Death of a Salesman

Summary Part II

Back in the kitchen, Willy chastises Linda for fixing her own stocking and says she shouldn't have
to perform such tedious tasks. He exits to the porch and commands Bernard to provide Biff the
Regents exam answers. Because the test is a state exam, Bernard declines. While Bernard claims
that Biff is driving without a license and would fail arithmetic, Linda complains to Willy that Biff
is too aggressive with the girls. Willy yells at Linda that there is nothing wrong with Biff and asks
her if she wants her son to be a worm like Bernard when he overhears the woman's voice in the
hotel room. Linda walks out into the living room while sobbing.

Returning to the present, Willy tells Happy about almost hitting a child in Yonkers and ponders
why he didn't travel to Alaska with his brother Ben, who ended up owning diamond mines and
emerged from the jungle wealthy at the age of twenty-one. Happy promises his father he would
make it possible for him to retire. When Charley comes in, they begin playing cards. They dispute
about the ceiling that Willy installed in his living room after Charley insults him by offering him
a job. Ben passed away in Africa a few weeks ago, Willy informs Charley. Willy has a dream that
Ben walks in with an umbrella and valise and asks about their mother. As a result of Willy's
hallucination, Charley decides to depart.

The drama goes back in time, and Willy introduces Ben to his boys, calling him a brilliant guy.
Ben, in turn, extols the virtues of his brilliant father, an inventor. Ben, who is impressed by Willy's
sons, warns them not to engage in fair combat with outsiders because doing so will prevent them
from escaping the jungle. While Charley claims that the jails are full of courageous characters,
Ben asserts that the stock exchange is also full of them. Charley chastises Willy for allowing his
sons to steal from the neighboring construction site, but Willy claims that his children are a couple
of "fearless characters."

Returning to the present, Happy and Biff question Linda about Willy's self-talk when the
performance resumes. Linda asserts that this has been going on for a long time and that, if she had
known Biff's address, she would have told him. When she questions Biff about his dislike of Willy,
he responds that he is attempting to alter his behavior. He advises Linda to colour her hair once
more because he doesn't want his mother to appear to be getting older. If Biff doesn't care about
Willy, Linda says, he can't care about her. Finally, she informs her sons that Willy tried to hang
himself by attaching a tube to the gas heater in the basement and driving his car off a bridge. Willy
may not be a great man, but she argues he is a human being, and as such, "attention must be paid"
to him. Biff gives in and agrees to stop arguing with his father. He informs his parents that he
would visit Bill Oliver to discuss starting a sporting goods company with Happy. Willy asserts that
Biff would have achieved success by now if he had remained with Oliver.

Willy feels rested for the first time in months the following morning as he works in the kitchen.
According to Linda, Biff has a fresh, upbeat outlook, and the two aspire to one day purchase a
small farmstead. Willy claims he will seek to be taken off the road in a conversation with Howard
Wagner today. Soon after Willy departs, Linda receives a call from Biff. She informs him that
Willy's pipe that was attached to the gas heater is missing.