Williamus Lomanus. Adding "us" to the end of names makes them look more legit. In other words, my awesome summary of Death of A Salesman.

Concise. Yep. If there were ever one word created to describe the writing of Sarah Wakeman, "concise" would fall as an antonym for her writing style. Let's just say I'm like Charles Dickens when it comes to writing out what I'm trying to say. See. Even now. Alright. Here's the reason we've been studying, watching, reading, discussing and annotating for the past couple weeks. Commence.

The author is Arthur Miller. From what we read about him from the interviews, he seems like a pretty cool dude. And he graduated from the University of Michigan, meaning he was also pretty smart. (As if I couldn't get that from his ability to write a multiple award-winning play.) And he was married to Marilyn Monroe. Either she didn't care about how her husbandS (yes, the capital "s" was necessary to emphasize he was not the only one) looked and liked brains over beauty (at the time) or he might have been one pretty good lookin' stud. Yes. That would be the author. Concise. Oops.

The story takes place in New York City, New York. It's apparent throughout the story that Willy lives in a developing burrow of New York City, as he complains often of the new development of houses and the changes that are happening in the world. (This is significant when he has Biff steal construction supplies--more on that in summary)

An important theme of this play is the idea of change. Willy does not like change. He liked when he was better than Charley and when Biff was the better than Bernard. When told that there was more opportunity for success up in Alaska by his brother Ben, Willy (in my opinion due to Linda, the poop-head, more on her later) did not leave. Partly due to Linda, but Linda only supported his dislike of change and new things. This theme is accented throughout the play by his reoccurring flashbacks. I think that the title of the play also, Death of a Salesman, while being literal, is also metaphorical in showing that due to a change of heart at the end, the part of Willy that was a salesman died and the part of him that wanted to accomplish big things was born. Unfortunately, the way he saw for himself to accomplish big things was to kill himself and give the money of his life insurance to Biff and Happy.

A list of characters shall now be listed. (Why wasn't this put at the beginning? My organizational talents, ladies and gentlemen.)

Williamus Lomanus: This sounds cooler than his real name, which is Willy Loman. He is a salesman that is a little messed up in the head, and when I say "little," I mean he's got a brain tumor growin' in there, so I guess he's going to die soon anyway. Why not make it sooner? Anyway, he's a salesman that is actually not so good at the whole "selling" component of being a salesman. He also has a controlling wife that's so manipulative, you think he's the bad guy. But don't be fooled. He also (in my opinion) is a static character and does not change his beliefs about things even though they are wrong and causing his downfall as well as the downfall of his children.

Linda Loman: The manipulative and controlling wife of Willy. However, she does this so secretively that sometimes it looks like Willy's the "bad guy." This is not the case. She is one of the reasons Willy cannot accept necessary change throughout the play and leads to his downfall as well, causing the downfall of children in the future. It is important to remember that she is one of the only women in the play to be given a name. (However there aren't too many woman in the play, but she is the main one and has a name.)

Biff Loman: Eldest son of Willy. Was the star football player in high school and was destined for success. Ruined by his father though, specifically in an encounter in Boston when he caught his father having an affair while traveling on business. Ever since that occurred, he has had trouble in life and can't hold down a job and become successful due to the faulty parenting he received from his father when growing up about being better than everyone already and that the most important thing in business is how much you are liked. Yeah. Cause that's workin' out real well for you, eh Willy?

Happy Loman: A waste of space. Just kidding. How horrible would it be if the definition of someone was a waste of space? There has to be reason for Happy to be in this story, otherwise Miller would not have put him in the story. I think one of the most important things to remember about happy is the irony of his name. His nickname is "Happy," his real name being Harry, and his whole life he spends trying to make his father happy and finding happiness for himself, both of which he is unsuccessful with. He never does anything momentous in the play though, just kind-of being in the background and being the support.

Ben Loman: Brother of protagonist. You find out that he's dead in "real" time, but comes back throughout the play in Willy's flashbacks as well as a figment of Willy's imagination in real time that he talks to. (See scene when Willy and Charley are playing cards together. Kinda funny.) Moved to Alaska to get rich, then to Africa. Followed opportunity and was rewarded for it.

