The Death of a Salesman

1
The Death of a Salesman

• Act I the Lowman Family their
  American/Capitalist Dreams

2
Outline

• Starting Questions
• Social Conditions Stage Directions
• Plot Summary
• Willy Lowman his Present
• Lindas Role
• Biff vs. Happy their Dreams and Efforts
• Willy Lomans Dream, its Sources and Influence

• Other Examples of Success in Capitalism
• Willy/Biff vs. Charley/Bernard
• End of Act I High Hope and Inherent Problems

3
Act I Discussion Questions The Characters
Dreams and Efforts

• The Characters Dreams, Efforts and Frustrations
• Where does Willy get his dream? How is Willys
  dream different from and similar to Bens? How
  is he supported by Linda?
• How about Happys and Biffs dreams? How are
  they educated?
• How do Charley and Bernard serve as a foil to
  Willy and Biff?
• What social conditions do the characters exist
  in?

4
Act I Discussion Questions Stage
DirectionsMemories and Dreams

• What troubles Willy? What is he pre-occupied
  with?
• What the lines does Willy repeat? What moments
  does he re-visit frequently?
• Whats the significance of the woman? The flute,
  the car and the rubber tube?

5
Relevance to you

• Do you have relatives who hold an American dream?
  
• Do you have a parent or relative like Willy
• who is old, fatigued and nostalgic,
• who seeks to fulfill him/herself through one of
  his/her own kids, or
• who has a hard time adjusting to changes in
  society?

6
Social Conditions

• Settings New York City and Boston in the late
  1940s
• The places mentioned New England (the East) --
  the West, the South (Texas, Florida), Alaska,
  Africa borders of the US expansionism
• Major Issues
• American Dream
• -- of expansion westwards, to Alaska and then
  Africa
• -- of materialist success

7
Social Conditions Capitalism (Industrialization
Installment Plan)

• Cars and salesman
• buying things on credit (installment plan or
  mortgage) ?e.g. cars and houses
• p. 1658/35 (they owe 120 dollars by the
  15thfridge, carburetor, washing machine, roof)
• p. 1676/72 (fridge broken all the time,
  insurance premium, car, house mortgage)
• ? Willy's only relief is that after twenty-five
  years he has finally paid off his home mortgage

8
Expressionism Stage Direction

• Miller once said that "Any dramatic form is an
  artifice, a way of transforming a subjective
  feeling into something that can be comprehended
  through public symbols." (Introduction to
  Collected Plays from the Viking version p. 156)
• Pay attention to
• the expressions of subjective feelings
• Thru public symbols

9
Stage apartment houses in the back, and a
fragile house at the front (source and more
images)
10
Stage curtain, kitchen table

11
Stage the invisible walls spaces of memories
Theatrical performance http//www.youtube.com/wat
ch?vQtA-BIQm-hs
Photos by Mark Parrott and UNI Theatre Staff
Photographer
12
Stage Direction Symbolic of their dream and
social conditions

• the house with "one-dimensional" roof-line vs.
  the angular shapes behind it apartment
  buildings skyscrapers representing
  over-population and power
• Kitchen, refrigerator and 3 chairs the center
  of life for this family
• Elements of dream silver trophy
• Willy and the flute ? small and fine, telling of
  grass and trees and the horizon ? 1646, 1647,
  1650/18, 1665/48 p. 1649 Willys complaints
  about this country.
• The apron as backyard with or without wall-lines
• the colors blue sky (suggests desire for
  freedom), angry orange (of constraint and
  competition)

13
Act I Plot Summary

• Willy Loman returns to his New York home,
  expressing fatigue and worries over Biff
• 1650/19 Biff and Happy talk about the past and
  their present problems, which ends Biffs
  decision to visit Bill Oliver, and ask the latter
  for a job.
• Flashbacks
• 1) 1654/27 Willy talks to Biff and Happy when
  they were in high school Biff was popular then,
  but Bernard warned him that he may fail his math.
  Strong father-son bond.
• 2) 1658/34 Willy and Linda discussed their
  financial problems, which was followed by Willys
  expressions of diffidence, Lindas confirmation,
  the appearance of a woman, and then Bernards
  searching for Biff.

14
Act I Plot Summary (2)

• 1661/41 The present Happy tries to comfort Willy
  first (retires him for life), and then Charley
  appears and plays cards with Willy
• ? flashback 3) 1663/44 Willy imagines talking
  to Ben.
• 1667/52 Ben gone Willy is gone in his slippers
  Linda reveals Ws problems with Biff, their
  financial difficulties to her sons Linda
  suspects that Willy uses a tube to asphyxiate
  himself with gas.
• Biff promises to stay and try again to work as
  they talk, Willy comes in and the four of them
  talk about their plans, argue with each other
  while showing their love.

