Death of a Salesman

Submitted by:
Shermae Gwen De Guzman
Xyril Yesha Del Rosario

Submitted to:
Maam Princess Pardua
 CHARACTERS

Willy Loman - An insecure, self-deluded traveling salesman. Willy believes

wholeheartedly in the American Dream of easy success and wealth, but he never
achieves it. Nor do his sons fulfill his hope that they will succeed where he has failed.
Biff Loman - Willy’s thirty-four-year-old elder son. Biff led a charmed life in high
school as a football star with scholarship prospects, good male friends, and fawning
female admirer.
Linda Loman - Willy’s loyal, loving wife. Linda suffers through Willy’s grandiose
dreams and self-delusions. Occasionally, she seems to be taken in by Willy’s self-
deluded hopes for future glory and success, but at other times, she seems far more
realistic and less fragile than her husband.
Happy Loman - Willy’s thirty-two-year-old younger son. Happy has lived in Biff’s
shadow all of his life, but he compensates by nurturing his relentless sex drive and
professional ambition.
Charley - Willy’s next-door neighbor. Charley owns a successful business and his
son, Bernard, is a wealthy, important lawyer. Willy is jealous of Charley’s success. C

Bernard - Bernard is Charley’s son and an important, successful lawyer. Although

Willy used to mock Bernard for studying hard, Bernard always loved Willy’s sons
dearly and regarded Biff as a hero. Bernard’s success is difficult for Willy to accept
because his own sons’ lives do not measure up.
Ben - Willy’s wealthy older brother. Ben has recently died and appears only in Willy’s
“daydreams.” Willy regards Ben as a symbol of the success that he so desperately
craves for himself and his sons.
The Woman - Willy’s mistress when Happy and Biff were in high school. The
Woman’s attention and admiration boost Willy’s fragile ego. When Biff catches Willy
in his hotel room with The Woman, he loses faith in his father, and his dream of
passing math and going to college dies.
Howard Wagner - Willy’s boss. Howard inherited the company from his father,
whom Willy regarded as “a masterful man” and “a prince.” Though much younger
than Willy, Howard treats Willy with condescension and eventually fires him, despite
Willy’s wounded assertions that he named Howard at his birth.
Stanley - A waiter at Frank’s Chop House. Stanley and Happy seem to be friends, or
at least acquaintances, and they banter about and ogle Miss Forsythe together
before Biff and Willy arrive at the restaurant.
Miss Forsythe And Letta - Two young women whom Happy and Biff meet at
Frank’s Chop House. It seems likely that Miss Forsythe and Letta are prostitutes,
judging from Happy’s repeated comments about their moral character and the fact
that they are “on call.”
Jenny - Charley’s secretary.
 Summary of Act 2

Act 2 begins with Linda and Willy filled with high hopes of a bright future for their
family. Willy is about to inform his boss that he will not travel anymore and also
request for a pay advance to help offset his bills. Meanwhile, Biff visits Bill Oliver
(this is his previous boss). He intends to seek a loan to begin a business with his
brother Happy.

Linda emphasizes to Willy about the need for the money to repay the insurance
premium as well as the final house payment. Eventually, after making payments for
25 years, they shall become the legitimate owners of the house. Willy feels excited to
own the home but is unsatisfied since the home that once stone alone is now
engulfed with flats.

Willy attempts convincing his boss, Howard about the career changes he wants to
make. He informs Howard he needs $65 each week to settle his bills. However,
Howard has no use for him at the main store. He informs him that the only way they
can work together is that he can be kept on his travel duties.  Willy then asks for $50
each week, but Howard remains adamant. Increasingly desperate, Willy lowers his
bargain to $40 a week.  He reminds him of his connections to his father who was the
former boss at the company while banging Howard’s desk and shouting. At first,
Howard tries to calm Willy down to collect himself. Eventually, Willy gets fired.

Meanwhile, Biff has patiently waited 6 hours to see Bill Oliver, but his efforts did not
yield any success. He then watches Bill as he closes for the day. The only memory
Bill has of biff is that of a shipping clerk who used to steal basketballs from him. Biff’s
life has always been a lie. He has always spent his time stealing and had even
earned some three months’ jail time for stealing a suit.

Later on, Biff finds out about his father’s affair when he went to visit him in Boston.
He had gone to speak to him about his failures but was surprised to find his father
with a woman in a hotel room. From that moment, Biff begins to view his father as a
liar, and this marks a turning point in his life. He then decides to stop pleasing his
father whom he considers a fraud. He is disappointed in all the lessons taught about

loyalty, hard work, honesty, etc. are nothing but lies. His father was unfaithful to his
mother.

At a certain point, Biff tries to tell his father the truth, but his father is not in a
condition to face the truth. He goes back into his hallucination episode at Howard’s
office whereby he thinks he is talking Ben, his brother; and also in the restaurant
talking to the woman.  His sons meet some girls at the restaurant and leave with
them.

At home, Linda is angry at the boys for leaving their father behind. She then sends
them away from home since they cannot get along with their father, especially Bill.
Finally, Biff tells his father, Willy that they are not big shots as he thinks. They are
just ordinary people trying to make ends meet. Both of them open their hearts to one
another, and Willy drives away to commit suicide.

OPINION: This play demonstrates how false expectations for oneself, his/her
children, can cause greater harm than good. Willy thought he could have earned
more respect since he was a great salesman. He also felt that his son Biff should
have excelled in life since he was very popular in high school and great at sports.
Eventually, Willy could not withstand his reality and took his own life.