Charley: Foil of Willy. Both raise son. (Happy is not favored or even acknowledged by Willy, so singular of "son" refers to Biff and Bernard, whom are foils of each other as well.) However, Charley raises Bernard as being a hard-worker but not too overbearing whereas Willy raises Biff with his nose over Biff's shoulder on everything and to be more liked instead of more successful. Charley lives next-door to Willy and is Willy's rival. Willy constantly wants to make sure he's better than Charley. Charley, however, is more successful business-wise and owns his own business.

Bernard: Son of Charley and foil to Biff. Grows up to be a very successful lawyer due to parenting of Charley. Was friends with Biff and Happy (although who cares about Happy) as boys but whenever he comes into a flashback scene, he is seen as annoying and worrying too much. This is because the flashbacks are according to Willy's memory and this is how he saw Bernard at the time.

Howard: Willy's boss at his firm. He seems arrogant and different than his father, something that Willy does not like. (again with change.) Significant scene with him is scene with voice recorder--shows sexism and how men were heralded at the time while women were not as well thought of.

And now for the summary. With added description of important scenes.

The play starts out with Willy returning, unexpectedly, from a business trip. He couldn't focus on driving and kept swerving off the road, saying he was "dreaming," seemingly of the past. He breaks off from telling his wife what happened by ending with, "I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts." This already foreshadows that throughout the play, Willy is going to be affected by his mind and thoughts and how they will control his actions.

Willy and Linda start to talk about their sons, Biff and Happy. To me, the names seem important because, like I said before, Happy's whole goal in life seems to be to search for happiness and to make himself as well as his father happy. Biff's name also seems important to me because, and maybe it's just me, when I think of a mistake or an accident. I looked up the word "biff" on Merriam-Webster's dictionary, and it said that "biff" means whack or blow, like a punch. That seems to fit Biff's personality, as he is kind-of like a punch in the face and fiery, just how Willy taught him to be.

Biff and Happy have been away and have just come home, although when talking of their "sons," they only ever talk of Biff and never about Happy, as if he doesn't exist. Willy is angry at Biff because he can't hold down a job and make a steady salary. Willy seems to respect people based on their job and how much money they make, except when dealing with Charley, due to Willy's insecurities about himself since he secretly envies Charley.

All throughout this scene before Willy goes up to bed while he's in the kitchen, he jumps all throughout memories, triggered by certain things like sounds or smells. He uses these as a coping mechanism for when times were better for him and he was successful, or had the appearance of being successful. Willy's true success as a salesman throughout the play is evident that he is not a very good one, supported by scenes from the past of mixed-up and unknown earning amounts as well as not being able to pay his insurance, his top priority right now.

As Willy's in the kitchen and having his flashbacks, the first of many in the book, it's hard to tell at times when he jumps into the present time or if he's still in the past, but at different times in the past. While this is happening, Happy comes down to the kitchen to try and appease Willy and as this happens, Charley appears in the doorway of the kitchen, complaining of the noise Willy's making. Happy leaves Willy with Charley and they strike up a game of cards. But while they play cards, Ben, Willy's brother, makes his first appearance in the real world in Willy's hallucinations. It's kind of a funny scene because Willy is talking both to Ben as well as Charley, answering both of their questions and having conversations with them. However, Charley leaves after Willy accuses him of cheating, which he didn't but Willy, being mentally unstable and not being able to stand that Charley could beat him, accuses him of such a thing. Charley leaves and Willy goes into another flashback with Ben in it, talking to him about business and success and why life has gone the way it has.

During the flashback, Willy is talking to Ben about business and trying to show him how well he's done in life, but this is really just an attempt to impress Ben with Willy's not-as-prestigious accomplishments. An important part here is the fact that Willy is so concerned with how people see him that he even stoops to having Biff go and steal items from a local construction project to show Ben just how well he's doing. Of course, the voices of reason throughout, Charley and Bernard, come and warn Willy about this idea, but again as Willy ignores this, Biff gets into trouble. Another important observation in this scene is that Charley says to Willy that he's noticed a change in him which Willy ignores.

The flashback comes to an end as Willy is confronted by Linda and told to go to bed, but Willy just walks outside and is still stuck in his head, mumbling things to himself about what his life was like, which is actually not his true life, but his imagined false life that is easier to think about than his current one. Biff comes down from talking with Happy and notices his dad which makes him feel embarrassed. His mother comes and defends Willy and gets angry at Biff about leaving and never coming home and not respecting his father. Biff knows better than to believe her defenses for Willy and makes a point saying (about Willy's foil) that Charley would never do this kind of thing, however learns that Willy is going through a tough time by only living on straight commission and has been borrowing money from Charley in order to pay bills. And due to his shame, they find out from Linda as well that Willy has been contemplating killing himself from a rubber pipe she found that connects to the gas pipe.

