s love for Willy
She more than loves him, she admires him
Opening Description
megalopsychia
Act 1
Dream - Stage directions
An air of the dream clings to the place, a dream rising up out of reality
Opening Description
The dream within the setting
Act 1
Willys nature/treatment of linda
His mercurial nature, his temper, his massive dreams and little cruelties
Opening description
Act 1
Willys exhaustion/foreshadowing
I’m tired to death. (The flute has faded away…
Willy
Physical struggle
Act 1
Lindas gentle care
(very carefully, delicately)
Stage directions
Act 1
Willys inflated self importance
I’m the New England man. I’m vital in New England.
Willy
he is defined by his career, he crumbles when hes not needed
Act 1
Willy’s frustration/capitalism
Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there’s nobody to live in it
Willy
Willy’s contradictions
(about biff)
Biff is a lazy bum!
…
There’s one thing about Biff - he’s not lazy.
Willy
Shows his mind degrading
Biff’s description
and his dreams are stronger and less acceptable than Happy’s
sets him up as a character who will rebel
Popularity ≠ Sucess
He’s liked, but not well-liked.
Biff about Bernard
willys obssesion with sucess and popularity passed to his son
Willy’s perception of Ben
The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he’s rich!
Willy about Ben
willy says it first, then ben repeates it - rienforcing he is in his imagination, just repeats Willy’s thoughts
Linda convaying the plays message
I don’t say he’s a great man. Willie Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived. [But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He’s not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog.] Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person.
Linda about Willy
Direct cry to human dignity, all men deserve respect and attention, no man should die feeling like he didnt matter.
disposable nature of employees
You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away - a man is not a piece of fruit.
Willy about the company
articulation of lindas speech, argues employers have a responsibility - gave his youth now deserves to be take care off
Requiem
Willy’s Hamartia
“He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong… He never knew who he was.”
(Blind faith in theamerican dream, inabilty to understand himself)
Monosyllables create an air of finality
Willy’s realisation
After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.
worthless years of work, subsistence worker
also realises his life insurance’s large premium
Biff’s realisation
I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been.
Biff coming to terms with his fathers illusions of success
spent his life trying to live up to his fathers expectations
Willy’s realisation
seeds
I’ve got to get some seeds. I’ve got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground.
its too late to grow a future for his sons, at least he can plant vegetables to provide after he is gone
Happy and the cycle of failure
I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It’s the only dream you can have - to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I’m gonna win it for him.
Happy at the funeral
Happy has become the idealist, happy is blatantly wrong willy did die in vain
Millers use of language to Elavate the common man
Biff to Willy - “a Prince”
Willy to Biff - “Like a young God, Hercules…”
elevates and dignifies all ordinary american citizens.
