A M […] T O G T A T H
“A melody […] telling of grass, trees and the horizon.”
- idealistic freedom
- reminiscent of the American Dream (everything is great, anything is possible)
- becomes Willy’s theme = craves this freedom, never gets it
T A S B I S I O A S
“towering, angular shapes behind it, surrounding it on all sides”
- claustrophobic and juxtaposes Willy’s theme = dream vs reality
- may represent societal expectations and highlight Willy’s inadequacy against the values of capitalism OR could represent how Willy is engulfed and oppressed by his imaginings
S V O A H
“solid vault of apartment houses”
- more modern than their house = Willy can’t keep up with rapidly changing world
- solid vault = trapped, their position is inescapable - the American Dream is a sham
- but also, it’s not just society that has trapped them but Willy’s inertia too
S F-S H
“small, fragile-seeming home”
- vulnerability / the Loman’s are victims
- may reflect Willy’s mental state/internal conflict
- there’s a steadfastness to them regardless
A A O T D C T T P
“an air of the dream clings to the place”
- just as Willy clings to his dream
- VERY naïve - they’re surrounded on all sides, the home is fragile seeming, their trapped and yet they still seem optimistic - also almost endearing
- clings = sense of futility
E S I W O […] P T
“entire setting is wholly or […] partially transparent”
- bones of / illusion of home = something is wrong/broken in the Loam house
- vacuous nature of American Dream
P S Y O A D Q […] H E I A
“past sixty years of age, dressed quietly […] his exhaustion is apparent”
- quite old / past his prime and not made much of himself = sense of inadequacy heightened by his dressing “quietly” bcs 1) poor 2) doesn’t like to draw attention = self-esteem issues
- exhaustion: 1) he’s a hard worker but then pursuit of the American dream is fruitless and unceasing 2) unlike most tragic heroes, he doesn’t begin the play at his ‘height’, he’s already “exhausted” / fallen - we see his height in the flashbacks
M D A L C
“massive dreams and little cruelties”
- tragic hero
A I R O H E T W B […] L W S S B L T T T U A F T T E
“an iron repression of her exceptions to Willy’s behaviour […] longings which she shares but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to their end”
- tragic victim
- a wife and not much more
W S T […] C D […] R
“with some trepidation […] carefully delicately […] resigned”
- she walks on eggshells to avoid Willy’s mercurial outbursts
- L: tragic victim, W: tragic hero
I T T T D
W: “I’m tired to the death”
- foreshadowing
- how capitalism and endless, fruitless work exhausts a man’s soul and wastes his life
M I W T C […] M I W T S […] M I Y G
L: “Maybe it was the coffee […] maybe it was the steering […] maybe it’s your glasses”
- does everything but blame Willy: 1) protect him 2) NEVER lets him be accountable for his actions - almost foreshadows how she lets him carry on trying to kill himself to ‘protect’ him from the shame - in some ways Linda is to blame for his downfall - could have caught problem early on
I A F I W D
W: “I absolutely forgot I was driving”
- deteriorating mental state
- literally his job, may not be able to provide for his family = amongst other things, inadequacy
I H S T I H S S T
W: “I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts”
- suicidal ones?
- vulnerability / foreboding / foreshadowing
I V I N E
W: “I’m vital in New England.”
- reads like someone has told him this
- pride and self importance
Y F O I A T N T L I I
W: “You finally own it, and there’s nobody to live in it.”
- reality of the American Dream - critique of the work-till-you-drop created by capitalism
W T H D I L M T? I S A H I H W M A M.
W: “When the hell did I lose my temper? I simply asked him if he was making any money.”
- mercurial
- defensive and lacks self-awareness - can be cruel
- for him success=money and nothing else
B I A L B! […] O T A B - H N L
W: “Biff is a lazy bum! […] one thing about Biff - he’s not lazy”
- internal conflict - frustrated with him but still loves him, Biff doesn’t see that
- mercurial
- could see his own insecurities in Biff so projects his own self-hatred onto him
N F Y // I T H S L
W&L: “Not finding yourself” “I think he’s still lost”
- Linda is kinder to Biff, can be because she doesn’t see her own failures reflected in him
T N A B O F A I T N
W: “There’s not a breath of fresh air in the neighbourhood”
- suburban living was the face of the American Dream - rendered impossible by the capitalism that the American Dream is built off of
B A W A A S L S-A […] D A S A L A
“Bears a worn air and seems less self-assured […] dreams are stronger and less acceptable”
- Biff has fallen, American society has knocked him down
- He’s not directionless and Willy thinks he is, he just has different values -n they will never understand each other
S I A V C O H […] M C […] T S M C
“Sexuality is a visible colour on him […] more confused […] though seemingly more content”
- sexuality and masculinity is all he feels he has to offer
- unlike Biff, he still thinks capitalism and the American Dream can serve him and give him what he wants - doesn’t know he’s lost where Biff does = like Willy
W H B? W T O H T O C
H: “What happened Biff? Where’s the old humour, the old confidence?”
I G S E I S H T F
H: “It got so embarrassing I sent him to Florida”
- SO concerned with his image that he puts that above his family
