Death of a Salesman Act II Notes Willys moral code Man is superior to women o Cheats on wife o Men are rough

h with the girls (Biff) o Men work with their hands Page 30, Willys discussion with Charley, A man who cant handle tools is not a man Calls Bernard anemic Perception over reality o Hes a salesman o A salesman sells himself o Emerson says, dont worry what people think, their opinions change like the weather o Willy spends his life doing this - trying to get people to like him o Biff is failing math, but what matters to Willy is the fact that he is well-liked o He cares about superficial things, not substance Money = success o Willy idolizes Ben who walked into the jungle and walked out rich o Happy seems to buy into this too, but he is terribly unhappy Act II Willy could have gone to Alaska, but he decided not to after he met Singleman Life has not turned out the way he thought it would Willy idolizes Dave Singleman because he was loved by so many people He died the death of a salesman He had so many strong relationships with people. Even at 84, he can earn a living because of this. No one knows Willy anymore, they are all dead or retired Willy tells his boss, You cant eat the orange and throw away the peel. A man is not a piece of fruit! When Willy gets fired, he has a flashback He goes from lowest moment in his life to highest moment Charley is the voice of reason o Biff is playing in the championship game o Doesnt mean his future is all set o Willy takes this to mean everythings great Willy think this is proof his kids are headed to stardom Willy goes to see Charley Charley is a foil to Willy Bernard is a foil to Biff o Through Bernards actions we get further insight into Biff

o Bernard is a success Married, kids, job Going to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court o Charley says, He dont have to hes gonna do it (74) True success has nothing to do with other people Its what you do, not what you tell people or what they think of you Charley offered Willy a job but he wont take, just asks Charley for $ every week o Doesnt want to be beneath Charley o Thinks he can pay back Charley o To accept job from Charley is to accept defeat o Charley asks Willy when he is going to grow up and face reality Willy says that after all the years, you end up worth more dead than alive o Transcendentalism - Living dog better than a dead lion Franks Chop House Hap hits on a woman, lies about being a champagne salesman, going to Westpoint, and Biff being a professional football player Turning point in the play o Biff realizes his life has been a lie o He wasnt a salesman, he was a shipping clerk o He realizes things as they are o His dreams are stronger and less acceptable than Haps, but he hasnt been willing to say this out loud until this moment o There is a point at which a dream without a foundation becomes a lie Why does Biff take the pen? o Biff and Happy steal things that dont belong to them in order to feel like men Biff has a pattern of stealing Stole football so he could practice at home Stole lumber - Willy encourages him to do this Lumber and football = manly things Happy steals womens virginity o Biff waits all day to see Oliver, not feeling manly, takes his pen Critical moment for Biff When he takes the pen, hes like what the heck am I doing?! Biff doesnt want to be in the business world! When he takes the pen, he realizes it is not even what he wants Critical scene in Boston o Biff sees that Willy was with another woman and gave her his moms stockings Biffs mom is always mending her stockings This reminds Willy of how he wronged her, but Linda has not idea o Cries given up o Just like McCandless - this destroys his image of his father Biff used to hold his dad up on a pedestal His hero/role model isnt who he thought he was

o After this, he decides not to go to summer school or UVA and gets in a fight with Bernard when he gets home When Willy comes out of this flashback in the restaurant, he buys SEEDS o He gives away money and says he doesnt need it anymore o He is resigned to kill himself o You reap what you sow you get what you put in o Willy has nothing to reap o He wants to leave something behind (seeds that will grow into plants) Linda kicks boys out of the house o The most dangerous thing for Willy is false hope o Every time boys come home, it gives him false hope o Linda values Willy so much she is willing to cut off her sons to help her husband One of reasons Willy wants to kill himself is so that everyone will see how important he was at the funeral o Right up until the last moment, he still believes the lie What Willy doesnt get, Biff gets By looking at sensible, hard-working characters (Charley, Bernard) as foils, we better see Willy and Biff Arthur Miller points out dangers of the American dream The role of Ben o Willys inner thoughts o Willy puts all his doubts and reservations into his brother o Hes arguing with himself, but his brother becomes an extension of himself

Requiem Charley says, No man only needs a little salary o Salary represents how much of a man you are o Cant just feel like you are scraping by o Need something to show for it Nobody dast blame this man o Charleys words make Willy seem more important o Biff says, Im a dime a dozen o Even though Willy is a regular guy, whats happening to him is important