DOAS Flashcards
symbolism throughout the tragedy:
tape recorder- Willy’s inability to rectify his past mistakes; diamonds- wealth/ $20k insurance money; ‘the Woman’- Willy’s guilt regarding his infidelity; flute music- past reminiscences/memories; stockings- consumerism/Willy’s guilt; seeds- Willy’s longing to leave a legacy; Ben- the false, unattainable myth of the American Dream
moment of peripeteia + key quote:
When Willy gets fired by Howard- “you can’t just eat the orange and throw away the peel; a man is not a piece of fruit!”
This dehumanising metaphor reflects the cruelty of the business world in post-war America, and the way workers were reified and exploited, utilised then heartlessly discarded
form and structure of the play:
the non-chronological order and the way it seamlessly drifts between past and present (time merges in the final restaurant scene, the climax of the tragic action) illustrates the mangled thoughts in Willy’s mind (key element of tragedy= chaos, disorder+turmoil)
Key theme: childhood + immaturity
Willy is referred to as child-like and immature, demonstrated in the stage direction by Miller (nasally, childishly), and recurring comments from other characters, such as, “when are you ever going to grow up?” & he is repeatedly called, “kid”
He is also treated in a maternal manner by Linda, as she tenderly cares for him in the opening of the play- stage directions: “taking off his jacket”
Both of Willy’s sons share similar behaviour, Biff recognises this when he states. “I’m like a boy,”
One of the reasons for their state of eternal malcontent could perhaps be their inability to achieve the societal attributes of ‘masculinity’
Charley asks “when the hell are you going to grow up?”
Key theme: competition + nepotism
Willy repeatedly speaks about being “well-liked,”- despite this, his funeral has few attendees (“why didn’t anybody come?”), evoking pathos from the audience at the tragic ending of the play
Furthermore, Happy suggests: “maybe I just have an over-developed sense of competition or something”, and Willy exclaims, “the competition is maddening!” It was a common, multi-generational struggle of this post-war era
Willy thinks he is entitled to nepotism “that snotnose. I named him” & reminisces upon the past when “there was personality in it. There was respect, and comradeship, and gratitude in it.”
What is the significance of each character’s names?
Happy=ironic, Biff repeatedly asks, “are you content?”- he is not happy, despite having all of the societal attributes of happiness; Loman= ‘low man’, reflects his depression + “quietly dressed”- low status, subverts Aristotle’s requirements for a tragic hero to be noble/regal; Linda= precious, she is the crucial mediator of the household: “you’re my foundation and my support,”, she also acts as a source of wisdom for the family; Dave Singleman= ‘single man’- independent/self-sufficient, which is what Willy ultimately strives to be
Biff key quotes:
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to want,” “I’m like a boy,” “all I’ve done is to waste my life,” “it’s a measly manner of existence,” “he always, always wiped the floor with you. never had an ounce of respect for you.” “we don’t belong in this nuthouse of a city!” “I realised what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been. We’ve been talking in a dream for 15 years.” “will you let me out of it, will you just let me out of it!” “a fine, troubled prince” “ a hardworking, unappreciated prince” “you fake! you phony little fake! you fake!” “what is this supposed to do, make a hero out of you?” “pop, I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you!” “will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?”
“he had the wrong dreams. all, all wrong.”
How is Charley a foil character to Willy?
He does not enforce expectations upon Bernard, and rather than aiming to be “well-liked,” he prioritises his son’s education, leading Bernard to success and wealth, which Willy has been trying to achieve in vain for his entire life/career; furthermore, Bernard is modest and humble, unlike Willy
Linda key quotes:
“the mind is what counts, dear” (she is taking off his shoes) (taking his jacket from him) “when does he get a medal for that?” “why shouldn’t he talk to himself? why?” “he’s not the finest character that ever lived. but he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him.” “he won’t be alright.” “his life is in your hands!” “why must everybody conquer the world?”
What is one of the key differences between Willy and Linda?
Willy is unable to let things go, whereas Linda states, “life is a casting off”
Willy relentlessly, perpetually pursues the myth of ‘the American Dream’
How did Miller refer to Linda’s character in ‘Michigan Quarterly Review’?
“a silent, behind-the-scenes controller”
What did Miller say tragedy is in ‘Tragedy and the Common Man’?
