Willy Flashcards
(17 cards)
“Biff Loman is lost”
“There’s one thing about Biff- he’s not lazy”
Act 1
-Contradicts himself
-Fragmented and confused mind
-Both aspects reflect Willy; being lost, but also having delusions that you have potential to be successful
“Remember how they used to follow him around in high school”
Act 1
-His belief that popularity is worth more than academics
-Reflecting on Biff’s past > slight sense of disappointment?
-Biff’s success in his eyes means Willy’s personal fulfilment
“The way they boxed us in here. Bricks and windows, windows and bricks”
Act 1
-Trapped in their reality
-Unfulfilment as they cannot find escape
“There’s not a breath of fresh air in the neighbourhood”
Act 1
-Suffocated in their life
“You’re my foundation and my support, Linda”
Act 1
-Reliance on Linda as he sees her as a maternal figure
-Trust he lies in Linda and genuine love for her
-Becomes ironic later on when he has the affair
“Why does dad mock me all the time?”
“I can’t get near him” - Biff
Act 1
-Broken family
-Willy’s initial lost love for Biff
-Biff being unable to fulfil Willy’s dreams for him
“Every time I come back here I know all I’ve ever done is to waste my life” - Biff
Act 1
-Self insecurities caused by Willy
-Willy’s disappointment in him
-Willy’s attitudes and morals reflected on him
“I’m losing weight, you notice, pop?” - Happy
(repeated later again twice)
Act 1
-Desires recognition from Willy
-Willy ignores the whole family unless they have his interpretation of success
-The fact its repeated shows lasting need for recognition and Willy’s approval and also Willy’s ignorance
“They seem to laugh at me”
“I’m not noticed”
Act 1
-Isn’t as respected as he’d hoped/thought
-Foreshadows the fact he will never be successful
-Unsuccess in the business world
“I’m fat. I’m very foolish to look at”
Act 1
-No respect for him
-Links to his ideas of popularity over academic success
-Again foreshadows his lack of success
“And thanks for the stockings. I love a lot of stockings”
Act 1
-Stocking motif
-Foreshadows the affair
-Ironic
“I won’t have you mending stockings in this house!”
Act 1
-Guilt and trauma from the affair
-The fact she has to mend them implies their lack of wealth and therefore his lack of success
“Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one and he’s rich”
Act 1
-What Willy aspires to be
-His idea of success is “Rich”
-Drives him into his delusions as his hopes are set up to being too high
“What the hell are you offering me a job for?”
Act 1
-Disregard of Charley’s opportunity
-Sense of denial about his lack of success
“A man who can’t handle tools is not a man. You’re disgusting”
Act 1
-Insulting and rude
-Dehumanising for Charley
-Fragmented state of mind
-His views of success is innately practical work even though he masks it to be business work to fulfil the American Dream
“Ben, how should I teach them?”
Act 1
-Ben as his idol and how he relies on him for guidance to success
-Leads to destruction
