Plot
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From the start of the play, the reader is introduced to the hardships that face the salesman, Willy Loman. The fast paced business world is no place for the aging Willy. The dedication and continuous work began to affect the man whose whole life had been to make something of himself and his family. Aging was not the only sign of Willy's stressful life; his mental health deteriorated as he questioned himself and who he truly was. He wondered why he struggled so much financially, and why his son Biff, the one son he put all his hope into to become a successful athlete, has become such a failure. These problems led Willy to start holding conversations and live in a life outside the present. He would hold these conversations with his older brother Ben, who is dead at the present, and would ask how to be successful like he was. This was not the only time Willy would live in the past. In the kitchen, were he would hold these discussions, he would also reflect back to when Biff and his other son Happy were young teens. This was the time when Biff was a success in sports, and when Willy hoped that his son would use his talents to bring pride to the Loman family. When Biff was not successful, he felt that he had disappointed his father. This relationship between father and son went through difficult times, yet was mended when the two reach a certain respect for each other.
The story Death of a Salesman shows what so many dream of, success. Willy didn't only want financial success like his brother, he also desired success for his children and family. He wanted people to think he was an important person his whole life, yet he was not. His struggles in life and his failure to mend his relation with Biff lead Willy to end his life sadly.
Willy: "I'm tired to the death.... I couldn't make it. I just couldn't make it, Linda." (13)
Willy's arrival home from a disappointing business trip begins the story. Willy explains to his wife Linda that he was driving on his long journey and he just could not focus on the road. The reader then learns about the visit that their two sons, Biff and Happy, have made back home. Biff has been away for 15 years traveling from job to job, and Happy lives in an apartment in the city and maintains a steady position. Willy can never understand why Biff can't just get a job and settle down. Too enraged to go to bed, Will goes to the kitchen to calm down.
Meanwhile, in their former bedroom, the two boys reflect on the mental deterioration of their father. They eventually begin to think about the good times they used to have together and about their hopes to succeed in the world.
Willy is still downstairs, yet now immersed in a flashback. The reader and Willy are now taken back to when Biff was a senior in high school. Biff, at that time, was a successful football star. His father had high hopes for his sons future. In the flashback the reader also sees a scene between Linda and Willy. Even 15 years earlier, Willy struggled financially. During this flashback, Willy also recalls an affair he had with another woman. A new character enters, Bernard, who warns Biff to start studying his math, or he will not graduate and be able to play football in college. Willy is enraged to hear that Biff's athletic career may be ruined, because his son is too obstinate to study. This rage is carried over to the present, and Happy is awoken by the loud conversation in the flashback.
Living in both the past and present at the same time, Willy worries some of the characters. As Happy comes down to calm his father, he ends up talking about Willy's brother, Ben. Willy talks about how successful his brother was on his ventures into Africa. Eventually the conversation leads away from Willy talking about Ben, and to Willy accusing his son of too carelessly spending his money. Hearing the argument, Charlie, the neighbor, comes to calm Willy with a game of cards. During the game, Charlie offers Willy a job; the salesman is too proud too accept. Willy again is caught living between the present and past by talking with Ben. Charlie becomes insulted and confused and decides to leave. The flashback takes the reader to the same time period but are now introduced to Ben. Willy admires his brother because of his financial success. At the end of the flashback, Willy tells his sons to go steal from the construction site next door to fix the front steps. Willy, now in the present, then goes for a walk. While gone, the boys ask why their father has acted so strangely. Linda accuses them of abandoning their father and mentions his suicide attempts with gas from the water heater. When Willy returns, the two boys think up a business venture with sporting goods and say they will borrow money from Bill Oliver, a former employee. Father becomes excited about the plan, yet before the end of the act Biff and Willy get into another fight. The scene concludes with the boys trying to make amends with their father.
Biff: "All right, phony! Then let's lay it on the line. (He whips the rubber tube out of his pocket and puts it on the table)" (130)
Act two begins with Willy optimistically viewing the business venture of his two sons, yet his hopes diminish when he loses his job. Willy takes this confidence and prepares to go to see his own boss and demand he gets transferred to New York City. After this, Willy will meet up with his two sons to celebrate both their successes. Willy goes to visit his boss, Howard, and finds out he is fired. Willy than talks about how he knew Howard's father and how much he knows about sales. Howard exits the room and Willy again flashes back to Biff's senior year. In the flashback, we find that Biff had three colleges after him. Willy comes out of the flashback and exits for Charlie's office. On the way, Willy meets Bernard and they wonder what happened to Biff after high school. Willy than meets Charlie and is offered 50 dollars; this would create the illusion to Linda that he is making money.
Willy arrives at Frank's Chop House to discover that both he and his sons failed. The first to actually arrive at the restaurant was Happy. When Biff arrived, Happy finds out that his trip was a failure. They wonder whether they should lie to their father, yet Biff is reluctant. Willy arrives and Biff begins to tell the truth! Happy tries to interrupt to turn the story around, yet Willy has discovered the truth. Willy leaves for the restroom to begin another flashback, while the two guys leave with a couple of women. Willy is now in a flashback to the time after Biff failed the important math test. He is at a hotel on a "business" trip, meeting with the woman with whom he is having an affair. Biff was so upset about his test, he decided to tell his father. He visited Willy and discovered the truth about his father and his affair. Willy awakens from the flashback and eventually leaves the restaurant confused.
When the two boys arrive home late at night, they have to confront their mother and their father's problems. When the two arrive from their dates, they find that Linda is upset they left their father at the restaurant. Biff wants to talk to Willy, yet Linda will not permit it. Willy is outside planting and talking to Ben. Willy talks about how he wants to leave his life insurance for Biff. Biff comes outside and tells his father he will leave and never return again. Both go inside and argue more. During the argument Biff pulls out the rubber hose that Willy tried kill himself with. The boys leave and Linda tells Willy that Biff has always loved him. As the house settles, Linda and the boys prepare for bed. Willy is now in the kitchen talking to Ben. He thinks the only way Biff will truly understand how important he was, was by all the people that would attend his funeral. Willy follows Ben out of the house and drives away.
Willy lives no longer. At the funeral, only Biff, Happy, Linda, Charlie, and Bernard are in attendance. Linda, after the funeral, states her final farewell to her husband.
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