5.3.2
Charley
Charley's Relationship with Willy
Charley's Relationship with Willy
Almost ten years after the first performance of the play, Arthur Miller wrote that Charley is “the most decent man” in the play.
Similarities
Similarities
- Miller points out that Charley’s aims are not too different from Willy’s as he tries to build a successful career and wants his son to succeed, but Charley is not, in Miller’s word, a “fanatic” like Willy.
- Charley conducts himself quietly and modestly and instils “worthwhile” values into his son.
Charley's generosity
Charley's generosity
- Charley’s decency can be seen in many ways.
- He enters the Loman household in Act One, clearly concerned after being disturbed by noise.
- He listens to Willy’s complaints, lends Willy money and, in Willy’s moment of crisis, offers him a job: “You can make fifty dollars a week. And I won’t send you on the road.”
- His impulse is to be generous to Willy throughout.
True friendship
True friendship
- Charley is also a true friend to Willy (Willy will admit that Charley is “the only friend I got”) in that he is able to stand up to him and tries to get Willy to accept reality.
- When frustrated, he is able to tell Willy that “enough is enough” and “I know when I’m being insulted”.
Criticisms
Criticisms
- Charley is also able to criticise Willy for his upbringing of Biff and Happy.
- When Willy boasts of his boys’ initiative and daring in stealing building materials from the construction site, Charley warns Willy that “the jails are full of fearless characters”.
- We later learn that Charley will be proved right years later.
Charley's Defence of Willy
Charley's Defence of Willy
Charley tries to help his friend after Willy is fired, and then continues to defend him after his death.
Tyring to help
Tyring to help
- Charley senses the change in Willy after he has been fired and is clearly disturbed enough by Willy’s words and behaviour to urge that “nobody’s worth nothin’ dead”.
- Willy, however, is now beyond Charley’s help.
- Instead, the voice Willy responds to now is Ben’s.
Defence
Defence
- Charley offers a defence of Willy’s dreams in the Requiem.
- His speech demonstrates that he understands the precarious existence of a salesman in that he is always dependant on how his buyers respond to him: “when they start not smiling back - that’s an earthquake.”
Understanding
Understanding
- Charley understands the insecurities Willy has been battling with for years and how Willy has compensated for this:
- “A salesman is got to dream, boy, It comes with the territory”.
Language
Language
- Charley’s language in the Requiem tries to give Willy’s life and death a sense of grandeur with the almost Biblical tones of “Nobody dast blame this man”.
- Throughout his speech, Charley looks to honour his friend.
1Introduction
1.1Introductions
2Act One
3Act Two
4Extended Passage Analysis
5Character Profiles
5.1Willy & Linda Loman
5.2Biff & Happy Loman
5.3Other Characters
6Key Themes
7Writing Techniques
7.1Structure
7.3Expressionism
8Historical Context
8.1Historical Context
9Literary Context
9.1Tragedy
10Critical Debates
10.1Introduction
10.2The Marxist Reading
10.3The Feminist Reading
10.4The Eco-Critical Reading
10.5Other Debates
Jump to other topics
1Introduction
1.1Introductions
2Act One
3Act Two
4Extended Passage Analysis
5Character Profiles
5.1Willy & Linda Loman
5.2Biff & Happy Loman
5.3Other Characters
6Key Themes
7Writing Techniques
7.1Structure
7.3Expressionism
8Historical Context
8.1Historical Context
9Literary Context
9.1Tragedy
10Critical Debates
10.1Introduction
10.2The Marxist Reading
10.3The Feminist Reading
10.4The Eco-Critical Reading
10.5Other Debates
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered