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Published byClemence Hart Modified over 9 years ago
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Death of a Salesman
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Chart for all the characters concerned Willy The father; the salesman The collapse of the characters’ dreams Biff The son Aspects of Willy Happy The son Aspects of Willy Ben Willy’s big brother Closer to real life and the image of Willy’s father Charley The friend Successful businessman Bernard Charley’s son; Biff’s friend Accomplished son Linda The mother; Willy’s Wife Desperate housewife, suffered
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Like father, like sons: Two Aspects of Willy BiffHappy Willy’s spiritual needsWilly’s materialism and sexuality To be successfulTo be happy Young Biff: GrandYoung Happy: Proud of him Lying to comfort WillyLying to make believe “Willy had the wrong dreams.”“He had a good dream.” Cf. Concern for Willy: “Help him!” Irony: “that’s not my father.” Defeated; facing the musicStubborn; inherit the dreams
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Willy/Biff vs. Charley/Bernard Unsuccessful Athletic More friendly, gregarious, and well-liked (according to Willy) Believe personality is important to success Successful Less athletic, more clumsy More serious, lack of personality, and not well-liked (according to Willy) Believe more concrete factors are more important
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Willy/Biff vs. Charley/Bernard Talk more; better skilled in talking Always talk about past experiences Do not always follow rules Clumsy in words More practical and live for the future Law abiding More helpful and loyal to Willy and Biff More thoughtful
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Roles of Charley & Bernard Represents success that Willy can’t achieve Represents reality and tries to bring Willy to reality Despite anger, still helps Willy for he is Willy’s only friend Represents what Willy wants Biff to become Knows the turning point of Willy/Biff relationship Shows that Willy’s way of educating Biff is not successful
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Bernard and Biff
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Biff Loman (1) was a star football player in high school, and there were 3 major universities would offer him scholarships. He failed math in his senior year and was not allowed to graduate. caught Willy being unfaithful to Linda So → changed Biff's view of his father and everything that Biff believed in.
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Biff Loman (2) finally sees the truth and realizes that he is just a "dime a dozen" but not a “ great leader of men.” He tells this to Willy who is outraged. Willy shouts, "I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman!" Biff realizes the illusions that Willy lived on. Biff is destined to no greatness, but he no longer has to struggle to understand what he wants to do with his life.
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Bernard Bernard is Charlie's son who was a childhood friends of Biff. Bernard always studied very hard and eventually became a successful lawyer. He always admires Biff.
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Willy and Biff have different explanations for Biff’s failure to succeed in the business world.
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Willy’s character (1) Despite his desperate searching through his past, Willy does not achieve the self- realization or self-knowledge typical of the tragic hero. The quasi-resolution that his suicide offers him represents only a partial discovery of the truth. While he achieves a professional understanding of himself and the fundamental nature of the sales profession, Willy fails to realize his personal failure and betrayal of his soul and family through the meticulously constructed artifice of his life.
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Willy’s character (2) Good at woodworking “Willy: A man who can’t handle tools is not a man.” Don’t good at selling Charley thinks Willy doesn’t suit to be a salesman
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Willy’s character (3) to keep up appearance Willy rejected Charley’s offer or even looked down it as job He has a job but without salary Willy doesn’t want to work but he want to have money
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Willy’s character (4) “Charley: Willy, when are you going to grow up?” Willy doesn’t want to change He is pessimistic “…and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.”
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Charley’s character (2) Charley functions as a sort of poetic prophet or sage. Miller portrays Charley as ambiguously gendered or effeminate, much like Tiresias,
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Charley’s character (1) He recognizes Willy’s financial failure, and the job offer that he extends to Willy constitutes a commonsense solution. Though he is not terribly fond of Willy, Charley understands his plight and shields him from blame. Charley is more realistic
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Willy vs. Charley Characters affect their work/business a lot Willy doesn’t suit to be a salesman/ businessman
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Linda (the housewife) and the mistress
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Linda Loman (1) – the heart and soul of the Loman household trying to share in Willy’s ideals loyal and supportive suffering and enduring Willy’s link to reality
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Linda Loman (2) struggling to come to terms with the city, her husband, and her sons a peace-maker in the family a role of observing
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The woman – Willy’s mistress of Boston making Will feel as though he were the salesman separating Willy from his family life Will’s concern for Linda is genuine but his need for success overcomes his feelings of loyalty
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BY/ Amal Al-Shehri Hanan Al-Gamdi Rehab al-Zahrani Dalal Khithamy Rania Al-Asmari
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Thank you
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