15
Willy Whats bothering him? (1)

• Exhausted, he drives a long way to do business.
• Outdated
• Not well-treated by the young boss (Howard
  1648/14)
• Refuses changes cannot take American whipped
  cheese (1649/17) "How can they whip cheese?"
• Not well-known anymore business now is "all cut
  and dried, and there's no chance for bringing
  friendship to bear--or personality. They
  dont know me anymore (Act 2 1681/81)

16
Willy Whats bothering him?

• Contradictory views on Biff
• Upset by Biffs being a farmhand, his not
  finding himself at the sage of 34.
• Thinks that Biff is lost, not lazy In the
  greatest country in the world a young man with
  such - personal attractiveness, gets lost.
• Nostalgic about the past (flashbacks and more
  later) and his father (Act 2 1681/81) ? His mind
  wanders off (1650-54/19-27 1663-64/45/46), talks
  to himself or to Biff.
• e.g. 1204 What a simonizing job

17
Linda Supportive, perceptive and blind

• Linda admires Willy (1646/12) iron
  repression of her exceptions to Willys behavior
  
• Serves Willy, normalizes the situations while she
  is actually worried about him (pp. 1647 1650)
• Gives suggestions rest, work in New York
• speaks for Biff to Willy (1648-50/15-17) for her
  children and tries to improve the father-son
  relationships.(1667-71/53-)

18
Linda (2) blind and perceptive

• Her speech(1667-71)
• sees Willys emotional changes re. Biff without
  knowing why (68)
• Well respected and loved by the two boys
• Defends Willy (1668)love him or dont come back.
  
• Demands attention to and sympathy for Willy
• Reveals his suicidal tendencies, finds it a shame
  
• a woman seems to suspect something without
  knowing it. (1670)

19
Biff and Happy-(1650--) Their Dreams Efforts

• Similarities lost, confused
• Nostalgic old beds, dreams and plans
• Attractive to women when young
• Still keeps empty dreams of success about having
  a ranch about getting married to a girl about
  running a company The Lowman Brothers 1652?
  without knowing how to do it.
• Bill Oliver as a possible rescuer ? think big
  The Lowman Line 1672

• Happy self-deceiving ? seemingly more content
  controls his bashfulness now.
• ? seek revenge against his superiors by
  taking their women out. 1653
• Biff (now) wears a worn air less successful
  unhappy about being a clerk or a cowboy 1652
• (past) introduces Happy to women.
• Interested in handiwork or farm work (1670) we
  don't belong in this nuthouse of a city!

20
Willy vs. Biff/Happy p. 1207

• Simultaneity (1204-07) Willy missing the past
  and Biff/Happy talking about the past.
• Biff we dont belong here.

• Happy defends Willy, ask Biff to talk to him,
  while Biff criticizes him 1651 1654
• Defending Linda 1673

"There are no flashbacks in this play but only a
mobile concurrency of past and present.. ."
Arthur Miller
21
Willy Lomans Dream, its Sources and Influences

• Dream in His Son Salesmanship
• Source Ben and the Flute
• Influences Biff and Happy

22
Dream (1) His SalesmanshipWhat is he proud of?

• House his craftsmanship adding a hammock, work
  on the ceiling and the front stoop
• His car and salesmanship well-liked
  (popularity) 1656
• Self-deceptive
• actually he is not making enough money (1658)
• His sense of diffidence and guilt 1658-59
• talks and jokes too much like a walrus has an
  affair.

23
Dream (1) His SonWhat is he proud of?

• Biff
• polishes the car carefully
• Adores and is close to his father
• good at playing football (1656-57)
• adored by many boys and girls
• p. 1675/68 Like a young god. Hercules --
  something like that. God Almighty, he'll be
  great yet. A star like that, magnificent, can
  never really fade away!
• Self-deceptive Biff getting anywhere (1661).

24
Willy Lomans Dream (2) Source Ben ( Their
Father)

• Willy? Ben 1663
• "There was a man started with the clothes on his
  back and ended up with diamond mines
• Ben --"Why, boys, when I walked into the jungle,
  I was seventeen. When I walked out I was
  twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich
• "Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You'll
  never get out of the jungle that way
• Bens imperialist capitalist (plundering in a
  foreign land)
• Loman--"It's Brooklyn, I know, but we hunt too
  (1666)
• Their Father ? next slide

25
Willy Lomans Dream (3) The Flute

• "It is small and fine, telling of grass and trees
  and the horizon" ?
• Willys father 1665
• "great inventor" who would "stop in the towns and
  sell the flutes he'd made on the way."
• "With one gadget," Ben tells Willy, "he made more
  in a week than a man like you could make in a
  lifetime"
• Willys Fathers in the age of mercantile
  capitalism an untamed natural man and the
  westward-bound pioneer the artisan, a great
  inventor, and a successful traveling merchant he
  sold what he made.
• Willy does not remember him except as an image.
• Willy industrial capitalism, where the role of
  traveling salesman gets less important.

26
-Ben, how should I teach them?

