2.1.3

Key Events 3&4

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Act One: Key Event Three

As Act One progresses, Miller starts to introduce the rest of the Loman family and their familial relationships.

Key event three

Key event three

  • Biff, Willy and Linda’s oldest son, has returned home.
  • He and his younger brother, Happy, are upstairs while their parents discuss them below.
Significance

Significance

  • Biff dominates the discussion, with Miller’s stage direction telling us that Willy becomes “worried and angered” when discussing the difficult relationship he has with his son.
  • We will learn in Act Two what is at the root of this conflict.
Quotation

Quotation

  • “Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such - personal attractiveness, gets lost.”
Explanation

Explanation

  • The quote reveals much about Willy.
  • We see his unquestioning belief in America as a land where everything is possible and see how he conflates popularity and charisma (“personal attractiveness”) with success.
  • However, his sarcastic repetition of “lost” betrays his resentment (and guilt) at Biff’s lack of progress.

Act One: Key Event Four

As Act One progresses, Miller starts to introduce the rest of the Loman family and their familial relationships.

Key event four

Key event four

  • Upstairs, Happy discusses his father with the recently returned Biff.
Significance

Significance

  • In this short section, the boys sum up their lives so far, revealing their doubts and insecurities.
  • Both feel a sense of dissatisfaction and restlessness, fearing that each may be wasting their lives.
Quotation

Quotation

  • “HAPPY: …Like I’m not supposed to take bribes. Manufacturers offer me a hundred-dollar bill now and then to throw an order their way. You know how honest I am, but it’s like this girls, see. I hate myself for it… and still, I take it…”
Explanation

Explanation

  • This quote links to Happy’s last lines in the play when he tells Biff how he will stay in New York and beat this “racket”.
  • Happy knows how corrupt his line of work can be and, in this quote, he reveals how corrupt he is.
Explanation cont.

Explanation cont.

  • Moreover, like his father, he is blind to the contradiction between reality and his idealised perception of who he is.
  • Despite accepting bribes and sleeping with the partners of colleagues, Happy still perceives himself to be “honest”.
Jump to other topics
1

Introduction

1.1

Introductions

1.1.1Author1.1.2Historical Context1.1.3Setting1.1.4Social Issues
2

Act One

2.1

Key Events

2.1.1Staging2.1.2Key Events 1&22.1.3Key Events 3&42.1.4Key Events 5&62.1.5Key Events 7&82.1.6Key Events 9&102.1.7Key Events 11&12
2.2

Key Themes & Literary Techniques

2.2.1Foreshadowing, Flashbacks, Settings2.2.2Family, Reality, Fantasy
3

Act Two

3.1

Key Events

3.1.1Key Events 1&23.1.2Key Events 3&43.1.3Key Events 5&63.1.4Key Events 7&83.1.5Key Events 9&10
3.2

Key Themes & Links

3.2.1Pride3.2.2Metaphor3.2.3Self-Realisation
4

Extended Passage Analysis

4.1

Act One

4.1.1Staging4.1.2The Woman
4.2

Act Two

4.2.1In Howard’s Office4.2.2The Final Confrontation4.2.3The Requiem
5

Character Profiles

5.1

Willy & Linda Loman

5.1.1Willy Loman5.1.2Linda Loman
5.2

Biff & Happy Loman

5.2.1Biff Loman5.2.2Biff's Relationship with Willy5.2.3Happy Loman
5.3

Other Characters

5.3.1Uncle Ben5.3.2Charley5.3.3Bernard
6

Key Themes

6.1

Concepts

6.1.1The American Dream6.1.2Fathers & Sons6.1.3Nature & the City6.1.4Success6.1.5Men & Women
7

Writing Techniques

7.1

Structure

7.1.1Act One7.1.2Act Two
7.2

Realism

7.2.1Introduction7.2.2Staging7.2.3Language
7.3

Expressionism

7.3.1Introduction7.3.2Staging7.3.3Music
7.4

Symbolism

7.4.1The Garden / Seeds7.4.2Diamonds7.4.3Alaska & Africa
7.5

Motifs

7.5.1Introduction7.5.2Cars7.5.3Silk Stockings7.5.4Money7.5.5Mythological Figures
8

Historical Context

8.1

Historical Context

8.1.1Miller’s Family & The Great Depression8.1.2America’s Recovery
9

Literary Context

9.1

Tragedy

9.1.1Introduction
9.2

Applying Tragic Concepts

9.2.1The Tragic Hero9.2.2The Tragic Flaw9.2.3Recognition9.2.4Emotional Release9.2.5Chaos & Disorder9.2.6Revenge9.2.7Inevitability
10

Critical Debates

10.1

Introduction

10.1.1Introduction
10.2

The Marxist Reading

10.2.1Marxist Analysis10.2.2The Marxist Reading
10.3

The Feminist Reading

10.3.1Feminist Analysis10.3.2The Feminist Reading
10.4

The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.1Eco-Critical Analysis10.4.2The Eco-Critical Reading10.4.3Post-pastoral
10.5

Other Debates

10.5.1The Play as Tragedy10.5.2The Critics
11

Recap: Main Quotes

11.1

Characters Quotes

11.1.1Willy Loman11.1.2Linda Loman11.1.3Biff Loman11.1.4Happy Loman11.1.5Uncle Ben11.1.6Charley11.1.7Bernard
11.2

Quotes by Act

11.2.1Act One: Key Events 1-3 Quotes11.2.2Act One: Key Events 4-6 Quotes11.2.3Act One: Key Events 7-9 Quotes11.2.4Act One: Key Events 10-12 Quotes11.2.5Act One: Stage Direction Quotes11.2.6Act One: The Woman Quotes11.2.7Act Two: Key Events 1-2 Quotes11.2.8Act Two: Key Events 3-4 Quotes11.2.9Act Two: Key Events 5-6 Quotes11.2.10Act Two: Key Events 7-8 Quotes11.2.11Act Two: Key Events 9-10 Quotes11.2.12Act Two: Howard's Office Quotes11.2.13Act Two: The Requiem Quotes

Practice questions on Key Events 3&4

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What does Willy become (according to the stage directions) when discussing his relationship with Biff?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Act One: Happy to Biff:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    How does Happy describe himself to Biff in Act One? Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Happy's dishonest actions: Fill in the list
Answer all questions on Key Events 3&4

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Key Events 1&2

Key Events 5&6