“tragedy is the consequence of a man’s total compulsion to evaluate himself justly” + “the inevitable events spiral from the wound of indignity”
What did Miller say tragedy requires in ‘Tragedy and the Common Man’?
“tragedy requires a balance between what is possible and what is impossible”
What did Miller say about how tragedy links to the pursuit of humanity in ‘Tragedy and the Common Man’?
“the tragic hero is intent upon claiming his whole due as a personality” + this “demonstrates the indestructible will of man to achieve his humanity”
What did Anna Bunten say in ‘Miller’s reaction to consumerism’ about how capitalism relates to masculinity?
“Willy equates his patriarchal status with products”
What does David Lister state in ‘Willy Loman and the Lost Frontier’?
Willy is “ashamed to be considered a city dweller” and “the natural landscape endows him with a vitality and dignity that the city cannot”
What does Tony Cavender say about Willy’s affair and masculinity in ‘Love for sale’?
she provides him with a “sense of success and self-validation” (e.g. when he repeats wonderingly “you picked me”)
What does Carol Atherton say about Willy’s portrayal of himself in ‘the tragedy of the common person’?
he “paints himself as a conqueror” and struggles to “confront” the fact that “ultimately, he is just a ‘low man’”
What happens in Act 1 of DOAS?
Willy almost crashes the car & returns home to Linda, who cares for him; reminds him of Biff & Happy polishing the Chevvy- Biff’s stealing problem is revealed, Willy discusses his insecurities with Linda & she comforts him, embellishes the truth (about his sons & how much money he’s earning & his reputation- hamartia), makes fun of Bernard & woman’s laugh haunts him, tells Linda to stop mending stockings & apologises; meanwhile Biff & Happy talk in childhood bedroom setting about feeling lost/malcontent whilst Willy talks to himself, visible downstairs, lost in his mind; Charley enters & offers him a job which he rejects due to hubris, simultaneously he begins to have hallucinatory visions of Ben; Linda talks to Biff & Happy about settling down & supporting Willy, justifies his mental state & behaviour, tells them about suicide attempts; Biff & Happy resolve to go to Bill Oliver & create business selling sporting goods, Act 1 concludes on optimistic note
What happens in the first half of Act 2 of DOAS?
Willy goes to Howard to ask for a NYC job rather than commuting, gets rejected- tape recorder= symbol of consumerism & Dave Singleman monologue demonstrates tragic hero’s hamartia- tendency to glorify & romanticise, gets made redundant; Willy has another conversation with Ben in past who encourages him to go to Alaska, decides to stay in New York instead, strongly believes in American Dream & stubbornly retains faith despite failure= hamartia; talks to Charley in past & exaggerates Biff’s talent, idolises him, hyperbole; returns to present- Bernard discusses Biff’s lack of success/progression with Willy, gets offended when Bernard suggests it may be his fault, rejects Charley’s job offer again due to hamartia=hubris “I just can’t work for you Charley”
What happens in the second half of Act 2 of DOAS?
