ENGLISH 9

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TOPIC: “THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN”
by Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman is a play written and set during 1949. Arthur Miller used his play to represent
a social drama and tragedy embodying the unattainable and elusive American Dream. His
protagonist, Willy Loman, is a salesman whose disillusionment ends with his suicide.
Character List

A salesman from New York who worked for 34 years with a company, who was laid off and
Was going through some personal and financial difficulties. He is the major protagonist and
Willy Loman
tragic hero. His inability to obtain his ideal of the American Dream and to be successful leads
to his death.

Willy's patient and loving wife; a stay at home mother who raised their two sons. She becomes
Linda Loman worried about Willy as he gets older and seems to be losing his mind. She asks her now grown
boys to come visit and talk to their father.

Biff The eldest son of the Loman’s boys who had difficulty finding a stable job.

One of the Loman’s boys who was largely ignored when the two boys were growing up.
He was not very responsible. The seemingly forgotten, or at least ignored, son.
Happy
He follows in his father's footsteps. He is in his 30s and has not settled down yet.

A long time friend of Willy who became successful in work and in life.
Charley His son, Bernard, is seen in flashbacks stressing about passing math and being studious;
When Willy is down and out, Charley offers him a job, but prideful Willy refuses.

Willy's brother who was successful at a young age when he went to Alaska. He found riches
Ben
in the jungle of Africa.

The Woman someone who had an indecent affair with Willy at one time in one of his business trips.

Bernard Charley’s son, friend of the Loman boys ; became a successful lawyer.

“DEATH OF A SALESMAN”: THE SUMMARY

Set in New York City, in 1949, the audience
follows the Loman family through their
psychological battle with the American Dream.
Willy Loman, the protagonist, is a traveling
salesman, his wife, Linda, is a stay at home
mother, and his two sons, Happy and Biff, have
grown up "yet to make something of themselves."
Early in the play, the two sons are home
visiting, which causes Willy to reminisce about
their childhood. Through a series of flashbacks,
the audience learns that Biff, the elder of the two
boys, was praised by Willy for being athletic and
well-liked. Willy valued these attributes and
believed they would help his boys go far.
However, in reality, Happy is in the business world,
going nowhere, and Biff, unable to hold down a
steady job, works as a ranch hand out west.
going great, things are quite the opposite, and he
will soon be in jeopardy of not paying his bills. In
the flashback, Linda is seen mending her
stockings; this makes Willy upset and prompts him
to tell her to throw them away.
More flashbacks reveal that Willy has lived
a life of regret, filled with envy. He focuses on his
neighbor, Charlie, a wealthy business owner who
worked hard and on his brother, Ben, who
stumbled on a diamond mine in Africa and is now
wealthy. Now after years at the same company,
Willy has become tired and old, he asks his boss
to be put in the New York office. Instead, he is
fired. Later, his boys take him out to dinner. In the
end, his delusions get the best of him, and he kills
himself in a car crash to provide his family with the
$20,000 in insurance money.

In another daydream, Willy is talking with
Linda and then drifts to hearing his mistress’s
laughter. It becomes clear that, for some time,
Willy was having an affair with an unidentified
woman for whom he purchased silk stockings.
Although he tells Linda that his sales have been
At his funeral, Happy vows to prove that his
father's life was not in vain and continues in the
business. Biff realizes that his father's life and focus
were on the wrong dream, and he goes back to
the ranch, determined to find happiness in his
work. Linda ends the play saying, "we are free".
 Themes, Motifs, and Imagery of the story
The American Dream
The American Dream is the idea that no matter a and he had high ambitions for Biff out west. For Willy,
person's background, anyone can achieve their these exotic places were an escape from his
goals through hard work and determination. hackneyed life in New York.
In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman's dream is to be
a great salesman The Home

Infidelity Throughout the play, many aspects of the home are

Although usually meaning “adultery”, this can also
mean a breach of trust and general disloyalty. In the
play, Willy feels betrayed by Biff because his son does
not fulfill the ambitions that he has for him. However,
it is Biff who catches his father with another woman,
shifting the onus of betrayal.
Exotic Places
To Willy, places like Alaska, the Jungle, and the Wild
West represent the untapped potential and
ambitions of a better life. His father found success in
Alaska, and his brother Ben became rich in Africa,
mentioned. Owning your home and providing for
your family are key components of the American
Dream. For Willy it is a constant struggle; he can
barely afford to keep his appliances.
Stockings
In the play, Willy purchases a pair of new stockings
for his mistress, while his wife is forced to sew hers
because they cannot afford a new pair. This symbol
not only serves as a reminder of Willy's infidelity, but
also his failure to provide as a good husband and
father to his wife and sons.

Death of a Salesman Plot Diagram

Act 1: Prologue
Set in New York City, in 1949, Willy, the protagonist, is a traveling salesman,
his wife, Linda, is a stay at home mother, and his two sons, Happy and Biff,
have grown up "yet to make something of themselves."
Act 2: Conflict
During many flashbacks the audience is introduced to Willy's early life. His
dreams, disillusionment, infidelity, and disappointments with being mediocre.
With his sons visiting and urging him to speak to his boss about his job, Willy
gets up the nerve to ask for a transfer. Instead of being transferred to the New
York office, he is fired.
Act 3: Climax

In an attempt to help their father, Happy and Biff take Willy out to dinner. While LOOK FOR THE SYNONYMS OF THESE
at dinner, Willy becomes upset and leaves. VOCABULARY WORDS
FROM DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Act 4: Falling Action
1. idealist - DREAMER
Willy's delusions get the best of him, and he kills himself in a car crash to
provide his family with the $20,000 of insurance money. 2. incipient - BEGINNING TO DEVELOP
3. liable - LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE
Act 5: Epilogue 4. anguish - PAIN
At Willy’s funeral, Happy vows to prove that his father's life was not in vain and 5. enthralled - MESMERIZE
continues in the sales business. Biff realizes that his father's life and focus 6. incarnate - HAVING A HUMAN BODY
were on the wrong dream, and he goes back to the ranch, determined to find 7. trepidation - FEAR
happiness in his work. Linda ends the play saying, "we are free" 8. mercurial - CHANGEABLE
9. dispel - CLEAR OUT
10. agitation - TO DISTURB
11. avidly - VERY EAGER
12. turbulent - ROUGH
13. laconic - BRIEF
14. subdued - QUIET
15. requiem - A MASS FOR THE DEAD