11.2.1

Act One: Key Events 1-3 Quotes

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Act One: Key Events 1-3

Here are three quotations showing key events in Act One:

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Quotation 1

  • Miller immediately presents Willy as a character in a state of crisis.
    • “I’m tired to the death… I couldn’t make it. I just couldn’t make it, Linda.”
      • Miller immediately foreshadows Willy’s fate. Willy’s references to “making it” can also be read symbolically as referring to Willy’s crushing sense of failure – he has been unable to “make it” as a salesman.
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Quotation 2

  • Linda tries to comfort and reassure her husband.
    • “LINDA: [very carefully, delicately]: Where were you all day?”
      - Linda realises her husband is close to psychological collapse (__“Your mind is overactive”__) and prone to losing his temper. As a result, she must treat him sensitively, almost maternally, avoiding direct confrontation. 
      
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Quotation 3

  • Willy becomes “worried and angered” when discussing the difficult relationship he has with his son.
    • “Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such - personal attractiveness, gets lost.”The quote reveals much about Willy.
      • We see Willy's unquestioning belief in America as a land where everything is possible and see how he conflates popularity and charisma (“personal attractiveness”) with success.

Jump to other topics

1Introduction

2Act One

3Act Two

4Extended Passage Analysis

5Character Profiles

6Key Themes

7Writing Techniques

8Historical Context

9Literary Context

10Critical Debates

11Recap: Main Quotes

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