Happy Flashcards
How is Happy described by Miller in the stage directions?
“Sexuality is like a visible colour”
“lost”, “hard-skinned”, and “confused”
What is Happy’s main drive in life?
Women, shown as he sleeps with his boss’s fiancee, and when he lies to seduce girls
When does Happy lie to seduce girls?
When he “really impresses Miss Forsythe with fabricated information
How does Biff keep Happy grounded?
“One of the two assistants to the assistant”
How is Happy similar to Willy?
He embraces Willy’s dream and is big on talk but empty on gestures
What is an empty gesture/pledge that Happy makes to Willy?
“I’m gonna retire you for life”
What gesture of Happy’s did Linda see as inadequate?
He only gave them “fifty dollars!” for Christmas, when it costs 75 to repair the water
How does Happy show that pursuing dreams does not bring happiness?
He is folded by Willy’s expectations and reveals to Biff that he is not “content” despite owning an “apartment, a car and having plenty of women”
What moment do the audience see as a low point for Happy?
He leaves his father in the Chop House, denying that he is his father and that he is “just some guy”
What is Happy denying willy as his father compared to?
The denial of Christ by his disciple Peter
How does Happy describe Biff?
As an “idealist’ though he himself has no redeeming qualities
How does Happy allow Biff to break out of the cycle of failure and recognise his place in the world?
Happy adopts Willy’s world view, disrespects women and lacks self-knowledge. He doesn’t learn anything in the end, whereas Biff does learn
How would an expressionist view Happy?
As the son who is ambitious about his father, complying with his dreams while disrespecting him