Willy overhears them talking and comes over and starts arguing with Biff and just as Willy's about to leave, Biff informs him of his decision to make him proud by going to talk to Bill Oliver, a business man that can get Biff a job. Willy gets overly-excited about this causing another fight, but then Happy (of all people) shouts out an idea to keep the peace; he has an idea to sell sporting goods with Biff, and they could play sports as well in order to sell them. (Everyone calls this the 'million-dollar idea.') Willy starts to get excited about this and starts telling Biff what to do tomorrow. While doing this, he keeps yelling at Linda  to stop interrupting whenever she tries to say an encouraging statement to Biff which makes Biff angry that Willy is semi-abusive to Linda. (I don't know if it was weird at the time for men to be abusive to their wives because it used to be an accepted thing, but Biff treats Willy like it's not, so context may be different here...) Willy gets angry at Biff for trying to take over the house and "be the man" and leaves, so Biff has to go and appease him. Biff comes in and makes peace with Willy, Happy comes along to tell them that he's getting married, to which no one gives a crap, and both of them leave. When Biff leaves, he goes down to the cellar and grabs the rubber pipe and heads back to his room; while this is happening, Willy and Linda talk in their room and Linda asks Willy what Biff has against him and why Biff is so angry at Willy. Willy responds to this with concise anger and the question is left hanging in the air, ending Act I.

Good God. Act II. I'm done writing this. No more extraneous detail. Hopefully.

The next morning Willy wakes with good spirits and Linda greets him with news that the boys left early, however moods take a turn when talk of money comes up; the refrigerator payment is due even though it just broke, the insurance premium is due and they're a little short due to the motor job on the "goddam Studebaker" (that he was raving about at first, but as soon as it breaks, it's a P.O.S.) Willy makes a reference about Charley as he talks about the refrigerator and how Charley's hasn't broken in 20 years and his has. Linda also informs him that they have the last payment on the mortgage and then the house belongs to them, after 25 years, an accomplishment they take note of. Willy starts to talk fondly about all the work he has put into the house (showing that his true calling should be a carpenter since he's fond of working with his hands and is good at it too.) As Willy is about to leave for work to go ask his boss Howard (who's in charge of the company) to find a job for him here in New York so he doesn't have to travel anymore, Linda tells him  that the boys are meeting him for dinner at Frank's Chop house and are "blowing him a big meal." Willy gets hopeful about this, but just as he's feeling good and leaving the house, he looks back and notices a stocking hanging out of one of Linda's pockets, making him feel like a failure even more because she has to darn her stockings and tells her to not darn her stockings while he's around because "it makes me nervous." Also while walking, he makes a comment about growing something in the garden, perhaps a sign of wanting to grow life and maybe of new beginnings and better signs of things to come.

When Willy leaves, Linda gets a call from Biff and enthuses that she went to find the rubber pipe and it was gone, however, Biff informs her that he removed the pipe. Linda feels less confident about things, but still is happy about them taking Willy out for dinner.

The scene then cuts to Howard and Willy in Howard's office. Willy is waiting to talk to Howard who is busy with a new gadget of his, a wire recorder. To show off his device to Willy, he plays the first recording he has on it, a recording of his daughter whistling and then Howard himself. Next is Howard's five year-old son listing off state capitals in alphabetical order, a much more impressive feat than whistling. The machine then goes out and Howard mentions that the maid kicked the plug out. Next is Howard's wife who just says "Oh, Howard, I can't talk into this..." Howard is embarrassed by all three girls that were portrayed on the recorder but is very proud of his son. As Howard is playing these recording, Willy has been trying to get Howard's attention and talk to him about getting a job in New York, but as Howard keeps ignoring Willy and taking the power in the interaction, Willy's confidence is running lower and lower, so when he finally gets Howard's attention to ask for a job in the city, Howard says that there are none. Willy cannot accept this though and keeps badgering Howard saying he'll take a decrease in pay while Howard keeps shutting Willy down. Willy is angry that a man younger than himself is in control and starts to get angry so he keeps trying and trying to get Howard to comply with him and give him a job and talks about how he was there when Howard was born, an attempt at gaining some power back. However, Howard sees through this and continues to dismiss Willy, causing Willy to snap and say one of his better known lines about long he's worked for the business and how he should be able to relax now, saying, "You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away--a man is not a piece of fruit!" After this interaction, Howard sees the mental distress Willy is under and fires him, saying he needs a nice long break and to ask his sons to help support him. Willy is unhappy about this and is left alone in Howard's office, starting to talk to his hallucination of his brother Ben.

