Death+of+a+Salesman

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Willy Loman is an old salesman with two oddly named children, Happy and Biff. He seems to be mentally unstable, but that could be just because he's old and senile. He contradicts himself often and other nuts stuff, such as almost suicide, and not being able to remember things that happened just five minutes before. He is a believer in meritocracy and the american dream.
 * Justin Bullivant's Responses:**


 * Jesse Miller's Responses:**

Willy Loman is a 60 year old salesmen who feels that he is basically falling apart, although his wife does not think it is as drastic as he does. "And then all of a sudden I'm goin' off the road! I'm tellin' ya, I absolutely forgot I was driving" (14). This quote indirectly shows that he is getting so old that he is very easily distracted, which affect him in very negative ways during his life. I believe the author also tries to make us question whether he is becoming senile, or simply crazy. This is very well exemplified by the following quote: "The trouble is he's lazy, goddammit! ... There's one thing about Biff – he's not lazy" (16). These two lines would be several seconds away from each other in a real life conversation, and he is contradicting himself in them. The author was obviously trying to make him seem either crazy or senile, but I believe he is trying to keep us questioning this early in the play if he is truly mad or not. Willy is also optimistic at times. "Bernard can get the best marks in school, y'understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y'understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him" (33). This quote is him telling his sons that although they are not doing wonderfully now, they will eventually do very well later in life in terms of business.

Willy Loman is an old traveling salesman who is on the brink of retirement. Although he does not wish it to be true, he is getting too old to continue the hectic and stressful life of his trade. His mind is going, and it has become hazardous for his health to continue. As he described, "And then all of a sudden I'm goin' off the road! I'm tellin' ya, I absolutely forgot I was I was driving"(14). Along with his decreasing mental health, Willy also has a great love of nature. Even if he living in a city, Willy still finds joy when surrounded my nature. When confronted with the reality of his current living space, Willy stated, "The street is lined with cars. There's not a breath of freah air in the neighborhood. The grass don't grow any more, you can't raise a carrot in the back yard. They should've had a law against apartment houses"(15). The most important characteristic of Willy's is how he views himself. Like with most people, you can learn a lot by how someone looks at them self. Willy explains, "I'm fat I'm very-foolish to look at, Linda. I didn't tell you, but Christmas time I happened to be calling on F.H. Stewarts, and a salesman I know, as I was going in to see the buyer I heard him say something about-walrus"(37). Although Willy seems to portray himself as a huge success, he seems to believe himself a failure who is loathed by all.
 * James Sepelyak's Response**

__//**Christopher Damon's Response:**//__ Willy Loman is the first character introduced in the play, “Death of a Salesman.” He is the father of Happy and Biff, and husband of Linda. Willy is a salesman that travels from city to city. He currently is experiencing difficulty that he has never known before. “No, it’s me, it’s me. Suddenly I realize I’m goin’ sixty miles an hour and I don’t remember the last five minutes. I’m—I can’t seem to—keep my mind to it.” (13). This is the first instance we, as the reader, learn that Willy is beginning to succumb to some kind of disability that is keeping him from doing his job. Willy and Linda then have a conversation about their son, Biff. Linda makes a reference of Willy scolding Biff unjustifiably. “You shouldn’t have criticized him, Willy, especially after he just got off the train. You mustn’t lose your temper with him.” (15). This conversation allow the reader to understand that Willy is disappointed in his son, and wants to convey those feelings to him. Finally, when Willy is in the kitchen, he begins to talk to himself, even though he thinks he is reliving a memory of when he and his sons were younger. “I been wondering why you polish the car so careful. Ha! Don’t leave the hubcaps, boys. Get the chamois to the hubcaps. Happy, use newspaper on the windows, it’s the easiest thing. Show him how to do it, Biff! You see, Happy? “ (28). This shows that Willy is going into a state of mental deterioration or possible insanity thinking he is talking to his children as if it was years ago.

__**Jamie's Response:**__ Willy Loman is a hard worker, and he is both admired and made fun of. We know Willy is a hard worker because he goes out and works very hard and for a very long time: "But I gotta be at it ten, twelve hours a day." (37) We also know that Willy is a hard worker because he is so worn down by his job that he can barely work. We also know that Willy is admired. Willy is both admired by his family, and by the people he works with, but he is especially admired by his sons: "This Saturday, Pop, this Saturday- just for you, I'm going to break through for a touchdown." (32) Despite being greatly admired by his family, he is sometimes not as well-liked in the business world, and can even be made fun of: "I didn't tell you, but Christmas time I happened to be calling on F.H. Stewarts, and a salesman I know, as I was going in to see the buyer I heard him say something about- walrus." (37) These jokes also lead to a little lack of Willy's self-confidence when it comes to his job.