• Willy as a Father

27
Willy Lomans Teaching (1) Jungle Spirit

• His gift (1655) a punching bag with Gene
  Tunneys signature
• Believes in names and reputation
• Biff expresses his hatred of the business world
  because "They've laughed at Dad for years
  (1671)... ?. Willy responds in a characteristic
  manner "Go to Filene's, go to the Hub, go to
  Slattery's, Boston. Call out the name Willy Loman
  and see what happens! Big shot!" (1672)
• "That's just the spirit I want to embue them
  with! To walk into the jungle!" (1667)
• Competitiveness
• "Knocked 'em cold in Providence, slaughtered 'em
  in Boston"
• His advice to Biff in asking Bill Oliver for a
  loan, Willy's advice is "Knock him dead, boy"
  (1674)

28
Willy Lomans Teaching (2)

• Permissive and not teaching them practical skills
  or the spirit of hard work
• congratulates Biff on his initiative for
  borrowing a regulation football to practice with
  (1636)
• encourages the boys to steal sand from the
  apartment house so that he can rebuild the front
  stoop (1666)
• advises his sons to be well liked and make a good
  appearance in order to get ahead in the world
• Expects Bernard to give answers to Biff in exams
  refuses to face Biffs failures and problems.
  (1660 ? more later)

29
Willys Ways to Success (1)

• Human Connections --What he tells his son Be
  liked and you will never want.
• proper language and dress -- What is revealed in
  his talk to Linda about his weaknesses
• Words A man oughta come in with a few words.
  (But not too many wordsWilly himself talks too
  much.)
• Appearance I gotta overcome it. I know I gotta
  overcome it. I'm not dressing to advantage, maybe.

30
Willys Ways to Success

• Proper manners -- Act I, talking about how Biff
  should behaves in front of B. Oliver
• Be quiet, fine, and serious. Everybody likes a
  kidder, but nobody lends him money.
• But remember, start big and you'll end up big.
  Ask for 15. (1673)
• Start off with a couple of your good stories to
  lighten things up. It's not what you say, it's
  how you say it--because personality always wins
  the day.
• success results from "who you know and the smile
  on your face! It's contacts ... being liked (Act
  2)

31
Other examples of American Dream and its
acquisitiveness

• Happy His own apartment, a car and plenty of
  women
• Happy about his friend
• He's a good friend of mine, and he just built a
  terrific estate on Long Island. And he lived
  there about two months and sold it, and now he's
  building another one. He can't enjoy it once it's
  finished. And I know that's just what I would do.
  I don't know what the hell I'm workin' for.
• I tell you ... I'm gonna take my camera, and my
  bandsaw, and all my hobbies, and out they go.
  This is the most fascinating relaxation I've ever
  found (Howard Act 2)

32
Willy/Biff vs. Charles/Bernard

• Charles and Bernard -- Less athletic.
• Bernard Willy What an anemic
• Between him and his son Bernard they cant
  hammer a nail!
• Charleycannot handle tools
• ? disgusting to Willy.
• Charleymore practical (matter-of-fact), slow and
  clumsy in words
• says Dont get insulted three times (more
  later)
• Theres no bone in heartburns. (? Willys
  suggestions of vitamin is useless.)
• When a deposit bottle is broken, you dont get
  the nickels back. (referring to Biff)

33
Willy/Biff vs. Charley/Bernard

• Bernard and Charley
• Both law-abiding
• Charley Listen, if that watchman . . .
• Willy I gave themthe watchmen hell,
  understand. But I got a couple of fearless
  characters there.
• Charley Willy, the jails are full of fearless
  characters.
• Barnard The watchmans chasing Biff!
• Shut up! Hes not stealing anything!
• both loyal to their friends
• Pity in whatever he says
• Charley plays cards with Willy to help him
  relax (Act 2) lends money to Willy
• Bernard keeps asking Biff to study math with
  him helps Biff pass the exams by cheating.

34
End of Act I High Hope and Inherent Problems

• Hope Willy is going to Howard, and Biff, to Ben
  Oliver, in order to change their lives.
• Inherent Problems
• In Biff he steals
• In Willy his malfunctioned mind, his high hope
  for Biff and reality (the rubber tube and a job
  without salary)
• between Biff and Willy
• Biff defends his mother (Your hair got so
  gray) (Dont yell at her, will ya)
• Against Willy I know hes a fake and he doesnt
  like anybody around who knows
• Something Linda is not aware of (Willy dear,
  what has he got against you? )

35
Willys Preoccupations --Summary

• Past family life
• Remember those two beautiful elm trees out there?
  
• What a simonizing job!
• eighty thousand miles
• Past possession
• Red Chevvy
• Present Changes
• How can they whip cheese?

36
Willys Preoccupations --Summary

• Lessons
• Just be careful with those girls, Biff.
• Be liked and youll never want.
• Sense of Incompetence
• How Ben did it.