Death of A Salesman: What's Inside in Context

Death of a
Salesman
Study Guide by Course Hero
his green velvet slippers" on his way to make another sale—a

What's Inside good death for a salesman.
j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1
d In Context
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 2 Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman, which was first
performed in 1949, only a few years after World War II ended in
h Characters .................................................................................................. 3 1945 and within a decade of the end of the Great Depression
(1929–1939). Both eras had a significant impact on the work of
k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 5
Miller and on Death of a Salesman in particular, which is set in
c Section Summaries ............................................................................... 10 the late 1940s in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Boston.
g Quotes ......................................................................................................... 18
l Symbols ..................................................................................................... 20
The Great Depression
m Themes ...................................................................................................... 20 With the crash of the stock market in 1929, America
plummeted into the worst economic downturn it had ever
b Stage Directions .................................................................................... 22 faced. Many banks, companies, and individual families lost
everything, leaving a bruised national psyche that lacked
e Suggested Reading .............................................................................. 23
confidence about the future.
For Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman illustrates the personal

effects of the Great Depression. The shattered dreams of
j Book Basics Miller's family, and of the American people, are reflected in the
shattered dreams of Willy Loman. As the protagonist of Death
AUTHOR of a Salesman, Willy is unable to attain financial or emotional
Arthur Miller stability despite a lifelong career as a salesman and a long
marriage to a faithful and devoted wife.
YEAR PUBLISHED
1949
GENRE
World War II
Drama
The limping U.S. economy improved as parts of the globe
ABOUT THE TITLE plunged into World War II in 1939. The economy shifted into
Death of a Salesman refers to the literal and metaphorical high gear as manufacturers began to develop mechanized
death of salesman Willy Loman. The title comes from a line in weaponry, communication technology, advancements in
the play; a character is said to die "the death of a salesman, in medicine, and improved transportation to support the war
Death of a Salesman Study Guide Author Biography 2
effort. By the time the war ended in 1945, new technologies perpetually frustrates Loman. In the end, the promises of the
focused on domestic improvements, including everything from future ring hollow as Loman's sense of identity is unfulfilled, his
washing machines and refrigerators to automobiles. relationship with his older son is fractured, and he is unable to
adapt to the changing world around him.
Turning away from the horrors of the Great Depression and
the war to the reaffirmation of life back at home, many
a Author Biography
Americans availed themselves of new technology, creating and
embracing a new American consumerism. Thanks to
advertising and the new mood of optimism, many people
believed they could "have it all"—a nice home, a happy family, Arthur Asher Miller was born into a Jewish immigrant family in
and all the products that could keep life running smoothly. New York City on October 17, 1915. Miller's father, a small-
business owner in Manhattan, manufactured coats, while
Miller's mother taught. The family enjoyed financial success
The American Dream until the stock market crashed in 1929, when, like many other
Americans, they lost their savings. This loss forced them to
relocate from affluent Manhattan to working-class Brooklyn.
The well-known phrase "the American Dream" was first used
by historian James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book The Epic of
Miller's experience as a teenager growing up in Brooklyn was a
America. In part Adams describes the dream as a place where
mixture of the American Dream and Great Depression–era
"life should be better and richer and fuller ... with opportunity
reality. He was a well-known and well-regarded high school
for each according to ability." However, he cautions that the
football star; yet after graduation he worked his way through
dream is not focused on "motor cars and high wages" but
college, earning $15 per week at an auto parts warehouse. He
rather on a "social order" in which people are empowered to
also took jobs as a truck driver, waiter, and tanker crewman.
reach their highest capabilities and "be recognized by others
These experiences never left Miller. Even after his success as
for what they are," an idea Willy Loman returns to again and
a playwright, he continued to work in factories from time to
again as he wrestles with the importance of being well liked.
time, saying, "Standing eight hours a day at a machine in one
place, you know what it's about."
However, the goal of making the American Dream something
concrete rather than philosophical has often eluded Americans
The effects of the Great Depression on Miller's family and the
such as Willy Loman, as they have struggled to define it within
country would later influence Miller's work and characters,
the reality of American living. Some have translated the dream
including the ambitions and dissatisfactions of the main
into materialism, while others emphasize simple living. Some
character, Willy Loman, in Death of a Salesman. New York
view America as the land of opportunity, where everyone has
Times critic Brooks Atkinson wrote that Willy Loman is a man
an equal chance of reward as the result of a productive work
haunted by "the phantom of his life" catching up with him:
ethic. Still others argue that aspects of culture such as poverty,
"suddenly, there is nothing."
classism, racism, and sexism keep the dream elusive for
millions of Americans. Writer Thomas Byrne Edsall cautions Following its opening at the Morosco Theater in New York on
that America's "growing gulf between the affluent and middle February 10, 1949, Death of a Salesman became one of the
classes [is] anathema to the American Dream." However, for best-known and most highly revered plays of the 20th century.
Eleanor Roosevelt, the American Dream remained an "essential Death of a Salesman received many awards, including the 1949
task" for Americans, who must be constantly reminded of its Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play,
"brightness ... splendor and beauty." These contrasting securing Miller's reputation as one of the country's greatest
statements testify to the continuing challenges for Americans playwrights. The play has been staged countless times since
of both defining and achieving the American Dream. its original Broadway run, and the 1985 movie version starring
Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich was critically acclaimed.
The American Dream of the 1940s is reflected in Willy Loman's
desires to achieve social recognition and material success, but Miller died on February 10, 2005, at age 89.
his sense of optimism has long been frustrated, and the
technology that promises to make life better and more fulfilling
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Death of a Salesman Study Guide Characters 3
seldom presents the truth about himself and is driven only by

h Characters his desires to find sexual and financial satisfaction. Even after
his father's death, Happy is unchanged. He commits himself to
fulfilling his father's shallow dream of becoming a successful
Willy Loman salesman, always aiming to "come out number-one man."
Willy Loman is a 60-plus-year-old traveling salesman who lives

in New York City and struggles to keep a grip on the present
because of his deep disillusionment with the trajectory of his
life. In his youth, Willy was abandoned by his father. During a
trip to find his father, Willy met a successful traveling salesman
and determined to become one himself, with the hope of
gaining financial success, affirmation, and reputation.
Frequently away from home, Willy turned to the company of
another woman, and when his son Biff, then a high school
senior, discovered his father's infidelity, their relationship
changed forever. Willy's delusion builds as the play progresses,
and at the end he commits suicide in exchange for life
insurance money to provide for his family.
Linda Loman
Linda's primary roles as Willy's wife are supporter, advocate,
and defender. Secondarily, Linda is the mother of Biff and
Happy. The tension of trying to keep her family functional
motivates her character. In many ways, she is a typical
housewife of her era, focused on her domestic responsibilities
and her family.
Biff Loman
Biff is Willy and Linda Loman's older son, 34 years old at the
time of the play. As a child, Biff idolized his father and worked
hard to please him, especially through his high school football
career. Like his father, Biff values being liked more than
adhering to ethical rules and begins a practice of stealing, an
act Willy does not condemn. His conflict with his father is
driven by Biff's desire to finally come clean and live truthfully.
Happy Loman
Happy, the Lomans' younger son, is a 32-year-old womanizing
deceiver who shares many of his father's characteristics. He

