The Death of a Salesman Act II Dream

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

Starting Questions (1) (Act 1 & 2) —for your journals Personal Dreams and Failures I. Willy A. n n What is his dream and why does he fail to accomplish it? What roles do the Woman & Linda, Ben & Dave Singleman, as well as Biff play in his pursuit of dream? Is he a complete failure, going insane, or does he gain any self-knowledge, self-confirmation and retain his sense of dignity? Why does Willy refuse to work for Charley? II. Happy and Biff n n n What are their dreams? Do they fail? Why does Biff steal, and Happy womanize? How do they respond to their father differently?

Starting Questions B. American Dream: III. Supportive Characters p How do Charley and Bernard, Howard and his father, Ben, BILL Oliver serve as a foil to Willy and Biff? IV. Jobs: p V. What does “being a salesman” mean? How is it different from being a shipping clerk or a lawyer? Stage Directions and Symbols n How do flashbacks happen in this Act & Act 1? n Besides cars, flute and rubber tube, what symbolic meanings do the recorder and the fountain pen have? n How does the play show sympathy for the characters?

More Creative Questions: (1) “The Road Not Taken” (2) Salesman’s Sample Case (3) A News Story (4) Happy, Biff or Linda, taking the hot seat

More Creative Questions: (1) “The Road Not Taken” -- Persuade Willy or Biff to make a different choice at one of the character’s various turning points, while showing how you understand him in his original choice.

Willy p 3. Biff’s rejecting him Willy Guilty about Linda Father? For Ben, Single-man Against Charley 2. Woman 1. Not successful Keeping empty dreams 4. Rejecting Charley 5. Committing Suicide

p Biff 1) A Sports Star but stealing Flunked math 2) Stealing out of different jobs Finds himself wasting life IN jail for 3 months 3) Goes to Bill Oliver but steals from him Works at different farms 4) Walks off Burning snickers 5) Confess to his father Woman Tell him sth nice

More Creative Questions: (2) Sample Cases Image source What would you carry in your case if you were a salesman in 1940’s or today? How would you sell them, supporting the myth or revealing their contradictions?

More Creative Questions: (3) Headline News After the death of Willy, you, a journalist, interview his boss, customers and family and write a news story about why he died.

More Creative Questions: (4) Hot Seat You take the role of either Linda (Jean), Biff (Zoe) or Happy (Rita), stay in the character and get quizzed by your classmates.

Outline Quiz (1); Plot Summary & Passage Reading p Quiz (2); Reality vs. Dreams p 1) Failure of the Lowmans’ Dreams 1) their (Self -) Deceptiveness; 2) reality checks: Act 1; Act 2: Willy pushed to face reality by a) those around him; b) Flashbacks 3) Biff and Reality 4) Willy’s Last Action Quiz (3); Minor Characters and their Reality: Stanley and the woman p Quiz (4); Symbols in the Play p

Act I: Plot Summary Present Flashbacks Willy gets home; talks with Linda Happy with Biff [1674] plans Willy talks to himself and to Biff, Thinks about the red Chevvy “What a simonizing job!” [1678] 1. Willy comes home with a punching bag Bernard’s warning ignored 2. Linda about their debts Willy about his weaknesses ※the Woman 1. Happy trying to ask W to sleep 2. Charley plays card with Willy [1687] “Who died? ” 1. Linda talks to Happy and Biff [1691] 2. Willy comes in to join their discussion of plans 1695 [1685] 3. ※ Ben about their father and the jungle “I was right!” plans

Present Act II: Plot Summary Morning: Linda talks with Willy, hopeful about two plans Willy complains about the commodities. Willy visits Howard Flashbacks plans Dave Singleman Willy fired [Ben’s music] [1707] Willy talks with Ben about what he builds—timberland vs. here (1708) The Lomans ready to go to Ebbets Field vs Charley Bernard in Charley’s office [1710] Charley [about the turning point 1712] [about being fired 1713] Happy and Biff meet in the restaurant, joined by Willy goes to the restroom [about Bill Oliver 1717] Bernard to Linda about Biff’s failing math (1719) ※ Willy in Boston (1721) The woman laughs Stanley ※ Willy in Boston “don’t answer, don’t answer’ The two brothers leave the restaurant with the two women Stanley with Willy 1726 Back home 1702, Biff confronts Willy 1728 Willy drives off Willy talks to Ben (1728) Ben (1732)