Willy Loman is a very hard working man. Although Willy is 60 years old, “His exhaustion is apparent” (12). Linda suggests that Willy should take a break: “But you didn’t rest your mind. Your mind is overactive, and the mind is what counts, dear” (13). Willy works very hard and he is often hard on his son Biff for not knowing what he wants to do with his life: “In the greatest country in the world a young man with such--personal attractiveness, gets lost” (16). Willy has high expectations for his children because he has high goals and dreams for himself. Willy explains to his sons the dream he wants: “Someday I’ll have my own business, and I’ll never have to leave home any more” (30). This is Willy’s version of the American dream. Willy is short tempered. Linda asks him, “You didn’t smash the car, did you?” (12). Willy is easily aggravated and Linda makes sure that he keeps his cool: “You mustn’t lose your temper with him [Biff]” (15). After his wife asks him if he smashed the car, Willy gets defensive: “With casual irritation: I said nothing happened. Didn’t you hear me?” (13). Willy makes a big deal out of things that are not important. Linda tries to calm down Willy and she says, “You make mountains out of molehills” (18). Arthur Miller effectively uses alliteration to catch the eye of the reader by comparing two consecutive words that begin with the same letter. Willy is very dramatic, but this might be a result of his pure craziness. Willy is crazy because he contradicts himself: “Biff is a lazy bum! ...There’s one thing about Biff--he’s not lazy” (16). After Linda explains to Willy that she bought American cheese instead of Swiss cheese, Willy said, “I don’t want a change! I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?” (17) Linda proves her infinite patience when Willy asks for her to open a window, while they are all already open. This quote uses irony to prove that Willy is crazy because he asks why he is always contradicted, meanwhile he had previously contradicted himself moments before. Willy’s mind is all over the place because he constantly is changing the subject. Willy seems to have ADD because he is easily distracted. In the beginning of the play there is a flute playing and Willy, “hears but is not aware of it” (12). Later Willy changes the subject and says, “Now isn’t that peculiar! Isn’t that a remarkable-- He breaks off in amazement and fright as the flute is heard distantly” (18). It is early in the play, so it is difficult to know why Linda puts up with Willy, but she has a lot of patience and knows how to deal with Willy’s insanity.
 * Elena Veale (I seem to be unable to make the font smaller because i copied it from google docs)**

We learn many important details in the beginning of Act 1. First, Willy Loman is one of the most important characters in the play and appears to be the protagonist. He is a salesman, the father of Happy and Biff and is married to Linda. In the beginning of the novel, we as the audience begin to notice that Willy is not completely well; he appears to be losing his mind. He says, “Suddenly I realize I’m goin’ sixty miles an hour and I don’t remember the last five minutes. I’m—I can’t seem to—keep my mind to it.” (13). From the title, we can guess that he’s going to die and this recent mental strain that he has faced appears to be foreshadowing to his death. Another thing that is apparent in the first 39 pages is Willy’s love for the outdoors. He complains saying, “There's not a breath of freah air in the neighborhood” (15). Finally we learn of Willy’s affair that has created a rift between him and Biff.
 * __Graham Haubert's Response:__**

__**Caroline Ehman**__ Willy Loman is characterized in "Death of a Salesman" from the very first few pages. At first, he seems mentally sane, although exhausted. As the act continues, however, it starts to become apparent that Willy Loman is not mentally sound. I find his character comparable to Mama's husband in Raisin in the Sun, because they are both driven into the ground from their jobs. Something that stuck out to me while reading is that Willy contradicts himself when talking about Biff's work ethic. He says, "The trouble is, he's lazy goddamnit!" and then states "If there's one thing about Biff-- he's not lazy." Further on, Willy is mumbling to himself in the living room while his sons are talking in their bedroom. It almost seems like he's an old man that's passed into a stage of life where his brain is no longer capable of the things it used to be capable of. Although Willy is only 60, his stressful job has made his sanity crumble. His wife is patient and supportive, and always looks out for him. She proves this by telling him "you didn’t rest your mind. Your mind is overactive, and the mind is what counts, dear." (13) Eliza durham

1. Willy Lowman has almost a bipolar personality. one moment he will be excited and powerful but the next shy and insecure. "Willy: The trouble is he's lazy...Biff Lowman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such-personal attractiveness, gets lost...There's one thing about Biff-- he's not lazy."(27) Willy is also a dreamer. He has big ideas about what the world should look like and how people should act. His sons haven't accomplished much even though they are both in their 30's, and now he has to work more even though he has worked for his company for more then 30 years and he's in his 60's. He doesn't feel like he has accomplished much. "You can imagine, me looking at scenery, on the road every week of my life. but it's so beautiful up there, linda, the trees are so thick, the sun so warm... And then all of a sudden I'm going off the road!..." (25). Willy has big dreams for his children but his children seem to be lost, "...I don't know what the future is. I don't know--what I'm supposed to want."(33). Willy and the rest of his family seem lost.

2. Willy Lowman see's masculinity as a thing earned through money and through business success, "Ben: Opportunity is tremendous in Alaska, William. Surprised you're not up there."(54) this is why WIlly respects his older brother so much because his brother has so much money in the diamond business. He seemed to get rich with no effort, "Why boys when i was seventeen i walked into the jungle, and when i was twenty one i walked out. And by god i was rich." (57). Willy respects men who have made a name for themselves in a business world but not those who try and find themselves.