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Characters 4
Character Map
Brothers
Biff Loman
Older, disillusioned son Mother
and Son
Uncle Ben Linda Loman

Father and Son Willy's wife; struggles
Willy's dead brother
to keep her family secure
Brothers Spouses
Willy Loman
Disillusioned salesman;
Mother and Son
disappointed in career
and sons
Father
and Son
Neighbors
Charley
Boss and Happy Loman
Willy's friend and
Employee Younger, shallow son
neighbor
Brothers
Howard Wagner
Willy's employer
Main Character
Other Major Character
Minor Character

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Plot Summary 5
Full Character List Miss

Forsythe
A prostitute who meets Biff and Happy
at Frank's Chop House.
Character Description Stanley is a waiter at Frank's Chop

Stanley House, where the Loman men plan to
dine.
A disillusioned 60-plus-year-old traveling
salesman, Willy (a shortened form of
William, meaning "protector"), no longer Years in the past, Willy Loman had an
Willy Loman
has a grip on reality and wavers back affair with a woman; when his son Biff
and forth between his memories and the The Woman
discovers the affair, the father-son
present. relationship is compromised forever.
Linda, whose name means "beautiful," is Uncle Ben is Willy's older brother, now
the conventional wife of Willy Loman. dead, who traveled to Africa at age 21
She helplessly recognizes her husband's Uncle Ben
Linda Loman and made his fortune. His success
disintegrating state of mind and tries to haunts Willy.
protect him from himself and his sons'
judgment.
Biff, whose name means "punch," is the

oldest son of Willy and Linda Loman. At
k Plot Summary
age 34, he tries to reconcile his
Biff Loman
disappointment in his father and in Death of a Salesman takes place in two acts, which cover a 24-
himself to find a way to live his life more
truthfully and authentically. hour period, and a Requiem, which is set several days later.
The setting is New York City in the late 1940s. Some of the
action occurs at the Loman house in Brooklyn. Other action
Happy, who is not happy, is the
womanizing younger son of Willy and takes place in an office building and a restaurant in Manhattan.
Happy
Linda Loman. At age 32, he lives life by
Loman
his own rules without depth or honesty The play begins with Willy Loman returning home late at night
about himself. from a business trip. He has cut his trip short because he has
been unable to make any sales and has nearly crashed the car
The son of the Lomans' neighbor several times. This is a recent trend for Willy, who is now only
Charley, Bernard grew up idolizing Biff.
Bernard In his adulthood, Bernard is a successful paid on commission. He cannot seem to get the sales he needs
family man and lawyer, who argues a to earn a decent living. Willy's two adult sons, 34-year-old Biff
case before the Supreme Court. and 32-year-old Happy, are also home; Biff has just returned
from the West to try to find a career in the East.
Charley, a successful businessman and
longtime neighbor of the Lomans, kindly Throughout the play, Willy moves back and forth between
Charley lends Willy money and even offers him a
present reality and memories, at times speaking to characters
job, despite Willy's antagonism toward
him. from the past even while in the presence of his family. He
recalls earlier times with his sons and the optimism they then
Howard Wagner, Willy Loman's current had about the future. However, he is also haunted by aspects
Howard boss, is the son of Willy's first boss; of his past. He recalls a woman he had an affair with years
Wagner despite the long connection, Howard earlier. He also remembers his brother, Ben.
fires Willy for his poor job performance.
Willy is disappointed in his lack of success as a
Jenny Jenny is Charley's secretary. salesman—both financially and in terms of his reputation. After
talking with his wife, Willy decides to meet with his boss and
A prostitute who meets Biff and Happy ask for a salaried position based in New York.
Letta
at Frank's Chop House.
Willy is disturbed by memories of his brother, Ben, now dead,

who traveled to Africa as a young man and became rich in his drives away quickly, and intentionally causes a car accident,
20s. Ben's success is a constant reminder to Willy of his own which kills him.
failure to "make something" of himself by becoming a wealthy
businessman. In the Requiem of the play, the family and their neighbors,
Charley and his son Bernard, reflect around the grave on
In a conversation with her sons, Linda Loman explains what Willy's life. Biff clearly recognizes that his father "had the
she knows about Willy's state of mind. In his depression, he is wrong dreams." Happy is unable to face reality, declaring that
secretly borrowing money from a neighbor and has at least Willy's life goals are admirable. Linda, although grieving deeply,
considered suicide. Linda reveals that she finds a rubber tube acknowledges that the money from Willy's sacrifice has in fact
in the basement with which Willy might asphyxiate himself. She set the family "free."
pleads with her sons to reestablish their relationships with their
father.
When Willy enters, the family discusses Biff's prospects. Torn

between his love of working outdoors and the drive to be a
success in the eyes of his father, Biff agrees to seek out an old
employer, Bill Oliver, to try to get financial backing to start a
sporting goods business with Happy.
Unfortunately, both Willy's and Biff's meetings go poorly. Bill

Oliver refuses to give Biff the time of day, so he comes away
empty-handed. Willy's boss, Howard, not only denies Willy's
request to work locally, but he also fires him for poor
performance.
When Happy, Biff, and Willy finally gather at Frank's Chop

House that night for dinner—a meal intended to celebrate Biff's
success—nobody is in the mood to party. Biff and Willy argue,
and Willy's sons leave him at the restaurant while Willy is
overwhelmed by memories of Biff's discovery of Willy's affair
years ago in Boston. It becomes clear that Biff's disillusionment
with his father—and perhaps with life—stems from the
discovery that his father is not the fine, upstanding man he
believed him to be.
Once Willy is back at home, his distress and disconnection

from reality continue as he plants seeds in the backyard in the
hope of building a garden. In his despair, he has an imaginary
conversation with his brother, who reminds Willy that he has a
life insurance policy worth $20,000.
Back inside the house, Willy and Biff have a final confrontation
in which Biff calls Willy a "phony" and announces a plan to
leave the family for good. Yet Biff is also clearly saddened by
these events and goes to his room crying. Moved by his son's
tears, Willy decides to put his suicide plan into action to
provide the funds his family needs for the future.
After everyone else has gone to bed, Willy leaves the house,

Plot Diagram
Climax
7
10 Falling Action
Rising Action
6
11
5
4 12
3 Resolution
2
1
Introduction
Introduction Climax
1. Willy Loman returns home early from a business trip. 9. After this discovery, Biff thinks of his father as a phony.
Rising Action Falling Action
2. Willy and Linda discuss their financial situation and sons. 10. Willy determines to get life insurance money for his family.
3. Willy remembers his sons' previous approval and affection. 11. Willy kills himself by crashing his car.
4. Linda reveals Willy's true state of mind to her sons.
5. Biff visits Bill Oliver to ask for investment money.

Resolution
6. Willy visits his boss, Howard, and gets fired.
12. Linda grieves at the grave, declaring financial freedom.
7. Willy and his sons gather for dinner and argue.
8. Willy remembers Biff's discovery of Willy's affair.

