Name: Caitlin Jones Date: 10/30/2014 Period: 4

Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller

Part 1
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Page #

Quote

Response

Classification

WILLY: Why do you get American when I like

Swiss?
LINDA: I just thought youd like a change...
WILLY: I dont want a change! I want Swiss
cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?

Willy reminds me of one of my

relatives. Hes temperamental,
picky, pessimistic, yet caring just
like said relative.

Text to self

13-14

BIFF: ...Are you content, Hap? Youre a

success, arent you? Are you content?
HAPPY: Hell, no!
BIFF: Why? Youre making money, arent
you?

Basically, this part of the play could

be saying money isnt happiness.
Though the play just started, money
already seems to be a major theme.
Willy rants about Biffs inability to
make money, Willy talks about his
own job, Biff and Happy both talk
about how they can make money.

Determine importance

21

WILLY: Thats just what I mean. Bernard

can get the best marks in school, but when
he gets out in the business world, you are
going to be five times ahead of him. Thats
why I thank Almighty God youre both
built like Adonises. Because the man who
makes an appearance in the business world,
the man who creates personal interest, is the
man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will
never want. You take me, for instance. I
never have to wait in line to see a buyer.
Willy Loman is here! Thats all they have
to know,

Society and media today make it

seem as though appearance is
everything, but really, the best
way to get work is to be a good,
hardworking person.

Text to world

24

WILLY (smiling): Well, I figure, what the hell,

life is short, a couple
of jokes. (To himself.) I joke too much (The
smile goes.)
LINDA: Why? Youre...
WILLY: Im fat. Im very foolish to look at,
Linda. I didnt tell you, but Christmas time I
happened to be calling on F. H. Stewarts, and a
salesman I know, as I was going in to see the
buyer I heard him say something about
walrus. And I I cracked him right across the
face. I wont take that. I simply will not take
that. But they do laugh at me. I know that.
LINDA: Darling...
WILLY: I gotta overcome it. I know I gotta
overcome it. Im not
dressing to advantage, maybe.
LINDA: Willy, darling, youre the handsomest
man in the world...
WILLY: Oh, no, Linda.

Even though this part isnt

important to the plot at all, I
sympathize with Willy. Being
extremely fat, I have to deal with
rude remarks all the time. Its
tiresome, and even though I hear
less cruel things now, I cant
stand to look in the mirror for
more than three seconds without
thinking about how fat I am or
what a joke my appearance is.

Text to self

31

WILLY: ...If Id gone with him to Alaska

that time, everything

So far, it seems like opportunity,

success, hard work, and making

Text to itself

wouldve been totally different.

money are all major themes in

the play.

33

WILLY: Thats just the way Im bringing

them up, Ben- rugged, well liked,allaround.

Again, success appears to be a

big theme here.Willy is trying his
best to bring up his kids (though
theyre way too old to be
considered kids) to be successful
like his brother.

Text to itself

41

BIFF (after a pause): Why is he dying?

LINDA: Hes been trying to kill himself.

Why is Willy trying to kill

himself? He lives a decent life
and a loving wife, why would he
want to die? Is it because hes
tired of being unsuccessful?

Question the author

41

^
BIFF (after a pause): Why is he dying?
LINDA: Hes been trying to kill himself.

The first time I attempted

suicide, it was because I was so
tired of living, being pushed
around, and I figured that I have
absolutely no purpose and I
doubt that Ill ever find one (the
only reason Im still here is I
dont want to hurt my
family+friends). As I commented
before, why is Willy trying to kill
himself? I just dont understand
why Willy would want to die.

Text to self

43

BIFF: I dont care what they think! Theyve

laughed at Dad for years, and you know
why? Because we dont belong in this
nuthouse of a city! We should be mixing
cement on some open plain or or
carpenters. A carpenter is allowed to
whistle!

