Death of a Salesman

1 Setting

2 Character

3 Style

4 Structure

5 Theme

Death of a Salesman

SettingWhere and when is the play set?America in the twentieth century: important for the characters and their dreams.

What impact does society have on the Loman family?Lomans live in a consumer society where buying/selling/money are key issues. This influences goals and dreams.

Stage directions are crucial to understanding the importance of setting. Read through the stage directions and make notes on the key quotations. E.g:

Willy’s house is small and surrounded by “towering, angular buildings”. This suggests that society is progressing around Willy and he is not, both in work and professionally. What then is the impact of the closing stage directions?

Willy’s house is symbolic of his success; his goal is to pay off his mortgage. How does Miller hint about this through setting and stage directions?

There are two realms which we can consider as different settings: reality and the imaginary world. How does the audience know the difference between the two?

Death of a Salesman

Character

Willy Loman

Linda

Biff

Happy

Bernard

The Woman

Charley

Uncle Ben

Howard Wagner

Stanley

Miss Forsythe

Jenny/Letta

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Death of a Salesman

Style

In any question you will have to discuss style.

You could mention:

Dramatic techniques such as:

Characterisation, Dialogue,Imagery, Symbolism.

Theatrical techniques, such as:

Real and imaginary realms, music, flash backs.

Death of a Salesman

Structure

In any essay you will be expected to comment on Structure.

You could mention:

Acts, Requiem(as Epilogue) and juxtaposition.

Are there any incidents which are made more dramatic because of what happens immediately before or after?

e.g. in Act One, Willy’s line: “you’re the best there is, Linda…I want to grab you sometimes and kiss the life outa you.” is juxtaposed(put next to) with the revelation Willy has been unfaithful in the past.

Death of a Salesman

You will be expected to comment on theme in the exam.

What are the main themes of Death of a Salesman?

Themes suggested by you:

Dreams Failure False Hopes Loss

Regret Identity Falsehood Denial

Being trapped Isolation

“An air of the dream clings to the place, a dream rising out of reality.” Act One

What are the main characters’ dreams? Are they obtainable? What is ironic about the conclusion?

What evidence is there to support your ideas?

Some examples:WILLY: Figure it out. Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it and there’s nobody to live in it.

Biff says in Act One: “I’ve always made a point of not wasting my life, and everytime I come back here I know that all I’ve done us to waste my life.

Happy says in the Requiem; “ 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’s got no character…Act One

The man don’t know who we are. Act Two

Biff says of Willy:

Does Willy know his sons? Do they know him?

How do the characters want to be identified?

Find examples. Here are some to get you started.

Biff: I stopped in the middle of that building and I saw - the sky. I saw the things I love in this world. The work and food and time to sit and smoke. Act Two

Linda: Why must everyone conquer the world? You’re well liked, and the boys love you… Act Two

Willy: I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want.” Act Two

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Link to Character

Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman

Self deluded- boasts about his success in work – “they don’t need me in New York. I’m the New England man. I’m vital in New England”: page 4.

Disappointed in Biff - “Biff is a lazy bum.” “How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farm hand.” Not finding yourself at the age of 34 is a disgrace” :page 5

Proud ;He is offered a job but refuses – “What the hell are you offering me a job for?” pg 28

Contradictory;He says his car is good and then bad – “Chevrolet, Linda, is the greatest car ever built.” Pg 21 “that goddamn Chevrolet, they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car.” Pg22

Trapped;“the way they box us in here… bricks and windows, windows and bricks” pg 6

Page Character trait Evidence Key Quotation Act 1 Page 3

Daydreamer Crashes car “I’m tell ing you, I forgot I was driving

Act 1 Page 6

Fells Trapped Boxed in his home

“The way they boxed us in here”

Act 1 Page 28

Arrogant Turns down job

“I got a job”

Act 1 Page 3

Forgetful He’s under stress, not coping with his failure

“I absolutely forgot I was driving”

Willy Loman

Page Character Trait Evidence Key Quotation Act 1 Page 5

Contradictory Accuses Biff of being a lazy then said he is a hard worker

“The trouble is he’s lazy”

Act 1 Page 2

Tired Works so hard and is so tired

“I’m tired to death”

Act 1 Page 4

Self-deluded (denial)

Thinks he’s going to be a success

“I’m vital in New England”

Act 1 Page 28

Pride Charlie offers him job, but he turns it down

“Yo u want a job”

Act 1 Page 4

Doubt-full Doubts his own success sometimes

“I could sell them”

Act 1 Page 5

Disappointed Disappointed with Biff working on a farm

“How can he find himself on a farm”

Act 1 Page 6/7

Temperamental Mood swings “I don’t want a chance”- to Linda then- “Yo ur not worried about me, are you sweetheart?”