Timeline of Events
Late 1940s; late at night
Willy returns home and talks to Linda about the

difficulties of his job; his sons talk upstairs.
About 15 years earlier
Flashback: Willy and his sons talk as Bernard appears

and suggests that Biff might fail math.
Past and the next day
Flashback: The Woman is introduced while, in the

present, Willy gets angry with his wife, Linda.
Same day and the past
Willy and Charley play cards; Ben shows up in short

flashbacks to discuss his success.
Same day
Linda reveals to her sons that Willy is borrowing money

and considering suicide.
Same day
The family discusses Biff's prospects, including an idea

to meet with Bill Oliver.
Same day
Willy meets with his boss, Howard, to propose a new

work arrangement and ends up getting fired.
Same day
Happy, Biff, and Willy meet for an unsuccessful and

tense dinner at Frank's Chop House.
Same day
After a final confrontation between Willy and Biff, Willy

commits suicide by crashing his car.
Several days later

Willy Loman's family and Charley bury Willy and reflect

on his life.

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Section Summaries 10
which he has been striving his whole life.

c Section Summaries
The theme of Nature versus Man-Made Environment is also
introduced in this first section. Willy, driving alone and lost,
Arthur Miller did not break the play's acts into scenes. This
longs to be unfettered from the city and is drawn to nature,
study guide breaks down each act into sections as groups of
where "the trees are so thick, and the sun is warm." Back at his
characters change.
home, Willy complains of how boxed in they are with car-lined
streets where "you can't raise a carrot in the back yard." The
Act 1, Section 1 desire to grow something in nature circles back at the end of
the play when a delusional Willy tries to plant a garden in his
dark city yard.
Summary Linda's unwavering love and devotion are clear from the
beginning of the play, where the stage directions describe how
The play opens in the present between Willy and Linda Loman "she more than loves him, she admires him," because she
in their home. shares Willy's hopes and dreams. This description provides an
early clue regarding Linda's intentional blindness to Willy's true
The stage directions describe a flute that plays in the
nature.
background as Act 1 begins. The audience sees the Lomans'
"small, fragile-seeming" home in Brooklyn, New York. The As is his tendency, Willy moves from despairing about himself
house is shadowed and physically crowded by the large to judging others, in this case his son Biff. The ongoing tension
apartment buildings around it. between Willy and his son Biff over what it means to be
successful becomes clear as Willy and Linda reflect on an
Late at night, Willy Loman returns from a business trip earlier
argument the two men had earlier that day. Willy is unable to
than expected. Linda, his wife, gets out of bed to greet him.
accept, despite his own struggles with the American Dream,
Willy confesses that he was unable to make any sales and
that his son may not fit the mold his father wants to force him
became confused on his trip, forgetting that he was driving and
into. Willy accuses Biff of being lazy, while his mother claims he
veering off the road—something that has become a pattern.
is merely lost.
Willy's confusion will only increase as the play continues. His
wife, ignoring his confusion, encourages him to talk to his boss
about getting a stationary job in the corporate office, since he
has been working for the company for many years and
Act 1, Section 2
deserves it.
Willy and his wife then discuss their son Biff, who has recently Summary
returned to New York from the West and is asleep upstairs
along with his brother, Happy. The couple talks about Biff's Biff and Happy talk in their bedroom in the present as Willy talks
inability to find stable, high-paying work and the ongoing to himself downstairs.
tension between Biff and Willy about what it means to be a
The setting shifts to the Lomans' sons' bedroom, where both
success.
30-something men are staying because of Biff's visit. The
stage directions state that both are dreamers who are lost in
Analysis their own ways.
Happy confesses to his brother that his father is showing

As Willy describes losing his way on the trip, he is also
strange behavior, including confused driving and talking to
expressing how he has lost his way in life, admitting that he
himself or an imagined Biff.
"can't seem to—keep [his] mind to it." Working only on
commission now, Willy is frustrated by his inability to reach the The boys reminisce, particularly about their past experiences
American Dream of financial success and social recognition for with women. They then discuss Biff's relationship with Willy

and Biff's ongoing struggle to decide what work will fulfill him in
life.
Summary
Happy reflects on his own discontent with his low-level job, his Willy experiences his first memory flashback with his boys and
loneliness, and the quality of people around him. Biff then with Linda.
brainstorms about getting some investment money from a
Already talking to himself in the background, Willy now comes
former employer, Bill Oliver, to start a ranch.
into view in a flashback.
Downstairs, Willy is heard talking and laughing to himself in a
He gave advice to his sons about women as they washed the
confused way.
car. Biff presented his father with a new football, one that he
stole from the locker room. Willy's initial disapproval turned to
admiration of his son's ambition.
Analysis
The boys discussed a future trip together as well as the
Happy is a womanizer who speaks about women only as upcoming big football game, in which Biff later played a
conquests, but he also acknowledges that despite having his starring role. Biff and his father were eager to impress one
own apartment, car, and women, he is still lonely. Presented another, and the family's hopes ran high that Biff would attend
with the option to leave with Biff, however, Happy reveals his the University of Virginia. Bernard entered and raised the
real drive to be a success in his need to "show some of those question about whether Biff would be able to graduate
pompous, self-important executives over there that Hap because of his poor grade in math.
Loman can make the grade." Happy is a victim of his own self-
deception and has no real moral center: he sleeps with the When Linda entered, the couple discussed Willy's commission,
fiancée of the vice president of the store, and he the family's finances, and the money they owed on several of
acknowledges behaving this way repeatedly. their appliances. Willy's optimism faded as he privately told his
wife that people laughed at him and did not like him. Linda
The conversation also reveals more about Biff's tension with praised Willy for being the "handsomest man in the world" just
his father as well as his own inner tension between the craving as the laugh of an unknown woman is heard offstage.
for an adventurous outdoor life and the need to succeed
according to his father's formula for success. Biff admits that
he does not even know what he is supposed to want. Biff, in Analysis
many ways much like Willy, has a longing for nature and an
abhorrence of the business life—phone calls, selling, keeping The tone of Willy's memory is initially happy as he looks back
stock, and so on—particularly "when all you really desire is to on his time with his sons and his dreams for his own and their
be outdoors." futures. However, by the end of this section, he is full of doubt
and disillusionment because he does not believe he is well
Biff's past is marked by some deception, which is first revealed
liked. Fluctuating between self-promotion and despair, Willy is
when he brings up the idea of visiting Bill Oliver to ask for an
unable to make peace with who he really is.
investment. Apparently, when he worked for Oliver years ago,
Biff stole a carton of basketballs and lost his job as a result. Willy hints at the American Dream again when he describes the
However, Happy and Biff both spin the truth about what really road trip he and his sons will take together sometime when it
happened for their own benefit and to avoid facing the truth will "be open sesame for all of us ... I have friends," suggesting
about themselves. that connections with important friends will open doors to the
American Dream for Willy and his sons. He also holds tightly to
the hope that his son Biff will go to an important university and
Act 1, Section 3 earn a name for himself. Yet as the phrase "open sesame"
indicates, these dreams are illusions.
The incident with the stolen ball reveals some cracks in Willy's

