Archive: Death of a Salesman

Arthur Asher Miller was born on October 17, 1915 and passed away on Febuary 10, 2005. Pehaps the most known play he wrote was Death of a Salesman, which features the Loman family as the main characters. It is set in the late 1940's and the plot is about family disputes and work in that time.



Plot Summary
The play starts off with a flute playing in the background, giving a descriptive explanation of the salesman house. It then goes on to explain the inside and it begins with Willy Loman returning home after a failed sales trip. His wife Linda talks to him, trying to get him to eat, and suggest talking to his boss about working locally. Willy says he will, and then talks about Biff, and how he hasn’t become of anything. Linda tells him not to be so critical. Linda heads upstairs, and Willy enters the kitchen. He then has a flashback when Biff and Happy where in high school and they used to be close. Biff and Happy over hear him and talk about him, and about having a ranch and working together. Back to the daydream, a young Linda is talking to him, he hears laughter of The Women and goes towards her and they talk. More talking occurs, and the daydream in. Linda finds Willy outside, and Biff and Happy come down and talk. Biff talks about Willy’s metal condition and how he is a fake. Linda says Willy has been trying to kill himself.Willy enters and they start yelling. Happy joins in and stops the yelling by saying Biff and him are going to go into a sporting goods business. Willy then gives tips on what they should do, and how to act when going to borrow money for that was Biffs’ plan. End of act 1. Act 2 opens with Willy and Linda eating breakfast. Willy finds out Biff and Happy invited him to dinner that evening and he is going to talk to his boss about working locally. He goes, and after a long conversation gets fired. He then has a flashback of Biffs’ big football game. In the real world, Willy is yelling, and Bernard goes to calm him down. They talk, and Willy gets jealous of Bernard success. Charley comes and sees his son, Bernard off, and talks to Willy. They talk, and at the end Willy is jealous of Charley’s success but also that he is Willy’s only friend. The scene shifts to the restraint where Happy is waiting of Biff and Willy. He sees a “call girl” and convinces her to hang out with him. Biff enters, and he tells Happy that Bill Oliver, the person he was going to borrow money from, didn’t remember him. Willy comes in, and Biff tries to tell him slowly what happened. Willy yells out he got fired. Biff, once again tries to tell him, and Happy makes remarks indicating his success. Willy gets excited and starts talking. Biff yells at him and tells the truth, complaining how he can’t listen. A flashback occurs in and out while Biff is speaking. He helps Willy to the washroom. He returns and sees Happy with the girls. He gets mad, and storms out. Happy and the ladies follow him. The flashback comes back with Willy and The Women in the apartment together. Biff enters and talks about how he flunk math, trying to get Willy to talk to his teacher. Upon discovering the women, Biff loves faith in his father and thus begins why they fight. The flashback ends, and Willy leaves the place. Happy and Biff returns and Linda scolds them for what they did, telling them to leave. Biff finds Willy outside, planting seeds. Biff says goodbye, and tries to get him back in the house. Willy gets angry at Biff for his failure and they explode. At the end of the argument and fight, Biff is sobbing, which touches Willy. Everyone goes to bed, except for Willy. He is talking to Ben, his deceased brother, about how his 20,000 dollar life insurance policy could help Biff out. Linda calls for Willy and gets no response. You hear his car drive away. End of act 2. Requiem, Willy is dead and everyone who attended is sad. They talk for a little bit, and it ends with everyone walking away, and the sound of the flute is heard.

Characters

 * Willy Loman -- a traveling salesman. He wants to make it big,but never does. Wishes that his sons become something. Has daydreams in his older age, and his mental heath declines. Like Biff better than Happy when they were younger.
 * Biff Loman -- Willy's thirty-four year old son. He lived big in high school, and was the star of the football team.He had big plans for the future, but that changed when he fell math, and when he saw Willy cheating on his mother.
 * Linda Loman -- Willy's loving and supportive wife. She helps him through his day dreams and his dreams of making it big. However, she if far more realistic than he is. Mother of Happy and Biff.
 * Happy Loman -- Willy's thirty-two year old son. He has lived in the shadow of his brother, Biff, but he covers it up by contending to his sex life and professional ambition. He got passed down Willy's sense of "selfimportance, ambition, and blind servitude to societal expectations."
 * Charley -- Willy's next-door neighbor. Charley owns a successful business and Willy is jealous of him.
 * Bernard -- Charley's son. He is a successful lawyer. He was Biff's best friend as a kid, and regarded him as a hero. Willy used to make fun of him studing hard and is mad that Bernard become more successful than his children.