Biffs statement is shows why his

family has had difficulty
achieving success. Being fun,
loud people, Biffs family just
isnt cut out for the cold hard
business in the city. Willy, of
course, wanting to be successful
in gaining money, disapproves of
what Biff is saying.

Determine importance

10

45

WILLY: Lick the world! You guys together

could absolutely lick the civilized world.

Idiom/slang- lick can mean to

defeat or overcome, and the use
of slang could either show
sarcasm (I cant tell since this is
text) or unprofessionalism.

Literary device

11

48

HAPPY: Im gonna get married, Mom. I

wanted to tell you.
LINDA: Go to sleep, dear.

Why is it that most of the

characters are excited and
emotional over Biffs new job,
yet no one seems to care about
Happy getting married? Is it
because the family cares more
about wealth than affection?

Question the author

12

50

WILLY: You wait, kid, before its all over

were gonna get a little place out in the

I find it strange that Willy was

angry at Biff (I think it was

Determine importance

country, and Ill raise some vegetables, a

couple of chickens...

Biff...) for wanting to work on a

farm, yet he talks about moving
to a new home and raising crops.
This is possibly showing that
Willy just wants his son to be
successful, unlike him.

13

52

WILLY: All the cement, the lumber, the

reconstruction I put in
this house! There aint a crack to be found
in it any more.
LINDA: Well, it served its purpose.
WILLY: What purpose?

Why would Willy want to move

out of the house if hes put so
much work into it? Maybe he
wants Biff or Happy to have it?

Question the author

14

59

WILLY: Ill go to Boston.

HOWARD: Willy, you cant go to Boston
for us.
WILLY: Why cant I go?
HOWARD: I dont want you to represent
us. Ive been meaning to tell you for a long
time now.
WILLY: Howard, are you firing me?
HOWARD: I think you need a good long
rest, Willy.

Poor Willy. Apparently, his

advice to be a friendly person
didnt work out too well for
business.

Text to itself

15

61

WILLY: No, wait! Linda, hes got a

proposition for me in Alaska.

Maybe things are looking up for

Willy, he may have lost his job,
but there are other people willing
to hire him.

Text to itself

16

66

BERNARD: What kind of a deal has Biff

got?
WILLY: Well, Bill Oliver very big
sporting-goods man he
wants Biff very badly. Called him in from
the West. Long distance, carte blanche,
special deliveries.

Biff, despite going against his

fathers advice over the years,
looks like hes going to end up
very successful. He already has
multiple colleges wanting him,
opportunity, and work. Different
working methods work
differently for various people,
and Biff just had a more
functional method in the city
than Willy.

Discuss importance

17

68

BERNARD: But sometimes, Willy, its

better for a man just to walk away.
WILLY: Walk away?
BERNARD: Thats right.
WILLY: But if you cant walk away?

Can Willy just walk away from

his dreams? Can anyone? Maybe
Biff, with all of his job searches,
can answer this?

Question the author

18

71

WILLY: Apologize to Bernard for me when

you see him. I didnt mean to argue with
him. Hes a fine boy. Theyre all fine boys,
and theyll end up big all of them.
Someday theyll all play tennis together.
Wish me luck, Charley. He saw Bill Oliver

Why cant Willy apologize to

Bernard? Towards the beginning
it was mentioned that Willy has
been suicidal, is he actually
going to go through with suicide?

Question the author

today.
19

74

BIFF: Isnt Dad coming?

Where is Willy? Did he forget to

come to dinner, or is he doing
something else? I have a horrible
assumption, but since I still have
a lot more to read, it may not be
what I think it is (suicide).

Question the author

20

75

BIFF (with great tension and wonder):...

Hap, I took his fountain pen.

Why, out of all things, did Biff

steal Olivers fountain pen? Why
is he treating a crime over such
an insignificant object like a big
deal? Is it supposed to symbolize
how little things can actually be
significant, or am I reading into
things too much?