moral code. Instead of playing the fatherly role and disciplining not need a job.
Biff, he embraces the notion that the rules do not apply to Biff
because he is special and has the kind of ambition that makes
a person successful. Willy makes similar exceptions for Analysis
himself, as seen when his affair is revealed.
The first details of Willy's affair with The Woman are revealed.
In this section of the play, the line between truth and lies In addition to showing a new level of deceitfulness on Willy's
continues to be murky. Is Willy always reliable when he speaks part, it also shows his deep need to be liked. He is pleased
about his success, or is he spinning the truth to his own when The Woman tells him that she picked him and that he is a
advantage? Willy adjusts the truth when he discusses his wonderful man. Only a few lines later, Linda calls Willy "the
income with Linda, first suggesting that he is making a higher handsomest man."
commission than he really is. It is only after further discussion
that it becomes clear that they are struggling to make ends In the flashback, Willy gives the woman silk stockings, a
meet. luxurious and intimate gift at the time, even as his wife will
repair her damaged ones. An offstage laugh from The Woman
This section also reveals more about Willy's idea that being is heard again, continuing to haunt Willy and emphasize his
liked and having a good reputation are the keys to success. He deceit.
explains that "the man who makes an appearance ... is the man
who gets ahead" and brags that people up and down New It is clear that Willy alternates between excessive praise of and
England know who Willy Loman is. excessive harshness toward Biff, never able to settle on a
realistic view of his son or provide the guidance and leadership
Although Willy embraces an American Dream that promotes that Biff needs.
progress, he appears unable to accept some elements of a
changing world. For example, the technological advances of Willy is also unable to be truthful with his generous neighbor
the car and refrigerator cause him frustration and distress, Charley, who is able to see through Willy's façade. Instead,
revealing an ongoing cycle of consumption and repair. Like so Willy's pride makes him rude and disrespectful to someone he
much of the American Dream, the notion of deep satisfaction should view as a friend.
that stems from progress may be an illusion.
Act 1, Section 5
Act 1, Section 4
Summary
Summary
In an imagined scene from the past, Ben talks about his
Willy's past affair is revealed, and the neighbor Charley offers success to Willy.
Willy a job in the present.
As Charley and Willy continue to play cards, Ben Loman enters
Still in the past, Willy talks to the woman with whom he had an from the past. Willy asks him a number of questions about their
affair as a younger man and to whom he gave some new past, including the fate of their father. Ben reveals that their
stockings. Gradually, the action changes to Willy talking to father, a flute maker, took the family across the country before
Linda, still in the past, about not mending stockings in front of eventually abandoning them. Ben reveals his own tale of
him and Biff's need to study in light of his poor math grades. success in the diamond mines of Africa, where he became rich
by the time he was 21.
Back in the present, Willy explains to Happy why he has
returned early from his trip, and Charley, the next-door Trying to impress Ben, Willy brags about his sons, who have
neighbor, shows up for a game of cards. During the game, been stealing, and asserts that he is raising them well. Ben
Charley interjects a job offer for Willy, but Willy claims he does reassures him that they are "outstanding, manly chaps!"

Feeling guilty, Biff agrees that it is best for him to try to find a
Analysis job in the city to help support his parents. Quickly, however,
Biff and Happy get into an argument regarding the definition of
A confused, dreamlike effect emerges as the past and present
success.
overlap and conversations are hard to follow. The confusion
mirrors the confusion in Willy's own mind as he struggles to
keep track of reality. He can no longer remember what is real
and what is imaginary, what is past and what is present.
Analysis
The symbol of Distant Lands, in the form of Alaska and Africa, Linda's approach to Willy is unique among the other characters
appears, representing Willy's lost chance for escape and in the play. She is loyal and loving to Willy: "I won't have anyone
freedom. Willy asks Ben the question that has plagued his life: making him feel unwanted and low and blue." Yet she suffers
"What's the answer? How did you do it?" Willy reflects on how from her own form of self-deception. She is never able to say
his own life might have been different if he had followed his to Willy what he needs to hear about his own ambition and
brother. Ben repeats his story of success several times in this need to be liked. Additionally, she lets Willy treat her with
section of the play, making clear just how much his success disrespect and does not stand up for herself.
eclipses and haunts Willy's.

In some ways, Biff's inner conflict parallels his father's. He
The flute, a symbol of Willy's father, plays. Willy, who lives in loves to be outdoors, but he feels the need to be successful in
Brooklyn, continues to struggle with his identity, the son of a the eyes of the world, as well. He is more devoted to his own
"wild-hearted man." lnsecurely, he defends himself and the way need to find a sense of success than he is to his family. He
that he raises his sons, although he recognizes the clear lives with an ongoing inner tension between the desire to be an
difference between his sons' childhood and his own. It is clear outdoorsman and the desire to earn a name for himself in the
that Willy is not grounded in enough of a sense of self to live business world.
his life with confidence, and he suffers from his father's

Happy attributes Biff's lack of success in business in the past
betrayal of the family: "I still feel—kind of temporary about
to an inner failing: "you never tried to please people." Here,
myself." Although he is nearing retirement age, Willy is still a
Happy reinforces the ongoing theme of a good reputation as a
wandering young man at heart.
key element in the American Dream.
Act 1, Section 6 Act 1, Section 7
Summary Summary
In the present, Linda, Biff, and Happy discuss Willy's state of
In the present, the Loman family discusses Biff's prospects.
mind.
The whole family gathers in the house where the ongoing
With Willy out of the house on a walk, Linda and her sons
thread of the argument about Biff's choices and future is
discuss Willy's fragile state of mind. Linda chastises both of her
interwoven with optimism about the boys starting a sporting
sons for their treatment of Willy and pleads with them to show
goods business. Willy fluctuates between harsh criticism of Biff
him more respect and to come around more often. Biff defends
and unrealistic praise. Willy is rude to Linda for almost anything
himself and tells Linda that Willy has always treated her with
she says, while Biff defends her, asking Willy not to yell at her.
disrespect, but Linda will not face that truth. Linda explains to
her sons that Willy is not earning salary, is taking loans from Biff makes a plan to talk to a former boss about an investment.
Charley, and has tried to kill himself a number of times. In Willy agrees to talk to his boss, Howard, in the morning. The
addition to car accidents, Linda discovers a length of pipe in section ends with Biff taking the rubber tube out from behind
the basement, presumably for a suicide by gas. the heater without his parents' knowing. This is the end of Act 1

