DOAS 1.3 Flashcards
Summary
Willy’s convo with Charley and the intro of Willy’s brother
Happy’s Care of Willy
. Scene opens w his practical care of Willy
. Contrasts Biff’s pursuits of happiness + identity
. Happy tries to calm him, stop him thinking of the past
. He says he’ll “retire” Willy who cruelly dismisses him, “You’ll retire me for life on seventy goddamn dollars a week?” Bully
. Willy’s cruelty to those who look up to him
Charley
. Willy’s foil: conviction vs Willy’s contradictions
. Personally fulfilled unlike Willy, moral high ground
. Charley tries to help him: plays cards to tire him out
. Offers him a stable job, Willy is too stubborn to accept
. Practical: “no sense” in Willy’s current job, tells Willy Biff “won’t starve” and “When a deposit bottle is broken, you don’t get your nickel back”: let B go
. W reacts badly, “A man who can’t handle tools is not a man”, tries to assert superiority, C is unbothered
Miller on Charley
. “The most decent man in the play is a capitalist whose aims are not different from Willy Loman’s. The great difference between them is that Charley is not a fanatic. Equally, however, he has learned how to live without that frenzy, that ecstasy of spirit which Willy chases to the end.”
Uncle Ben
. Only exists in mobile concurrency mode: the past
. Valise indicates he’s a traveler; umbrella shows he’s prepared; mustache + air of superiority distinguish him
. Contrasts Willy: certain of destiny
. “Ben’s music” separates him from others, mystery
. Ben died recently: ghostly presence to his character
. Possessive behaviour: “strolls, inspecting the place”
. Clipped, authoritative tone, “Surprised you’re not there”, straight to the point
Confusion
. Willy talks to Ben and Charley who aren’t aware of each other’s presence on stage
. Scene culminates in argument: “You ought to be ashamed of yourself!” Charley
. “Ignoramus!” Willy then returns to Ben
Willy and Ben
. Distance: Ben is formal, calls him “William”, large age gap - he left when Willy was a baby
. Ben’s precise memory contrasts Willy’s forgetfulness
. Willy desperate for his guidance + support
. Self-reliant, “never kept books”, aware of his flaws unlike Willy: “I had a very faulty view of geography”
. These flaws resulted in a lucky break, finding the diamond mines of South Africa, “by God I was rich.”
Flute music
. Heard when Ben mentions their father
. Audience connects it with the past
. Represents creative side to family as well as entrepreneurial spirit: demonstrated by Willy’ father selling flutes he made all over the West
The West
. Freedom: epitomises American Dream as a land of ultimate opportunity with room to explore and make money
. Biff inherits father’s + grandfather’s desire to wander, but not the desire to make money from their travels
Values shared by Willy and Ben
. Physicality: Ben tells Biff to “pound his stomach”
. Linda is distressed by emphasis on violence: “Why must he fight, dear?”
Ben’s response to Willy’s job
. Willy has a sense of inferiority in the presence of Ben who is dismissive
. Willy’s incomplete sentences show he feels slighted, he fears that Ben doesn’t consider his job worthy
. Tries to get his sons to rebuild the front step in front of Ben
Values Willy impresses on his sons in front of Ben
. The boys steal from a local building site for Willy, Charley warns they’ll be caught and punished
. Willy ridicules: “Between him and his son Bernard they can’t hammer a nail!”
. Ben’s parting advice to Biff is “Never fight with a stranger, boy”, he shares the trait of putting themselves first, disregarding morality
Willy’s inadequacy to Ben
. Begs him to stay: “I still feel - kind of temporary about myself” - critiques Biff for this in his wanderings
. “I’m afraid that I’m not teaching them the right kind of - Ben how should I treat them?”
. Ben isn’t helpful, emphasises his material values
. Willy is too morally blind to see this “I was right!”
. He thinks that to walk into a jungle is, metaphorically, exactly what he’s taught the boys
