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The Death of a Salesman

The Death of a Salesman . Act II: Dream, Self-Deception and Capitalist Reality. Starting Questions . Does Act II show Willy going insane? Is he a complete failure, or does he gain any self-knowledge or self-confirmation? . Outline. Plot Summary

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The Death of a Salesman

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  1. The Death of a Salesman Act II: Dream, Self-Deception and Capitalist Reality

  2. Starting Questions • Does Act II show Willy going insane? • Is he a complete failure, or does he gain any self-knowledge or self-confirmation?

  3. Outline • Plot Summary • Flashbacks & Illusions –a way to Reality and Dreams • Failure of the Lowman’s Dreams  their (Self-) Deceptiveness. • Willy pushed to face reality by 1) those around him; 2) Flashbacks • Biff and Reality • Minor Characters and their Reality: Stanley and the woman • Symbols in the Play

  4. Act II– • two office visits (by the father and the son) • Two arguments (reality vs. dream) in the restaurant scene & at home • Willy (to Ben and Bernard): What is the answer (the secret)? • Biff’s self-realization vs. Happy’s maintenance of the dream • Willy’s final action (self-deception or realization of his dream?)

  5. Act II: Plot Summary • (1229-) Willy and Linda: plans and dreams vs. money; Linda’s phone conversation; • (1232) Howard’s office: capitalist reality (+ machine) vs. Willly’s values & memories ( to Frank 1235) • (1236) Ben vs. Willy  Biff’s last game (Willy vs. Charley) • (1239)Willy vs. Bernard (about the past); (1241) Willy vs. Charley • (1243) restaurant Happy vs. Forsythe; Biff vs. Happy first about his visit and (1247-) then Willy • (1249-51-52)  Willy into the bathroom and to his past. • (1255) Stanley comes in • (1256 -) family together at home  Biff vs. Willy; • (1262 -) Willy’s last action ( Ben)

  6. Flashbacks: a Way to Reality and Dreams “Like a young god. Hercules. . . And the sun, the sun all around him.” (1228)

  7. The Lowman Family’s Dreams: Why do they fail? • Reasons for the failure: • wrong dream • Environment: not possible in their times; • Sources of Dream: Willy’s father as a flute-maker on the road; Ben—an adventurer; Dave Singleman 1234) • Character: their lack of money, ability training and self-awareness  their self-deception • * Group report: The Lowman family vs. Charley’s family

  8. The Lowman Family’s (Self-)Deception • Willy–dreams of his own and his son’s success;  unable to face his own failure, Biff’s problem, the past conflict. • Linda: in support of her husband’s dream;  blind to her husband’s weaknesses and failures. • Happy: deceptive -- lies to attract women (West Point, Champaign 1244; 45; about his father 1252) and to comfort his father (ask Biff to do so, too);  e.g. “I’m gonna retire you for life” (1215); “I’m gonna get married”; “I’m gonna win it for him” (1264). • Biff:forced to support his father’s dream about his being a salesman;  faces reality -- always a shipping clerk; habitual theft (steals things out of his failures)

  9. Flashbacks in Act I: Disruptive and Affirmative of Dreams • The family in the present (worries and good memories); • Flashbacks  Biff in high school; Willy and Linda( the woman; Bernard) • Card playing  Willy and Ben(Willy: “I was right!”) 2. Linda vs. Biff and Happy; the three’s plans.

  10. Flashbacks in Act II: Willy Pushed to Face Reality Memories can serve as an escape, if Willy chooses to dwell on the good part. But for Willy, facing reality is inevitable, because he • Is fired by Howard,  “You never averaged …”“No time for false pride, Willy” p. 1235) • sees Bernard, Biff never trains himself; what happened at Boston (1240-41) • has to borrow money from Charley,  (1242-43) importance of what one can sell and money • Seeks comfort from Biff in vain (tell me what happened 1249), • Is left alone by his sons to search for Answers and Solutions.

  11. Willy, Illusions and “Reality” • Talk to Frank 1235– very short interrupted by the recording machine • After being fired  (1236) “Oh, Ben, how did you do it? What is the answer? Did you wind up the Alaska deal already?”  Ben vs. Willy – What Willy builds with the firm (name and connections) has no substance (1236-37)  Biff’s last game – Charley: not important (1238)

  12. Flashbacks in Act II: Willy Pushed to Face Reality 3. (1249-51-52)  the pen & Biff’s attempts to tell Willy that he is not a salesman, is not hired by Oliver, takes a pen, has no appointment, and is no good. -- Willy cannot stops the past (the woman’s, operator’s and pager’s voices) from emerging in his mind. -- “Open the door.” He goes to the bathroom to face his past.

  13. Biff and Reality • The rubber tube: • takes it away p. 1231, not letting Linda keep her false optimism; • wants to tell the truth, but gets pushed to tell lies (1246 --; 1248 – 1251), because • Happy urges him to; • Willy is fired, and wants something good news for his wife; • His lies: warmly received by BO (1248), having an appointment (1250) • cannot face him first, and then later confronts his father on the issues of the rubber tube, his theft and his incompetence and insignificance 1259-61 • Rids Willy of his guilt “no spite” 1261

  14. Willy & “Reality”: Ben in Act II: (1262 -) Willy’s last action ( Ben) A combination of realistic concern and dream. • Dream: planting seeds • Realistic concern: 20,000 in his pocket • Dream: -- (1258) big funeral -- The jungle is dark but full of diamonds. -- The boat • Realism: his fear (1263)

  15. Reality as Revealed by the Minor Characters: • The woman – Willy’s being self-centered (1252), her being a football (1254) • Stanley: life’s tough for him, but he is kind to Willy. To Happy, he talks about how people cannot stand a quiet place because they are tired of staying home alone. (1243)

  16. Symbols re. Willy’s Dream • Willy’s house vs. apartment buildings, etc. [e.g. the first stage direction] • Properties and Possessions: • Football and the sneakers with U. of V on them. • the house and the mortgage, Things {Fridge, car, vacuum cleaner ] that are broken/falling apart • Linda's stockings • Tennis • of power and status: wire recorder and pen • Nature and The West– • Seeds/plants/trees; light of green leaves • Working with tools/one's hands [e.g. Willy's argument with Charley towards the end of Act I: :A man who can't handle tools is not a man." "hammer a nail"] • Roads -- [being on the road] Cars/boats/trains: [e.g. Willy's Red Chevvy; Willy compared to "alittle boat looking for a harbor" by Linda; Ben's taking the train.]

  17. Symbols –in stage direction • flute [Willy's father]– beginning of act 1, when Ben appears, • Willy’s theme (1255); • Other kinds of music--e.g. • jarring trumpet note (1249), • Ben's theme (1236); • the end of act II (1263)

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