and the end of that day. before Willy leaves to meet his boss, Howard. Hopes are high
that he will get a local position and that Biff will get the
financial backing he needs. Willy is thrilled to learn that his
Analysis sons have issued an invitation for dinner at Frank's Chop
House.
The theme of the American Dream and Disillusionment and the
elements of financial and reputational success continue to In a long conversation in Howard's office, Willy makes his
develop. Willy mocks his son's dream of living in the West and request for a new job, referencing his long history with the
self-deceptively presents himself as a fine figure in business: company and his relationship with Howard's father. Willy has
"Call out the name Willy Loman and see what happens! Big been with the company since Howard was born. Willy also tells
shot!" Howard the story of Dave Singleman, the salesman who
inspired Willy to follow this career path. Instead of listening to
But even as he is praising himself, Willy's insecurities crop up. Willy, Howard talks only about himself, his family, and a new
He is paranoid about being insulted. Willy cannot seem to make recording device he has purchased. Then he fires Willy based
up his mind about how to judge his son Biff because he cannot on his recent performance. Willy is defeated.
make peace with his own choices. No sooner does Willy
criticize Biff than he praises him as a great investment for a
business: "There's fifty men in the City of New York who'd Analysis
stake him."
In the midst of an optimistic dialogue with Linda, the silk
As the family discusses the possibility of a Loman Brothers stockings appear again. Willy asks his wife to stop mending
sporting goods business, Happy reveals the deep need they all them—an ongoing symbol of both his long-standing lies to her
have for a sense of family to trump business success, hoping about his affair and their true financial state.
that "it'd be the family again" and there could be "the old honor,
and comradeship"—something the family lacks in all their In his optimistic state of mind, Willy tells Linda he will buy seeds
antagonism and self-deception. This broken family is missing to plant a garden—an impossibility given the lack of sunshine in
the basic foundation it needs to deal with the world beyond the the yard due to the high-rise buildings that surround the house.
walls of its house. His desire to nurture a small piece of the natural world despite
the reality of the situation reveals Willy's ongoing self-
Biff again draws attention to the disrespect with which Willy deception as well as his lack of control over the world around
treats Linda, defending her and asking Willy not to yell at her. him.
Yet Linda defends Willy, revealing her level of self-deception.
Her identity is wrapped up in Willy and in the hope of his Willy's battle continues with the advances of the modern, man-
success rather than in an accurate perception of herself. made environment—a world that Willy says he embraces. He is
discouraged by the need to pay his insurance premium, the car
mechanic, and the refrigerator repair. He bemoans the ongoing
Act 2, Section 1 cycle of trying to get ahead. In Howard's office, the wire
recorder creates a haunting sense of a future where people's
voices can be disconnected from their bodies.
Summary It is in Howard's office that Willy reveals his original motivation

to be a salesman when he describes 84-year-old Dave
After an optimistic morning in the present, Willy visits his boss,
Singleman, a man he met on a train. It is Dave Singleman who
Howard.
died "the death of a salesman," wearing "green velvet slippers"
on a train during a business trip. Willy's long description goes
The sun is shining the next morning, and Willy cheerfully eats
unnoticed by Howard, a successful businessman who is too
his breakfast, even smiling at Linda. Willy mentions that he
busy to listen to Willy.
would like to buy some seeds and plant something in the
backyard. The pair discusses the future and their finances

might win out. Yet Willy's self-deception is so deep that he

Act 2, Section 2 cannot come clean and state how bad things really are. The
self-deceived Willy turns down work from the one true friend
he has and continues to repeat his mantra that "if a man [is]
Summary impressive, and well liked," he can be successful in this world.
Willy talks to Ben in a daydream and then talks to Charley in his Charley and Bernard do not brag about themselves,
office in the present. particularly about the fact that Bernard will present a case
before the Supreme Court, thus underlining a sharp contrast
Ben reappears in Willy's mind, inviting him to join him on his trip between their family and the Loman family, whose false pride
to Alaska. Willy declines at Linda's urging. Willy brags to Ben stands in the way of truth and fulfilling relationships.
about Biff and Happy and asks Ben to stay and help raise the
boys. Willy is unsure that he is a good father. Charley foreshadows the play's outcome when he reminds
Willy to pay his life insurance and says "nobody's worth nothin'
Ben departs the memory, and young Bernard races in. It is the dead."
day of the big football game and hopes are running high. Willy
calls it "the greatest day of [Biff's] life."
The next setting is the present-day office of Charley, where

Act 2, Section 3
the adult Bernard, now a successful lawyer, is visiting. Bernard
and Willy discuss Biff, and Willy claims that Biff's life ended
after that big football game and the failed math class. Bernard Summary
suggests something different—something happened to Biff
after he went to visit Willy in Boston that summer. The three Loman men meet at Frank's Chop House in the
present.
Willy asks Charley for more money, and Charley again offers
him work. Willy is too proud to accept the work, despite the Happy and Biff arrive independently at Frank's Chop House
fact that he has been fired. There is a flaw in Willy's character before their father arrives. In no time, Happy is picking up a
here in that he is too proud to accept work but not too proud woman and trying to procure one for his brother; both women
to ask for money. Not only does Willy reject Charley's offer, but are presumably prostitutes. Biff admits that he waited all day
he is rude and disrespectful to him. for Bill Oliver, who did not recognize him. In frustration, Biff
went into Oliver's office and stole his expensive fountain pen.
Distressed, Biff wants to come clean to his father and admit
Analysis everything. Happy discourages him from telling the truth.
Willy arrives, and before Biff can confess as he wants, Willy

The tension between nature and the man-made urban
confesses that Howard fired him. Pressured to keep things
environment continues as Ben encourages his brother to
positive, Biff does not tell his father the truth. As Happy begins
embrace the natural world and travel with him to Alaska, but
to weave a lie about Bill Oliver, Biff reluctantly goes along with
Linda pulls Willy back to the reality of his job in the city where
it.
he is "well liked." A defeated Willy breaks down and asks Ben,
"What is the answer?"
Tension rises as it becomes clear that Biff discovered Analysis

something during his summer trip to Boston that changed his
life. Both Willy and Bernard trace the change in Biff to that The history of long-standing family lies continues to be
time, although Willy associates it with Biff's failing math and exposed. Biff and Willy compete with each other in their need
Bernard associates it with the Boston trip. to confess the truth of the day. However, Biff is defeated by his
father. Willy's confession about his firing, nevertheless, is
When Willy turns to Charley, it seems that truth and friendship quickly overshadowed by self-deception as Willy and Happy

work to create a new lie to cover the reality. Biff struggles moment is the long-hinted-at turning point in Biff's life—the
between his own urge to finally come clean and the habit of moment the older Bernard refers to when he says that
spinning the truth to keep up the illusion of success. Here, Willy something changed Biff during his trip that summer.
acts as a force who actively resists Biff's truth-telling.
Yet although Biff knows his father's lies, Biff still cares for his
father. Biff defends Willy to Happy, explaining that "you don't
Act 2, Section 4 give a good goddam about him." It is Biff who takes the rubber
hose out of the basement to protect his father, and it is Biff
who tells the women that Willy is "a fine, troubled prince."
Summary Willy's need to deny his guilt and shame muddies his memory
and his ability to stay focused on the present. Unlike Biff, who
The Loman men argue in the present, and Biff's discovery of his wants to come clean, Willy's history of lies is too deep. He
father's past affair is revealed. cannot face them in the light of day.
Merging past and present, a young Bernard knocks on the The stockings again appear as The Woman appeals to Willy for
door of the Lomans' house to tell Mrs. Loman that Biff has the stockings he promised. The stockings take on their full
failed math. At the restaurant, Willy blames Biff for that past meaning as a symbol of betrayal when Biff sees them and says,
failure even as Biff tries to confess his theft of the fountain "You—you gave her Mama's stockings!"
pen. Willy's frustration boils over, and he tells his son that
"you're no good, you're no good for anything."
Willy's confusion and aggression increase. To calm him, Biff