Willy Loman

Death of a Salesman

Biff

Act/Page Description Evidence Quotation Pg78 / Act2

Criminal Steals a pen

“I took his fountain pen”

Pg11 / act1

Confused Mixed up “No, I’m mixed up very bad”

Pg18 / Act1

Loving Wants to go with his dad

“I’d love to go with you sometimes”

Pg9 / Act1

Idealist Has hopeful Dreams

“Lotta dreams and plans”

Pg37 / Act1

Worried Worried about his mum

“I mean to change, I’m trying”

Pg14 / Act1

Hopeful Thinks he can get a job anytime

“He said Biff, come to me”

Pg17 / Act1

Sporty Coach tells him to practice

“Coach told me to practice passing”

Pg13 / Act1

Lonely Wants to settle down

“I’d like to find a girl”

Page Character Trait

Evidence Key Quotation

Pg38 / Act1

Angry Angry at mum for sticking up for willy

“Stop making excuses for him”

Pg9 / Act1

Unsure Unsure relations “Why does dad mock me?”

Pg9 / Act1

Romancer Lying in bed speaking to Happy about girls

“ 500 women want to know what’s been said in this room”

Biff

Death of a Salesman

Imagery and Symbolism

Miller uses lots of imagery in his dialogue and stage directions.

Try to analyse the following, then click for answers.

Act one, 1.- there is “an angry glow”; Willy is described as having a “mercurial nature”; Willy’s house is dwarfed by the tower-blocks around.(Opening stage directions)

2. Willy:The world is an oyster but you don’t crack it open on a matress.

Act Two:

3. Linda: ..But he’s only a little boat looking for a harbour.

4. WILLY:..you can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away-a man is not a piece of fruit!

5.“Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground.’

6. “They’ve boxed in the whole goddam neighbourhood.”

Look through your notes and plays for more examples.

Imagery and Symbolism - Analysis

1. “angry glow” = personification; lighting indicates the built up, it is angry because there is a element of ruthlessness to get by in business.

“mercurial nature”= metaphor for hot-tempered nature; like mercury, the element in thermometers

Willy’s house being dwarfed symbolises his lack of progression.

2. Metaphor indicates Willy’s perception that there are lots of opportunities which you get through hard work; I.e. not by sleeping.

3.Metaphor for Willy; comparison to small boat in stormy seas; he is distressed and in serious trouble looking for safety.

4. Metaphor. Willy is reacting to be cast aside by the company he has served for years. Ironic because you do throw skin away, just as he is now useless to company.

5. Metaphor: ties in with nature/business dichotomy.Willy refers to future plans and savings; he has no back up plan.

6. Metaphor suggests that possibilities are curbed in this society. Willy can’t do anything and isn’t progressing unlike his surroundings.

Death of a Salesman

SettingThere are many opposites/dichotomies which link setting and theme. Look at the

following.

a) Explain the link to setting and theme?

b) Find any other examples in the play? You might think about failure/success, reality/dreams.

1.Nature versus the built-up area

WILLY; They’ve boxed in the whole goddam neighbourhood.(Act Two)

WILLY: There’s no question, no question at all. Gee, on the way home tonight I’d like to buy some seeds.

LINDA: [Laughing] That’d be wonderful. But not enough sun gets back there. Nothing’ll grow any more.

WILLY: You wait, kid,before it’s all over we’re gonna get a little place out in the country, and I’ll raise some vegetables, and a couple of chickens… (ACT TWO)

2. Consumer society versus self-reliance

HAPPY:..But then, it’s all I wanted. My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women. And still, godammit, I’m lonely. (Act One)

WILLY: Oh, I’d better hurry. 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. (Act Two)