11.2.5

Act One: Stage Direction Quotes

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Act One: The Opening Stage Direction - Quotations

Miller captures the psychological turmoil felt by Willy Loman in the last 24 hours of his life. Here are a few quotations from the stage directions:

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Props

  • “Silver athletic trophy”.
    • Won by Biff.
    • Reminds us (and perhaps Biff himself also) that he has failed to live up to the promise of his high school days.
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Props cont.

  • The “refrigerator”.
    • A symbol of how new consumer goods are now being regarded as status symbols (“They got the biggest ads of any of them!”), as well as being a considerable financial pressure on the Lomans’ monthly household budget.
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Lighting over the Loman house

  • “Towering, angular shapes”.
  • “Angry glow of orange”.
    • Create a sense of urban oppression.

Act One: The Stage Space and Music - Quotations

Here are a few quotations about the stage space and music in Act One:

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A “continuous present”

  • The dividing line between past and present dissolves, helping to capture Willy’s feelings of confusion and bewilderment.
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“Destroyed the boundaries”

  • Miller stressed that memory scenes, which become more frequent as Willy comes closer to collapse, “destroyed the boundaries” between past and present.
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"Flute"

  • The play opens with the sound of a “flute” - a symbol of nature, freedom and beauty.
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“Grass and trees...”

  • The flute sings of "grass and trees and the horizon".
    • Creates a contrast with the oppressive cityscape which threatens to engulf the Loman household.
    • Brings to mind the countryside which Willy so loves.

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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