Act 2, Section 5
holds his father down and tells him that Bill Oliver is having
lunch with them the next day. Just as quickly, Willy concocts a
tale that Biff can tell to explain the theft of the fountain pen. Summary
The two prostitutes, as well as the woman with whom Willy had In the present, the boys return to the house for Biff and Willy's
an affair, appear amid the growing chaos. The action shifts to final argument before Willy drives to his death.
Willy and the woman in the hotel room in Boston. Biff shows up
to confess that he has flunked math. He discovers the affair, Happy and Biff return to home to Linda, who is furious with
begins to cry, and leaves shouting, "You fake! You phony little them for leaving Willy. Meanwhile, a confused Willy is out in the
fake!" backyard planting seeds. His brother Ben shows up, and Willy
talks to him about how good Linda has been and how much
Back at the restaurant, Willy, who has been abandoned by his she has suffered. Willy considers the proposition of killing
sons, speaks to the waiter and leaves. himself for the $20,000 life insurance policy.
Biff tells his father that he plans to leave in the morning for the
Analysis good of the family. Willy accuses Biff of leaving out of spite,
and another argument ensues full of blame and rage. Biff,
The stage direction "the light of green leaves stains the house" crying, goes upstairs. However, Biff's tears show Willy he is
provides another connection to nature that overshadows the loved despite everything. Ben appears as a reminder of Willy's
chaos playing out in the restaurant. plan to get money for the family.
Time and memory play tricks again, overlapping and adding Willy sends Linda to bed, promising to be up soon. Instead, in
confusion. Willy blames Biff for failing math when the real his dreamlike state, Willy leaves with Ben and drives to his
failure revealed is Willy's infidelity and its effect on his son. No death. Act 2 ends with the sound of a car crashing and then
longer does the young Biff admire his father and want to be the family gathered around Willy's grave several days later.
like him. Instead, he announces that Willy is a phony. This

wonders whether the poor attendance is because people

Analysis blame Willy for committing suicide, but Charley reassures her
that people understand "it's a rough world." Biff and Happy
Linda, who lives in her own world of self-deception, criticizes
disagree over their father's dreams. Biff argues that Willy had
her sons for being with "your lousy rotten whores," as she
the wrong dreams; Happy adopts his father's dream of material
defends her husband despite his own infidelity. She does not
success. A mourning Linda stays alone at the grave to weep as
recognize the overlap between the past and present: the
she tells Willy that they have just paid the last installment on
actions of the father are the actions of the sons.
the house and are debt-free.
In a last desperate attempt to regain a sense of himself as
connected to nature, Willy plants seeds in the backyard, more
confused over the distinctions between the past and the Analysis
present than ever.
The meaninglessness of Willy's preoccupations with social
As Willy muses over his own funeral, he once again ruminates appearance and recognition can be seen in the poor
on the idea of having a good reputation and being known. He attendance at his funeral. The man who spent his adult life
claims that his "funeral will be massive," with people coming seeking approval from people has none.
from all over because "I am known!"
Biff's reminiscence of his father is poignant, as Biff seems best
Biff's self-loathing is palpable; his mother cannot make him feel able to assess his father's life. Biff recalls the nonfinancial
any worse than he already does. Yet he takes the bait again, features of his father, such as the effort he put into building
arguing with his father a final time. The truth about the truth their front stoop. "He had the wrong dreams," Biff says, and
finally comes out: "We never told the truth for ten minutes in then, "He never knew who he was." In this analysis, Biff may
this house!" Nonetheless, new lies emerge regarding Happy's finally reconcile the differences between his father and himself.
job title and Biff's jail time. This recognition may empower Biff to grow beyond the
limitations of his father.
Biff says that neither he nor his father are leaders. Instead,
they are workers who are so pumped up by the illusion of the Happy is unable to accept that verdict, however, defending
American Dream that they cannot find any happiness in just Willy's pursuit of the American Dream. Happy commits himself
doing their jobs. Before Willy dies, he ponders for a final time to the same dream, promising that "Willy Loman did not die in
how he can still fulfill the American Dream for his family by vain." Biff and Happy represent contrasting views of Willy and
getting them the money they need. He still believes that Biff's of the American Dream. Yet the play seems to favor Biff's view,
success will come through performance rather than self- as Biff is the only character whose understanding grows
fulfillment. throughout the play, and Happy seems condemned to repeat
Willy's mistakes.
Willy ends his life by following his brother on "the boat" into the
jungle, a natural rather than man-made environment. In the end, Willy's family is financially better off—"free," as
Linda puts it in the final lines of the play. However, the question
of freedom lingers. Do the remaining family members have the
Requiem needed skills to live truthfully? It seems that Biff may now have
these skills, but Linda and Happy continue to reside in Willy's
delusions. One symbol of these delusions, the flute, continues
Summary its melody at the play's end.
In the present, Linda, Charley, Biff, Happy, and Bernard attend

Willy's funeral.
A few days later, Linda, Charley, Biff, Happy, and Bernard

gather around Willy's grave; they are the only mourners. Linda

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Quotes 18
— Willy Loman, Act 1, Section 4

g Quotes
Willy maintains a sense of guilt regarding his affair. It is
unexpected that in the end, Willy's final attempt to "make it up"
"The grass don't grow any more,
to his wife is a suicide that provides her with financial security
you can't raise a carrot in the back but robs her of her marriage.
yard."
"I walked into the jungle, ... I walked
out ... I was rich."
Willy experiences ongoing tension between the natural and the
man-made environments. In the final pages of the play, Willy's — Uncle Ben, Act 1, Section 5
delusion leads him to plant seeds in the backyard despite the
reality that they will not grow, a metaphor for the American Uncle Ben's statement of success plagues Willy his whole adult
Dream and his family. life. At times, Willy brags about his brother's success, and at
other times, it is clear that Willy is disappointed in his own
inability to achieve this kind of success for himself. There is no
"I don't know what the future is ... recognition that Ben's success may have come from unethical
practices, just as Biff's stealing is overlooked to focus on his
what I'm supposed to want." success.
— Biff Loman, Act 1, Section 2
"Dad left when I was such a baby ...

In a conversation with his brother, Happy, Biff reveals his
aimlessness. He is lost and does not know which purpose to
and I still feel— ... temporary about
serve—his own desire to be in the West in the outdoors or the myself."
American Dream of his father.
"To suffer fifty weeks of the year

Willy ties together his sense of betrayal and abandonment in
for the sake of a two-week the past with his need for kinship in the present as he begs
Ben to stay.
vacation ..."

"A man is not a bird, to come and
Biff does not recognize the reward of the American work ethic.
go with the springtime."
He continues to describe his disillusionment with the American
Dream and with his father, contrasting it with the kind of life he — Linda Loman, Act 1, Section 6
actually enjoys.
When Biff explains that he "can't take hold of some kind of life,"
Linda responds that a human being needs to settle down; he is
"I'll make it all up to you, Linda." not driven by the seasons as a bird is. Yet it is this social
pressure to settle down rather than roam that destroys Willy

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Quotes 19
and threatens to destroy Biff. — Willy Loman, Act 2, Section 2
Willy speaks to Ben about his ambitions for Biff, maintaining

"He's a human being, and a terrible that it is contacts and being liked that make dreams come true.
In reality, the outcome of the play undercuts this claim, as it is
thing is happening to him ...
Willy's suicide that provides the financial capital for his family's
attention must be paid." dreams even as it destroys the family.
— Linda Loman, Act 1, Section 6

"After all the highways ... and the
Linda defends her husband when she claims that all human years, you end up worth more
suffering requires attention. Painfully, at the end of the play,
Willy does "fall into his grave" without any fanfare or attention. dead than alive."

