Cards scene

In the scene involving pages 31- 34, Charley and Willy are playing cards, during which Willy has a flashback of his first meeting with his brother, Ben. Many characters are introduced during the course of the scene: Ben, Charley, Bernard as well as Biff, Happy and Linda. It is the second flashback that Willy has during the book and the new character of Ben, Willys brother is introduced into the story. In order to understand how Miller makes the scene so dramatic and revealing I will be looking at the pace of the scene, the use of foreshadowing, Willys desperation, and the relationships between the characters. The appearance of Ben in the scene triggers many interjections. When Biff and Ben are mock fighting, short exclamations are heard, Oh, no Sir! and Okay. These quick outbursts are surprising to the audience, as they come from various characters at various times. As these cries build up, spontaneous events begin to happen. Suddenly [Ben} comes in, trips Biff. the point of his umbrella poised over his eye. As the scene so quickly switches from fun to a tense atmosphere, this makes the scene dramatic. The event is out-of-the-blue that it highlights in the instability between the characters behaviours, and the pace at which the scene is moving is very swift. When Ben says he has to go, Willy bursts out saying, Were gonna rebuild this entire front stoop right now. The fact that he has to show off to Ben, and go out on a complete whim to impress him, emphasises how hectic the scene is and to the extent that Willy will go to just to have Bens approval. The fast moving nature of the scene makes it so dramatic as the audience cannot anticipate what may happen next. The unpredictability and unsettling pace of the scene are also revealing as they show the mentality of the characters especially Willy. There are many important prophecies during the course of the scene. Charley sees what Willy cannot. In the previous scene, Charley tells Willy that, if a deposit bottle is broken, you dont get your nickel back. He warns Willy that Biff, is troubled and tired of being reminded of being successful, and that Willy needs to accept Biff as he is.

Quotes
Dont get insulted: Willy is in a defensive position. Miller builds up tension as Willy reacts violently and the audience doesnt know how he will react

 In this scene we can see PAST-PRESENT. Miller breaks the barriers between past &present. This draws the audiences interest. Uses: harsh and powerful language Willy is delirious, doesnt really know where he is
Everything exists at the same time (Bens remarks)