Death of a Salesman Act II (Part I)

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Death of a Salesman Act II (Part I)

1. How is the audience positioned to respond to Willy’s boss, Howard Wagner? Consider how Willy is treated by the company he works for, the significance of Howard's name and the significance of the scene where Howard is playing with a recorder while Willy is trying to talk to him. What do we learn about Howard's family life through the voices heard from the recorder? Why does Miller include this scene?

I felt so much sympathy towards Willy when he is meeting Howard. First of all, we know that Howard is so much younger than Willy as Willy was, “with the firm when your father used to carry you in here in his arms” (Millar 59). We have to know that Willy is an old man simply trying to protect his pride. He has to let his pride down in order to stick to his job. He initially asks for 65 dollars a week but eventually puts the value down to 40 dollars. It was really sad and audiences are positioned to sympathize Willy’s degradation.

The recorder is a symbol used in the play to emphasize the materialistic elements. Willy does not know what to do with the recorder when he accidently presses the wrong button and “[leaping away with fright, shouting] (62). We can imagine Willy, an old man, struggling with modern machines and it strikes our hearts. Howard’s family also reemphasizes the notion that Howard’s young and can support her family. We can simply compare Howard and Willy.

I couldn’t stand Howard’s arrogant position. When Willy appears, “HOWARD is intent on threading the machine and only glances over his shoulder as WILLY appears” (56). This stage direction shows the attitude of the boss. He keeps interrupting Willy. “Like to ask a little favor if you…” (57). “Sh, for God’s sake!” (58). He absolutely has no respect for the elder. Even though he has a higher position in the office, he should still respect the old fellow.

The stage directions help to further emphasize the position difference between Willy and Harold. “[He draws a chair in from the swing]” which suggests that Willy is sitting down as opposed to Howard is standing up (59). This line personally struck me the most in this interaction. “thirty-four years into this firm…I can’t pay my insurance…a man is not a fruit!” (61). The depiction of Howard is a representative of typical stereotypical American firms. They treat them like objects without any feelings. I’ve heard since I was a kid that in the States, people just get fired like it is a daily business. As Willy suggests, the “peel” is thrown away.

Howard’s attitude still remains cold and rude despite the fact that Willy completely let down his man pride. “But where am I going to put you, kid” (60). Howard calls him a “kid” to an old man. The audiences might increase antipathy towards Howard which further helps us to deeply sympathize with Willy. Howard is “[barely interested]” (60). How RUDE! I can feel Willy’s “false pride” tearing apart (63). 

Willy seems to still value materialistic elements. When Linda talks about the “payment on the refrigerator…”, Willy complains about the matter (53). He claims that, “we should’ve bought a well-advertised machine. Charley bought a General Electric” (53). He compares himself with Charley as he was jealous all his life. Willy cautions his wife, “Will you stop mending stockings? At least while I’m in the house” (55). This also shows that Willy is ashamed of frugality. He does not allow his wife to mend stocking which he perceives as a shameful act. 

Also, in this moment, the author presents us with a false sense of hope. “I will never get behind a wheel the rest of my life!” (55). Linda claims “It’s changing, Willy, I can feel it changing!” (55). But we already know that this play is not going to end with a happy ending. From the title, we are pretty sure of the fact that Willy is going to die and through various foreshadowing. There are numerous parts in this part of the play where death is foreshadowed. In the beginning of Act II, Willy claims that he “slept like a dead one” (52). When he also mentions the legendary salesman's funeral to Howard, he notes “death of a salesman” which is the title itself (61). He also claims that “you end up worth more dead than alive” (76). 

It is clear that Willy is caught in an illusion of the American Dream. When he is about to get fired from his work, Willy cries, “Ben, nothing is working out. I don't know what to do” (64). He asks for advice to Ben, who to Willy is a successful man in his perspective. We can see the false illusion of American Dream in other places too. Willy claims that “the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!” (66). This ultimately shows his misconception of success.

2. Explain the difference in Charley and Bernard, and Willy and Biff’s worldviews. How has each father and son pair approached life? How do the different approaches account for where they have now ended up? How does Miller use the pairing of these foil characters to develop his ideas about dreams and success in the play?

By comparing Charley and Willy, we can get many insight to the themes of reality in this play. First of all, Willy cannot accept the reality that sports are not important in the business world. In the beginning, in his memory, he claimed to his sons that they will be "ahead" of Bernard because they are "well liked". That is why he cannot accept Bernard's success and hides the truth to him. Willy lies to Bernard that “he’s been doing very big things in the West” even though in reality, Biff is lost (70).

Willy starts to admit that his way of teaching was wrong.“His life ended after that Ebbets Field game. From the age of seventeen nothing good ever happened to him” (71). 

I can feel Willy's pride. Although he let his pride down to Howard, who is so much younger than him, he cannot let his pride to Charley. It is his last pride. Although Charley offers a job to Willy, he denies it due to the pride issue. Charley questions Willy, “when the hell are you going to grow up?” (75). Willy cannot let down his pride. I can understand, he is an old man in the early 1900s. One cannot simply let his pride down like that.

Willy's approach to his sons were completely different from Charley's approach. Willy confronts Charley that “You never took any interest in him” (74). Charley simply relies that “My salvation is that I never took any interest in anything” (74). What seemed to be important to Willy is in actuality not that important to the real world.

3. What is the significance of the name of the restaurant "Frank's Chop House"? Consider the fact that Willy's old boss (Howard's father) was also named Frank. What promises did Frank make to Willy? How is the name related to Charley's description of the famous American financier J. P. Morgan as looking like a "butcher"? What businesses and companies is the name of J. P. Morgan associated with in American economic history? What is the overall significance of the meat, chopping, and butchering imagery and its relations to business and businessmen? What do you think Miller is saying here?

Frank's Chop House. The connection between the butcher and the business world is that they  are both cut throat. The butcher doesn't feel pity for the animals. At the same time, Howard does not really care about Willy. Willy is like an animal begging for mercy for not butchering him. However, the butcher cannot have mercy because its business. If you can't make money you are literary chopped (fired).

Willy's name is deliberate. Williams named Willy's last name Loman. The name Loman suggests the low man as he constantly dilutes himself about his own success. His whole life is fabricated on lies. Theres no element of truth. We see Willy almost getting there, but not the complete end. 

4. What is the nature of the relations between business and sports depicted in this Act? What is Willy's attitude toward sports? What is the significance of the Ebbets Field game and subsequent events? What about the conversation which Willy has with Charley before the game? What does Charley think of sports? Why is this significant?

Willy ties the relationship between sports and business. 

5. Find at least three quotations which are examples of foreshadowing in this section of the play and explain the significance of each.

“I slept like a dead one” (52).

“death of a salesman” suggests his death (61). 

Widell, Harvey, and Arthur H. Miller. Death of Salesman,. New York: Penguin Group, 1956. Print.