He talks to Ben asking for advice on what to do, to which Ben gives Willy the answer but Willy doesn't know it: Ben says, "I've bought timberland in Alaska and I need a man to look after things for me," to which Willy replies with, "God, timberland! Me and my boys in those grand outdoors!" Willy gives himself the answer, but as he does, he asks for the approval of Linda, who responds with, "You're doing well enough, Willy!" This then shows a flashback to the past. Linda is stunting Willy's personal growth by telling him to stay where he is and in doing this is preventing Willy from finding his true calling of becoming a handyman who's good with his hands and working outside with his sons. Due to this, Willy doesn't go out to Alaska where he should be and would be successful and stays in New York where he is unsuccessful and unhappy. Willy stays because he still has hope due to his idol of a salesman that is 84 years old and can call any city and make a living over the phone. Willy has a false idea that he could do this, which still gives him hope to stay as a salesman. As Willy is trying to explain this to Ben in the flashback, he talks about how it's more important to be well liked and that "it's not what you do but who you know."

The scene then cuts to Charley's office where Willy is going to talk to Charley about borrowing money since he needs to pay his insurance and his mortgage. While going in, Biff's foil Bernard (son of Charley) is there, and starts talking to Willy. They exchange pleasantries and as they talk, Willy realizes how well Bernard has done in life and becomes angry and emotional and asks Bernard "what the secret is" to success and why Biff never found it.  Bernard asks Willy why Biff never took his summer school course after he flunked math to which Willy gets defensive and angry, thinking that it's his fault that Biff has made nothing of his life. Charley then enters and says goodbye to Bernard who has to leave to go defend a case, revealed to us as a Supreme Court case.

Willy is very impressed by this and is confused why his boys didn't turn out successfully like Bernard did when Charley didn't even try. He then asks Charley for $110 to pay his insurance and mortgage. Charley responds with a job offer to which Willy won't have to leave town every week and will get paid $50 a week. Willy, being prideful, is outraged at the fact that someone he counts as lower than himself is offering him a job. Charley then says an important realization for Willy: "Why must everyone like you?" Willy hears this, but doesn't seem to really take it in. He then leaves, on a low note saying, " ...you end up worth more dead than alive." This is the first time he says something of suicide in the story, apart from finding the rubber pipe next to the gas pipe. Willy leaves, and the scene cuts to Happy at the restaurant.

Happy is getting a table and ordering a bunch of nice things in order to celebrate everyone's, what was thought to be, successful days. Happy starts hitting on a girl that turns out to be a prostitute when Biff enters. He comes in and is upset because Bill Oliver didn't remember him, to which Biff realizes that he was never a salesman for Oliver but just a shipping clerk. Willy comes in and announces that he was fired, hoping to hear better news from Biff about his interview. Alas, Biff instead has to attempt to explain to his already mentally and emotionally unstable father that not only did Oliver not recognize him but after meeting with him, Biff sneaked back into Oliver's office and stole his pen.

While Biff is explaining this, Willy is off in his head, thinking of his flashback of when Bernard informed Linda that Biff failed out of math and will not graduate as well as remembers Bernard telling her that Biff has taken a train to Boston. Willy then recalls the time when Biff found out about his affair in Boston with that unnamed woman. Biff went to Boston to tell Willy that Willy needed to talk to Biff's math teacher and convince him to pass Biff. While attempting to hide the woman in the bathroom while Biff is there, she comes out and Biff sees her. Having lost faith in his father, he calls Willy "a fake" as he leaves.

The scene then cuts back into the present when the waiter at the restaurant, Stanley, knocks on the door of the bathroom and Willy is reminded that he is in the restaurant. Willy then returns home and starts to build the garden he was talking earlier to Linda about, even though it is night time. While planting the seeds, Ben appears to Willy and Willy cannot remember a previous conversation with Ben like he does throughout most of the play. Instead of having a flashback with Ben, Willy talks to Ben about committing suicide and how the insurance his boys would get would be great for their future. However, Ben reminds Willy that the insurance company might refuse to pay a settlement if the death is a suicide, and the fact that Biff might never forgive Willy for what he did.