"It'd be the family again. There'd be
Willy recognizes his life insurance makes him more valuable
the old honor, and comradeship."
financially than his earnings, and Willy equates his value as a
person with his financial worth. It is distressing that a person's
— Happy Loman, Act 1, Section 7
life work is worthless and that the best way Willy sees to help
his family is through suicide.
Happy appeals to both Willy's and Biff's deep needs for family
cohesion. He understands that even though they all long for
financial success, there is something about family that can "We never told the truth for ten
provide stability and happiness. Yet the Lomans struggle to
define and achieve this quality of family. minutes in this house!"

"He died the death of a salesman,
Late in the play, after all the arguments, Biff finally states the
in his green velvet slippers."
obvious: the family cannot speak truthfully to each other or
about each other, emphasizing the theme of Illusion versus
Reality.
Willy describes the life and death of the salesman who inspires
him, Dave Singleman. The outcome of Willy's romantic "I am not a leader of men, Willy,
description of Singleman's life contrasts sharply with the reality
of Willy's life. Willy takes his own life, alone and in debt. His and neither are you."
funeral is attended only by his family and two friends.
"It's not what you do ... It's who you Biff states the truth about himself and his father: they are not
men who reach the American Dream of financial success.
know and the smile on your face!"
Instead, they are average men who live lives of hard work that
result in little wealth or recognition.

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Symbols 20
l Symbols Seeds
Distant Lands The seeds symbolize Willy Loman's longing for nature,
something he cannot get in his city dwelling. His desire to plant
seeds reveals a healthy need to nurture growth, but it is not
well planned or executed. He fails at raising his sons, and he is
Distant geographical locations represent freedom and trapped in a world in which he is unfruitful. When he exclaims
possibility in contrast to the confinement and death of New that he needs to get seeds, his wife reminds him that there is
York City. In several of Willy's memories, his brother Ben not enough light to plant a garden. Yet near the end of the play,
appears and asks him to accompany him to Alaska, a wide- Willy, in a delusional state, is out in the backyard planting
open land of opportunity. In the end, Ben ends up in Africa, seeds, a last effort to create something fruitful with his life.
another wild and mysterious location, and becomes rich in the
diamond mines there by the age of 21. At the beginning of the
play, Biff returns from enjoyable work on a farm in the West to
try to make a more substantial and traditional living in New Flute
York, all the while longing to return to the West to start a
ranch. All three distant locations symbolize the possibility of
escape and independence.
The play begins and ends with the melody of a flute, and music
reappears many times throughout the story. Willy's father, who
deserted Willy as a child, was a flute maker and salesman. The
Stockings instrument, which is "small and fine, telling of grass and trees
and the horizon" symbolizes the past for Willy—a connection to
nature as well as his sense of abandonment and longing for a
deep connection with family. The flute also serves as a signal
Silk stockings become a symbol of Willy Loman's betrayal and to the audience that Willy's memories are near and that the
deception. Both Willy's wife and his lover discuss stockings. To past is about to overtake the present.
be economical, Linda Loman spends time repairing her
damaged stockings, a fact that annoys her husband because it
emphasizes his failure to provide his family with luxuries. Willy
Loman gives new stockings to the woman with whom he is m Themes
having an affair in Boston. When Biff Loman discovers his
father's affair, he shouts, "You—you gave her Mama's
stockings!"—a further sign of Willy's betrayal of his family.
American Dream and
Miller's choice of stockings is significant in that during World
War II, the materials used to make stockings—silk, nylon, and Disillusionment
rayon—were rationed for the war effort. This essential
component of a woman's wardrobe was hard to get. This
historical context emphasizes Willy's efforts to give The
A key component to the American Dream is the idea that
Woman, but not his wife, something rare and valuable and hard
financial prosperity is available to anyone who works for it.
to come by. In this way, Willy's gift and The Woman's praise of
Willy learns the lie behind this proposition even as he watches
Willy are more helpful to Willy in maintaining his delusions of
other characters succeed financially: his brother Ben, his
success than the vision of his wife mending her torn stockings.
neighbor Charley, and Charley's son Bernard.
Throughout the play, Willy Loman's desire to be well liked and

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Themes 21
well respected drive him as much as his desire for financial

success. He believes that the American Dream is a two-part Betrayal
idea: financial success and the recognition of that success by
society. Willy mistakenly measures his value through the social
respect or recognition of others, and he bestows this belief on As young men, Willy and his brother, Ben, were abandoned by
his sons. their father when he left the family, presumably for Alaska. This
first betrayal in Willy's life is a betrayal of family values as it is a
father's responsibility to stay with his family and help raise his
sons. Subsequently, Ben, a surrogate father figure, betrayed
Illusion versus Reality Willy when Ben left Willy behind to travel to Africa, where Ben
made his fortune and then died. Willy also feels betrayed by
Ben in that Willy believes that Ben held some secret to success
For Willy Loman, issues of illusion and reality are complicated, and wealth that he did not share with Willy. In both cases,
and the structure of the play makes these issues complicated Willy's father and his brother choose lives of adventure and
for the audience as well, as Miller weaves flashbacks into the wealth in place of building family connections.
present reality of the play. Much of Willy's life of illusion is
These early betrayals lead to Willy's betrayal of his own family
fueled by his need to manipulate the truth to his own
in various forms. As a traveling salesman, Willy frequently
advantage. For example, he spins the facts about his sales
abandons his sons for road trips, leaving them fatherless for
earnings, withholding information about his impoverished
long periods of time. He betrays Linda in his affair with The
financial state from his family for the purpose of appearing
Woman. In the end, Willy acts out the ultimate betrayal of his
successful.
family when he abandons them through suicide.
One of the most significant illusions, which haunts Willy and
ultimately his whole family, is Willy's fidelity to Linda. Instead of
acknowledging the truth and accepting responsibility for his
betrayal, Willy makes up a story to tell his son, which does not Nature versus Man-Made
fool Biff. Willy's conflict with Biff comes to a climax when Biff
finally names Willy for what he is—a phony. Environment
In fact, the entire Loman family lives under a cloud of illusion
and self-deception. They keep information from each other
Although Willy Loman feels driven to be a success as a
and never speak openly about the family's dysfunction,
salesman, he has another conflicting longing that appears
continuing to behave as if they are a happy family on the cusp
throughout the play. He loves nature and the country life. In
of success. While Linda Loman knows the truth about her
fact, traveling allows Willy to feel a sense of freedom and
husband, his deteriorating mental state and suicide attempts,
participation in the natural world, although he is just driving
she continues to live a life devoted to Willy. Her self-deception
through it. When Willy is feeling at his worst, he wishes for
requires that she turn a blind eye to the full effects of Willy's
fresh air, a garden, and the outdoor life. Yet his sense that real
choices.
success comes from working in a man-made environment
In contrast, Charley and his son Bernard, who are both keeps him chained to his life in New York City and a job in
financially successful and appear to be happy people, do not which he cannot achieve personal or financial success.
seem to suffer from the same kind of self-deception as the