Question the author

Part 2
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Page #

Quote

Response

Classification

21

81

WILLY: [to Biff] No, youre no good,

youre no good for anything.
BIFF: I am, Dad, Ill find something else,
you understand? Now dont worry about
anything. (He holds up Willys face.) Talk
to me, Dad.

Willy is absolutely obsessed with

work, or at least having Biff get
work. Work, work, work, that
seems to be all Willy cares about.
He doesnt care about helping his
son feel better when hes
stressed, but hes angry at him
for small mistakes.
Maybe theres a connection
between Willys obsession with
work and his temper? Maybe the
true theme of the play isnt to be
a hard worker and achieve
success, but it could be about the
negative effects of working too
hard and getting stress.

Text to itself

22

84

BIFF: Miss Forsythe, youve

just seen a prince walk by. A fine, troubled
prince. A hardworking,
unappreciated prince. A pal, you
understand? A good companion. Always
for his boys.

Either Biff really loves his father

despite his horrid temper, or
theres sarcasm that Im not
picking up on.
Family relations and
anger/temper seem to be
reoccuring in the play, not to
mention a majority of the
characters are pretty bipolar.

Text to itself

23

85

HAPPY: [Referring to Willy] No, thats

not my father. Hes just a guy.

Happy obviously doesnt have

the greatest relationship with his
dad, which I suppose is
understandable since hes just
kind of existing, mostly ignored.

Text to itself

24

85

THE WOMAN: ...You are the saddest,

Why is Willy cheating? Why is

Question to author

self-centeredest soul I ever did see-saw.

(She laughs. He [Willy] kisses her.)

Willy so aggressive towards the

woman, yet he kisses her?

25

85

^[Biff finds Willy with the woman+knows

hes cheating]

If Willy had never cheated, then

Biff would have never found out
about him cheating, thus hed
still be able to retake math and
have a life. So in away, Willy
ruined Biffs future.

Determine importance

26

96

WILLY: May you rot in hell if you leave

this house! [to Biff]

Willy doesnt seem to think

things through before he says
them. ...The same likely goes for
his actions.

Text to itself

27

98

WILLY: [to Biff] Then hang yourself! For

spite, hang yourself!

Again, Willy just cant seem to

think things out before he says
them. Does he really mean what
he says?

Text to itself+question
to author

28

98

WILLY (after a long pause, astonished,

elevated): Isnt that
isnt that remarkable? Biff he likes me!
LINDA: He loves you, Willy!

Willy does not hate Biff, despite

telling him to hang himself not
too long ago, and Biff loves his
father.

Text to itself

29

99

WILLY: Oh, Biff! (Staring wildly.) He

cried! Cried to me. (He is
choking with his love, and now cries out
his promise.) That boy
that boy is going to be magnificent!

This quote completely goes

against everything Willy has said
to Biff so far. He has called Biff
useless and has said multiple
other rude remarks to him, yet
now he says that Biff is going to
be magnificent. Maybe past his
temper, this is really how Willy
feels about his son?

Determine importance

30

102

[Willy crashes his own car, killing himself]

Again with bipolarity and Willy

not thinking out his actions.
After finally being happy, he
suddenly just decides to kill
himself. Although hes, why
would he be suicidal when hes
happy?

Text to itself

31

102

^[Willy crashes his own car, killing

himself]

Why did Willy kill himself?

Question to author

32

104

Linda:...I made the last payment on the

house today...and there'll be nobody
home...

This applies to the beginning of

the story, in a part that may seem
insignificant. It reveals how hard
Linda worked to hold her family
together, and how hard she
worked to help pay off the house.

Determine importance

33

After going back to the

beginning of the play, its shown

Text to itself/Literary
devices

Willy: Work a lifetime to pay off a house.

You finally own it, and there's nobody to

live in it.
Linda: Well, dear, life is a casting off. It's
always that way.
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

that theres a little bit of

foreshadowing.