At this, Biff comes up to Willy and says that he's leaving home for good, causing them to both argue. Finally, Biff brings up the issue of the rubber hose and brings it out accusingly, saying that he wont' feel sorry for Willy if he commits suicide. He then comes out and says that no one in the family has ever been honest with each other or even themselves. He then follows this up by saying that he and Willy are both ordinary people that can be replaced easily. Biff has his momentous realization which helps him move on with his life, however Willy has been set in his ways of thinking for far too long and sees the only way to help his sons is by killing himself and giving them his insurance policy. After laying everything out on the line, Biff and Willy make up, and as everyone heads upstairs and off to bed, Willy is reminded by Ben of his idea to give his life insurance money to his boys so that they may start up a business of their own. Willy sneaks out of the house and gets into his car and speeds off, killing himself.

The play ends with a scene of Linda, Biff, Happy, Charley and Bernard at Willy's grave site, everyone sad. The mood is especially sad since this is the only legacy that Willy left behind for himself.

Fin. Thank God. That's always a fun read, Death of a Salesman. Real pick-me-up.

Open Prompt #3

1986. Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. The chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or accelerated. Choose a novel, an epic, or a play of recognized literary merit and show how the author's manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

The use of flashbacks in literature can be meaningful in the times and situations that flashbacks happen. Arthur Miller, author of Death of a Salesman, uses flashbacks to manipulate time throughout the play, making comprehension of a scene difficult at times. Miller's manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the play by demonstrating the mental instability of the main character, Willy Loman.

Miller manipulates time in the story by using flashbacks that Willy has. These are specifically triggered by something that is currently happening to Willy. Miller also uses them in the story when Willy is unhappy or uncomfortable with a situation and wants an escape. The flashbacks always go back to happier times in Willy's life, however the validity of them is questionable throughout the play. When Willy glimpses back into the past and then comments on it in the present, he is often met with blank stares and questioning looks. This happens when Willy is speaking to Howard and is fighting for his job. He is remembering a time in the past when he thinks he was a fantastic salesman but really his fantasy is mixing with reality. Willy says to Howard "-in 1928 I had a big year. I averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in commissions," to which Howard replies with "Now, Willy, you never averaged--" but gets cut off from Willy's anger. Willy's remembering one thing but being doubted by Howard shows that as Willy remembers his past, he is having difficulty discerning what is real and what is fiction. This also happens in one of his flashbacks when Willy is remembering a time before Biff's football game at Ebbet's field. He is describing himself as being a hotshot salesman and says, "I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. 'Willy Loman is here!' That's all they have to know, and I go right through." However, this is not supported when Linda does the math of Willy's commission later in the scene, causing him to have to reassess the magnitude of his success and admit his overstatement. This use of flashbacks and false memories by manipulating time allows Miller to show Willy's mental instability.

Another way of showing Willy's mental instability through manipulation of time is through the character Ben, Willy's brother. Ben is never really with Willy in the present, yet Willy talks to Ben like he's sitting right next to him. Willy seems to do this especially when he's insecure about something or uncomfortable in a situation, also causes of his flashbacks. This happens in the scene when Willy is playing cards with Charley and in Willy's imagination Ben appears, for only Willy can see him. Willy speaks to Ben and says "I'm getting awfully tired, Ben," to which Charley, with confusion, responds with, "...Did you just call me Ben?" Willy says that Charley reminded him of his brother Ben, leading to a conversation about him. If the audience did not recognize before that Ben is an apparition of Willy's mind, it is said by Willy to Charley later. He says "Couple of weeks ago we got a letter from his wife in Africa. He died." The entire scene is mixed with conversations that Willy is having with Ben and Charley and the confusion and chaos that comes from it. Miller's manipulation of time by putting Ben, deceased, in the present as Willy's imagination, continues to show the audience the mental instability of the character Willy Loman.

Miller's use of time manipulation occurs when Willy feels the need to retreat from reality. Temporary escapes from reality are useful and sometimes necessary to escape, however Willy's escapes are not temporary, resulting in his suicide from his mental instability.