Act II: Plot Summary 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. (1700 -) Willy and Linda: plans and dreams vs. money; Linda’s phone conversation; (1702) Howard’s office: capitalist reality (+ machine) vs. Willly’s values & memories ( Ben 1707) (1708) Biff’s last game (Willy vs. Charley) (1710) Willy vs. Bernard (about the past); (1712) Willy vs. Charley (1714) restaurant [Frank’s Chop house] Happy vs. Forsythe; Biff vs. Happy first about his visit and (1718 -) then Willy comes in (1719 -) Young Bernard about B’s failing math//present failure; Willy into the bathroom and to his past. (1723 -) The boys walk off with the girls//Willy alone facing the past; (1726) Stanley comes in (1727 -) Linda vs. the boys Biff vs. Willy; (1728, 1733 -) Willy’s last action ( Ben)

Act II– Pattern 1. 2. 3. p p p Reality checks: two office visits (by the father) vs. one (by the son) Two arguments about job (with Howard and Charley) Two arguments about reality (vs. dream) in the restaurant scene & at home Willy (to Ben and Bernard): What is the answer (the secret)? Two propositions: Act I & II from Ben (to Alaska), Act II to Ben (about 20, 000 dollar insurance money) Two father-son relationships Two brothers’ differences: Biff’s self-realization vs. Happy’s maintenance of the dream Willy’s final action (self-deception or realization of his

Readings n Act 1 Willy, Biff, Happy and Linda about their plan: pp. 1696 -1699 (1: 50: 35) n Act 2 Biff to Willy about his visit to Bill Oliver (Happy, Young Bernard, Linda, Operator and The Woman): pp. 1718 -1723 (2: 27: 35) n Act 2 Willy and Biff at Boston (Stanley) pp. 1724 - 1726 n Act 2 Willy and Biff’s final confrontation (Linda & Happy) pp. 1729 -32 n Act 2 Willy, Ben, Linda: Willy’s plan pp. 1733 - 1728,

Flashbacks: A Way to Reality and Dreams “Like a young god. Hercules. . . And the sun, the sun all around him. ” (end of Act 1)

The Lowman Family’s Dreams: Why do they fail? Reasons for the failure: 1) wrong dream 1) Capitalist-industrialist environment: a) An industrial society: wandering salesman no longer desirable p p Sources of Dream: Willy’s father as a flute-maker on the road; Ben—an adventurer; Dave Singleman 1705, 1707) b) present: lack of respect or pension system – Willy fired c) aggressiveness: “stealing” (Stanley: “‘Cause what’s the difference? Somebody steals? It’s in the family. ”)

The Lowman Family’s Dreams: Why do they fail? p Reasons for the failure: wrong dream 2) Character: their lack of money, solid training and self-awareness their self-deception n No efforts -- The Lowman family vs. Charley’s family [More about Charley later]

)Deception p Willy –dreams of his own and his son’s success; unable to face his own failure, Biff’s problem, the past conflict. p Linda: in support of her husband’s dream; blind to her husband’s weaknesses and failures. p Happy: deceptive -- lies to attract women (West Point, Champaign 1715, 16; about his father 1723) and to comfort his father (ask Biff to do so, too 1712); Aggressive in womanizing as a means of competition e. g. “I’m gonna retire you for life” (Act 1); “I’m gonna get married” (1699); “I’m gonna win it for him” (Requiem). p 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)

Flashbacks in Act I: Memories & Dreams vs. Reality The family in the present A. worries vs. good memories 1. n n Flashbacks Biff in high school Willy’s weaknesses and Linda ( the woman; Bernard) Card playing Willy and Ben (Willy: “I was right!”) Bernard and Charley warnings about Biff’s failure and stealing B. Worries vs. dignity: Linda defending Willy in front of Biff and Happy C. the three’s plans– another dream

Flashbacks in Act II vs. Reality Checks: Willy Pushed to Face Reality Memories would serve as an escape, if Willy could dwell on the good part. But for Willy, facing reality is inevitable, because he n n n Is fired by Howard, “You never averaged …” “No time for false pride, Willy” p. 1706) sees Bernard, Biff never trains himself; what happened at Boston has to borrow money from Charley, (1713 -14) importance of what one can sell and money Seeks comfort from Biff in vain (tell me what happened), Is left alone by his sons to search for Answers and Solutions.