Restaurant scene= crisis/climax of tragic trajectory- Willy’s perilous mental state becomes unbearable & past memories fully merge with present events, Miller uses non-chronological structure to portray extreme disorder; Biff was unsuccessful with Bill Oliver meeting, Happy embellishes truth & is misogynistic, has epiphany/revelation (tragic heros anagnorisis?) Tries to tell Willy; chaotic incoherent, cut off dialogue, saturated with punctuation increases anticipation & tension for audience; Willy is reminded of when Biff failed maths- overwhelmed & plagued by guilt, ‘the woman’ scene “you phony little fake!”; asks for seeds & plants them; Biff decides to leave & Willy views this as an act of spite, realises Biff loves him but it is too late, mindset is so warped/distorted by end of tragedy, Willy believes “he’ll worship me for it!” (Referring to suicide & $20,000 insurance); more Ben hallucinations, antagonist (?) tempts him to inevitable fate- death “a perfect proposition all around.” ; crashes car & dies; requiem scene- Happy’s character evokes further pathos, tragic victim of influence & indoctrination; ends with urban setting
Evidence & arguments agreeing with final sense of mptiness/disillusion in DOAS:
Requiem scene- Linda=tragic victim- pathos evoked, tragic sense of misunderstanding & futility “I can’t understand it; we’re free…” melancholy tone; pathos for tragic hero’s wasted life “all the wrong dreams”, Biff has had anagnorisis/revelation, could be perceived as tragic hero, sees how Willy has been indoctrinated with clarity; Willy genuinely believed Ben’s antagonistic temptations & suggestions that death= his inevitable fate & suicide=only solution, Biff would be grateful for insurance money “Ben, he’ll worship me for it!”, despite partial anagnorisis he is past point of peripeteia, loses last shred of dignity at beginning of Act 2 “I don’t want you to represent us”- Howard=antagonistic force representing capitalist system, treating employees like commodities, realises Biff loves him too late “Biff- he likes me! Isn’t that a remarkable thing!” yet redemption is impossible, mindset is twisted so he tells Charley “a man is worth more dead than alive” & romanticises Dave Singleman anecdote, delusional & believes he is “well-liked” “that funeral will be massive! I am known!” yet audience see reality of tragic hero’s fate when Linda asks “why didn’t anybody come?” Happy= tragic victim of tragic hero’s influence & shares hamartia of having relentless, unconditional faith in American Dream propaganda/false ideology- “I’m gonna win it for him”
Arguments & quotes to agree that DOAS has a final sense of emptiness/disillusion:
From his first entrance in Act 1 until the conclusion of the tragedy (resolution) Ben taunts and tempts Willy (antagonistic figure, embodying American post-war propaganda & societal influence) leading towards his inevitable fate- death/suicide, to the point where he believes & says to Charley in Act 2 “a man is worth more dead than alive” & believes Biff will be grateful for insurance money “Ben, he’ll worship me for it!” despite partial anagnorisis towards end of Act 2, realises familial love “Biff- he likes me! Isn’t that a remarkable thing!” & he isn’t acting out of “spite” & “vengeance”, comes too late, past point of peripeteia at beginning of Act 2, mindset= too distorted, dignity= entirely dissipated; requiem scene- Happy has inherited fathers hamartia “I’m gonna win it for him” “Willy Loman did not die in vain”, ‘hopeless glance from Biff’ stage direction, sense Willy’s life was futile & Biff can see this due to anagnorisis “he had all the wrong dreams”, tragic misunderstanding from victim Linda “I can’t understand it” “we’re free..” pathos for tragic victims Biff, Linda & Happy; despite his delusion of being “well-liked” & glorified aspiration of Dave Singleman, “that funeral will be massive! I am known!” Linda asks “why didn’t anybody come?” - emptiness, fruitless life
Arguments & quotes disagreeing that although protagonists are flawed they are redeemed due to love & care shown towards others in DOAS:
Willy shows disrespect & volatility towards his family & friends, Biff comments “he always, always wiped the floor with you. Never had an ounce of respect for you”, Linda=tragic victim of his mistreatment & infidelity/betrayal, restaurant scene at crisis/climax of tragedy shows audiences how Biff has also been affected & is tragic victim of his affair, haunted by the Woman’s laugh & past scene merges with present dialogue, pinnacle of tragic heros mental disarray “you phony little fake!”; also shows disrespect towards Bernard & Charley, also tragic victims of mistreatment, says to Charley in Act 1 “a man who can’t handle tools is not a man. You’re disgusting.” & insults Bernard with derogatory language & terms “worm” “pest” “anemic”, childish & immature attitude of mocking others, however his hamartia can be forgiven by audiences, evoking pathos rather than just contempt as we know he has been indoctrinated & antagonist of play= American post-war capitalist society & ‘American dream’ false mythological ideology/propaganda, embodied by Howard & Ben (unrealistic, unattainable anecdote “when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, when I was twenty one I walked out. And by God I was rich!”) & Linda’s dialogue & speeches towards Biff & Happy are also directed towards audience, “he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him” “he’s not the finest creature that ever lived” & justifies his behaviour “why shouldn’t he talk to himself?” stating metaphorically “he’s only a little boat looking for harbour” & her forgiveness/understanding as a tragic victim perhaps invites audiences to have the same response; Miller evokes pathos for perilously skewed mental state through non-chronological structure & lack of scenes, reflecting disorder of his mind
