Death Of Salesman Analysis Task

Structural Elements of the movie
Narrative Elements
a. Character and characterization
Major Characters
• Willy Loman - A 63 year old. Willly Loman is an elderly salesman lost in false hopes and illusions.
• Linda Loman - The wife of Willy who tries to protect Willy’s feelings and can’t make herself it means hurting his feelings. She is always trying to stand between Willy and her sons to ease the tension.
• Biff Loman - A 34 year old son of Willy who has been searching for himself while working on farms in the west to the dismay of his father. Biff was a star football player in high school, with scholarships to two major universities.
• Happy Loman - The younger brother of Biff who tries in all he can to please his father and attempts to continue his father’s dream after he dies. He lives in an apartment in New York, and during the play is staying at his parent's house to visit. Happy is of low moral character; constantly with another woman, trying to find his way in life, even though he is confident he's on the right track.
Minor Characters
• Bernard - A bookish friend of Biff and Happy who urges Biff to study in high school to no avail, however, he himself makes it as a prominent lawyer and goes to argue a case to the Supreme Court at the end of the play. Bernard always studied and eventually became a successful lawyer, something that Willy has trouble dealing with.
• Charley - Charlie is the Loman's next door neighbor, and owns his own sales firm. He and Willy do not get along very well, but they are friends nonetheless. He is Bernard’s father who is fairly successful and offers Willy a job which Willy refuses on the basis of pride.
b. Plot
1) The Beginning
Biff returns from the west to visit his family although he doesn’t know how long he’s going to stay. Happy is glad to see him, but Willy seems strangely irritated. He talks to old friends he imagines to the chagrin of his family, but no one has the heart to confront him about it. Happy talks with Willy and asks him why he didn’t go to New England for his business trip. Willy explains that he almost hit a kid in Yonkers. He also tells his sons of his brother Ben who made a fortune on a trip to Africa.
2) The Middle
Biff talks with Linda and asks her about Willy’s condition. Linda explains that she can’t bring herself to confront Willy about it. She also tells Biff that Willy has attempted suicide by crashing the car several times. Willy comes out of his reverie and speaks with his family about their jobs. Happy has an idea of starting a line of sporting goods so Biff decides to go to Bill Oliver to ask to borrow money. Willy decides to go to Howard the next day to ask if he can work in New York so that he wouldn’t have to drive 700 miles to work.. The next day Willy goes to Howard and Biff goes to see Oliver. They decide to celebrate their success by going out for dinner at night. When Willy talks with Howard, he loses his temper and begins yelling at Howard who in turn fires him. After Biff goes to see Bill, Bill doesn’t remember him and doesn’t lend him money. At night, Biff and Happy arrive at the restaurant before their father. Biff explains to happy that he didn’t get the money, and happy encourages his brother to lie.

3) The end
Biff confronts Willy about his suicide attempts and Willy denies everything. He tells Biff that he did not get any money from Oliver and has no hope go get any money. He accuses Willy of not know who he really is. However, after this, Biff cries and leaves. Willy realizes that Biff loves him and decides to celebrate by killing himself by crashing the car which would give his family 20 thousand dollar in life insurance. No one but his family and Charley goes to his funeral.
c. Setting
Willy’s house - Small house in New York surrounded by apartments.
Restaurant - Restaurant where Stanley works where the Lomans were supposed to have dinner at the end of the play.
The hotel - The hotel where Willy stays while in New England for his business trips. This is where Biff catches his father in the affair.
d. Point of View
1) First person : Willy Loman
2) Second person : Linda Loman
3) Third person : Biff Loman and Happy Loman
e. Theme
The major theme and source of conflict is the play of Lomans in general cannot distinguish between reality and illusion, particularly Willy. Willy cannot see who he and his sons are. He believes that they are great men who have what it takes to be successful and beat the business world. Unfortunately, he is mistaken. In reality, Willy and sons are not, and cannot be successful.
Note: It deals with man and society.