Synopsis Death of a Salesman

 Death of a Salesman

Author: Arthur Miller

Setting:  Some suburban city, somewhere near NYC probably in the 1970s or 80s.

Plot: After a failed sales trip Willy has returned home where his wife, Linda has been waiting for him. She persuades him to talk to his boss about working in New York so he won’t have to travel. Willy is critical of his son Biff and Linda scolds him. Linda convinces Biff to go to a job interview. Willy reflects upon his life with Biff.  We found out that Biff had been a big football star. He sees his brothers  ghost and we find out that he went west and became successful. The next day Biff goes to his job interview but he ends up stealing from the company. Here we find out that Biff is a kleptomaniac. He tells his father that he steals because he feels he has no other choice and because his father puffed him up to that.   His father gets fired and goes to his friend’s son Bernard. We discover that Bernard has been giving Willy monthly stipends. This is a time when we discover that Willy may not have been as successful as he thinks. Willy and Biff take their father to a bar. Here he find out that Hap has been stealing fiancée. At this point the boys leave and Willy is left to reflect on his life. We find out that Willy has had an affair. The guilt of this and not being able to provide for his family drive Willy to his eventual suicide.

Significant characters

Willy- The central character, is a failed salesperson. Also cannot get over the notion that real work is sealing things and that working with your hands means you are not successful.

Biff- Knows who wants to be but struggles to overcome his father’s ideas.

Hap- The second ignored son, steals fiancées because he has no other means of attention getting,

Linda- is Willy’s wife but is treated more like his mother.  She loves and cares for Willy and her sons but she loves them like her sons.

Bernard- While secondary he supports the family, without them knowing it.

Ben- Willy’s older brother.  Ben is why Willy struggles with his fate so much.

Point of View- This is in third person. The narrator is omniscient. I believe you are supposed to be viewing this play as a neighbor or someone that is an outsider to Willy’s life.  The narrator is mostly reliable.

Tone-The Narrator is angry and perhaps a little pensive.

Imagery- Some important images are, Obviously the Death of Willy, Also the image of the perfect family and the perfect man. 

Symbolism- There are many symbols in this book. One very important one is the family house. As the house falls apart so does Willy and so does the Loman’s marriage. Also as the truck gets forgotten so are Biff and Hap.

Memorable quotes

“I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and the time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am.”  This is an example of Biff wondering if he should conform to his Dad’s ideas. This is one place where Biff’s ideas win out. After this he is happier than when he was following his Dad’s idea.

“ A diamond is hard and rough to the touch” This is an instant when Willy struggles with his fate. His brother was clearly successful and he wonders why he can’t be.

Theme

This book is about how capitalism is bad and Miller proves this by arguing that children should not blindly accept their parents believe, and that you have to set your own fate.

How we know: Willy blindly follows and commits suicide, Hap struggles for attention and Biff ends up happier than both his father and his brother.