Willy and “Reality”: Howard & Charley 1. Talk to Howard: n – very short and matter-of-fact (no personal feeling for him or the past) n Willy interrupted by the recording machine (1703) 2. (After being fired) another reality check in Charley’s office: n n Willy, when are you going to grow up? ” Charley as a businessman: p My salvation is that I never took any interest in anything p Love shooting casino; “Who Red Granger? ” p Also aggressive and proud “Knock a homer, Biff, knock a homer!” “Knock’em dead, Bernard!”

Reality in the past (Act 1: Financial problems; Willy’s difficulties at work. ) Act 2: 3. Salesman’s work and football player – no substance (money or knowledge) To Bernard: what’s the secret “Oh, Ben, how did you do it? What is the answer? Did you wind up the Alaska deal already? ” (1707) Ben vs. Willy – What Willy builds with the firm (name and connections) has no substance (1707) Biff’s last game – Charley: not important

Flashbacks in Act II: Willy Pushed to Face Reality 3. (1730 -) 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.

Biff and Reality p The rubber tube: n p wants to tell the truth, but gets pushed to tell lies (1718 -19), because n n n p p takes it away (1702), not letting Linda keep her false optimism; Happy urges him to; Willy is fired, and wants some good news for his wife; His lies: warmly received by BO, having an appointment the next day cannot face him first, and then later confronts his father on the issues of the rubber tube, his theft and his incompetence and insignificance. (1730 -) Rids Willy of his guilt “no spite”

Biff’s realistic statements: about his father and himself Act 1 – about his work and his real interest n "To suffer fifty weeks a year for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off. " Act 2 – about himself and his family p "Pop, I'm a dime a dozen and so are you. ” p "We never told the truth in the house for ten minutes. " Requiem – about Willy p "He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong. "

Biff – Act 2: Facing Himself I saw the things [the sky] that I love in this world. The work and the food and the time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be. . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am. (1732)

Willy & “Reality”: Ben in Act II: (1728 -) Willy’s last action ( Ben) A combination of realistic concern and dream. p Dream: planting seeds p Realistic concern: 20, 000 in his pocket p Dream: -- big funeral -- The jungle is dark but full of diamonds. -- The boat p Realism: his fear 1733

Reality as Revealed by the Minor Characters: p The woman (Ms. Francis)– Willy’s being self-centered, her being a football Willy mentioned Massachusetts law– suggesting that she is a prostitute? n Ms. Forsythe: “I don’t sell” “a cover girl” (prostitute, too) n Linda: housewife (caring but trivial) Stanley: life’s tough for him, but he is kind to Willy (returning W the money he gives him). To Happy, he talks about how people cannot stand a quiet place because they are tired of staying home alone. [1714] n p

Symbols re. Willy’s Dream (1): Materialism Willy’s house vs. apartment buildings, etc. [e. g. the first stage direction] p Properties and Possessions: p Football and the sneakers with U. of V on them. n the house and the mortgage, Things {Fridge, car, vacuum cleaner ] that are broken/falling apart n Linda's stockings n power and status: Tennis vs. football, wire recorder and fountain pen n

Symbols re. Willy’s Dream (2): Ideal for Freedom and Nature p Nature and The West – n n p 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: n [e. g. Willy's Red Chevvy; Willy compared to "a little boat looking for a harbor" by Linda; Ben's taking the train. ]

Symbols –in stage direction p p p flute [Willy's father]– beginning of act 1, when Ben appears, Willy’s theme – flute? Other kinds of music—to evoke Willy’s emotions; e. g. n gay music of the Boys [happy moment] n Gay music at the beginning of Act 2 n jarring trumpet note [urban reality; Bernard’s information of B’s failing math) Ben's theme (idyllic 田園 music) the end of act II –a single cello string; dead march

b. socrative Space Race Groups 1 blue 2 Magenta 3 Lime 4 Peach 5 Violet 6 Teal 7 Indigo 8 Orange 9 Red 10 Silver