Biff also loves nature and faces the same inner conflict as his
Lomans.
father. He loves working on a farm in the West, but he has
been so indoctrinated by his father's ideas about the American
Dream and business success that he cannot embrace what he
clearly enjoys. Unable to settle into a satisfying career, Biff
moves back and forth between the freedom of the country and

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Stage Directions 22
the confinement of the city, for a time subscribing to a dream

of owning a sporting goods store with Happy. Physical Setting
Arthur Miller's description of the physical setting serves a
larger purpose than mere instructions for the builders of a
b Stage Directions stage set. From the first page of the play, Miller uses his
descriptions to paint a picture of the literal and figurative
"fragile-seeming home" where the "air of the dream clings to
Miller provides stage directions to help a production team
the place, a dream rising out of reality." Miller presents the
enact the play. In addition, the stage directions convey
brokenness of the family, their futile dreams, and the reality
important information regarding the creation of theme and
that rises around and crowds the family.
meaning within the play. Stage directions regarding music,
physical setting, lighting, and characters work together to To further convey the dreamlike quality of the play—and to
create the dreamlike quality of the play, particularly the reveal how Willy is losing his grip on reality—Miller states in the
bleeding between the memory portions and the present reality stage directions that the setting is "wholly or, in some places,
portions. Repeatedly, the playwright uses music and sound to partially transparent." Neither Willy nor the audience ever
provide signals for the audience, indicating emotional shifts in knows for sure what is concrete and what is illusion.
mood and tone and movement through time.
Lighting/Effects
Music/Sounds
Lighting effects and various colors provide the audience with
The play begins and ends with music, and the playwright signals regarding theme and mood. The Lomans' "fragile-
indicates different qualities of music to represent different seeming home" is cast in the "blue light of the sky," while the
characters and moods. For example, the play begins with large apartment buildings that crowd and smother the Lomans'
music played on a flute. The directions explain that the music is home are shown in "an angry glow of orange." The playwright
"small and fine, telling of grass and trees and the horizon." uses these contrasting colors to suggest that the Lomans are
Within these directions, the playwright sets the mood. Although somehow separate and distant from the rest of their
the setting is a crowded city, the first impression the audience environment. Thus, he creates an early sympathy for his
gets is suggestive of the natural environment, a theme that characters. How can a family surviving in such a small and
returns again and again throughout the play. The flute signals a fragile home compete against the larger forces of the modern
sense of longing for something unreachable. urban landscape around them?
At the beginning of Act 2, the music has a different quality, Miller also uses lighting effects such as leaves to cast
"gay and bright," suggesting an optimistic mood: with a new impressions over the stage. The leaves come and go and
day, things might work out. The music provides a sense of support both the dreamlike quality and theme of nature versus
hope regarding a resolution to the family's ongoing sadness man-made environment. In one section, the stage directions
and conflict. state that "the light of green leaves stains the house, which
holds the air of night and a dream," drawing a clear connection
Whenever Uncle Ben appears on stage, he has a specific
between light and image and mood and theme.
accompanying melody, and the laughter of Willy's lover
precedes her presence throughout the play, giving the
audience constant sound clues regarding movement in time.
Even Willy's death is presented to the audience through sound,
Characterization
making Willy's death a sensory experience. The "music crashes
Playwrights typically use dialogue and actions to develop the
down in a frenzy of sound," which then becomes the sound of
characterization within a play. Miller's stage directions are
only "a single cello string."
unique because they include details about the inner qualities of
characters rather than focusing only on the physical details of

Death of a Salesman Study Guide Suggested Reading 23
their appearances. For example, when Miller describes Linda

Loman at the beginning of Act 1, he reveals the nature of her
love for her husband: "she more than loves him, she admires
him."
Miller also employs the stage directions to give insight into the
characters of Happy and Biff. Biff "bears a worn air and seems
less self-assured" with dreams that "are stronger and less
acceptable" than his brother's. The stage directions indicate
that Happy is lost but seems more content because "he has
never allowed himself to turn his face toward defeat." These
directions help the actors playing Biff and Happy to
understand Biff's inner conflict and Happy's self-delusion,
understandings that will inform their portrayals of these
characters throughout the play.
e Suggested Reading
Abbotson, Susan C.W. Student Companion to Arthur Miller.
Westport: Greenwood Press, 2000. Print.
Cardullo, Bert. "Death of a Salesman and Death of a Salesman:

The Swollen Legacy of Arthur Miller." The Columbia Journal of
American Studies. Web. 13 May 2016.
Dialogue, 3: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Ed. Eric J.

Sterling. New York: Rodopi, 2008. Print.
Miller, Arthur, and Gerald Weales. Death of a Salesman. New

York: Penguin (Viking Critical Library), 1996. Print.
Simon, Scott. "'Salesman' Willy Loman: A Towering Little Man."

NPR Books. NPR, 2 Feb. 2008. Web. 13 May 2016.
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with respect to reproduction or distribution. This document was downloaded from Coursehero.com on 07-19-2021
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Death of a

his green velvet slippers" on his way to make another sale—a

j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1

For Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman illustrates the personal

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seldom presents the truth about himself and is driven only by

Willy Loman salesman, always aiming to "come out number-one man."

Willy Loman is a 60-plus-year-old traveling salesman who lives

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Uncle Ben Linda Loman

Other Major Character

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Full Character List Miss

Character Description Stanley is a waiter at Frank's Chop

Biff, whose name means "punch," is the

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When Willy enters, the family discusses Biff's prospects. Torn

Unfortunately, both Willy's and Biff's meetings go poorly. Bill

When Happy, Biff, and Willy finally gather at Frank's Chop

Once Willy is back at home, his distress and disconnection

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Rising Action Falling Action

4. Linda reveals Willy's true state of mind to her sons.

5. Biff visits Bill Oliver to ask for investment money.

8. Willy remembers Biff's discovery of Willy's affair.

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Late 1940s; late at night

Willy returns home and talks to Linda about the

About 15 years earlier

Flashback: Willy and his sons talk as Bernard appears

Past and the next day

Flashback: The Woman is introduced while, in the

Same day and the past

Willy and Charley play cards; Ben shows up in short

Linda reveals to her sons that Willy is borrowing money

The family discusses Biff's prospects, including an idea

Willy meets with his boss, Howard, to propose a new

Happy, Biff, and Willy meet for an unsuccessful and

After a final confrontation between Willy and Biff, Willy

Several days later

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Willy Loman's family and Charley bury Willy and reflect

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which he has been striving his whole life.

Analysis their own ways.

Happy confesses to his brother that his father is showing

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eclipses and haunts Willy's.

his life with confidence, and he suffers from his father's

Act 1, Section 6 Act 1, Section 7

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Summary It is in Howard's office that Willy reveals his original motivation

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might win out. Yet Willy's self-deception is so deep that he

The next setting is the present-day office of Charley, where

Willy arrives, and before Biff can confess as he wants, Willy

Tension rises as it becomes clear that Biff discovered Analysis