Class Notes: December 13-January 7

Class Notes: December 13-January 7

We’ve been studying Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

Miller uses nonrealistic techniques in the play.  What are they?

·         Willy’s flashbacks and memories: Willy essentially is living in the past and present simultaneously, which adds a lot of confusion to the text.

·         Willy’s conversations with Ben: This seems to me as Miller’s way of expressing Willy’s inner struggle; he regrets not going to Alaska with his brother Ben.

Linda treats Willy as her favorite son.

·         Linda mothers Willy throughout the entire play; she even helps him with the little things

·         Whenever Willy wants a snack, Linda offers milk/cheese (symbolic of breast feeding)

·         She threatens to kick Biff and Happy out if they cannot respect Willy and explains that her literal sons cannot come home to just visit Linda, they have to come to visit Willy too

·         Linda is the only parental figure in the play.  Willy acts like one of his sons and is always inflating their heads, while Linda is responsible for paying the bills and managing the household (something that women never did at this time in history)

The Happy/Willy and Willy/Ben relationships are similar.

·         Willy looks up to Ben just as Happy looks up to Willy

·         Willy and Happy never come to the realization that Biff does; they both have inflated heads

·         Happy views Willy as successful, just as Willy views Ben as successful

·         Happy never progresses beyond high school, just as Willy doesn’t (they “never grow up”)