7.1.1

Act One

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Introduction: Past & Present

Miller’s structuring of Death of a Salesman is unique in the free alternation between past and present.

Structure

Structure

Miller’s structuring of Death of a Salesman is unique.
A two-act play with a coda (concluding passage) at the end (in the form of the short Requiem scene), the play freely alternates between past and present, all depending on Willy Loman’s psychological state at that moment in the play.

Miller's intention

Miller's intention

Willy’s memories and imaginings help to drive the plot forward: as Miller himself said of his play, when he first sat down to write it he only knew that “if I could make him remember enough he would kill himself.”

Act One: The Present

The ‘present’ of the play takes in the final 24 hours of Willy Loman’s life.

The present

The present

The ‘present’ of the play takes in the final 24 hours of Willy Loman’s life.
Willy enters the house in the middle of the night and the rest of Act One shows us Linda, Charley, Happy & Biff all getting up to investigate why Willy has abandoned his trip.

Staging

Staging

The action alternates between the kitchen, the boys’ bedroom and a brief scene in Willy and Linda’s bedroom.

Emotions

Emotions

Act One almost ends on a note of excitement and expectancy, with Willy again convinced of his sons’ future success.
But Miller undercuts this mood as the lighting on Willy begins to fade and we follow Biff into the kitchen and to the rubber tubing hidden behind the gas heater.
Act One instead ends with an atmosphere of impending doom.

Act One: The Past

Miller deliberately did not make a neat dividing line between past and present and Willy's memories become increasingly convoluted.

Memories

Memories

Willy’s memories are triggered by events in the present.
His first memory, of Biff simonising his Chevrolet, is sparked by his discussing his present car with Linda.
His memory of The Woman arises from his feelings of inadequacy and Linda’s efforts to console him.

Affecting the audience

Affecting the audience

We can see the pain, confusion and guilt that these memories cause Willy and audiences may be alarmed at how easily Willy blurs past and present, talking to Ben during his card game with Charley.

Convergence of past and present

Convergence of past and present

It is important to remember that, strictly speaking, these scenes set in the past are NOT flashbacks (although AQA will NOT penalise you for using this term).
There is no neat dividing line between past and present.
Instead, in Miller’s own words, Willy “is at that terrible moment when the voice of the past is… as loud as the voice of the present.”

1

Introduction

1.1

Introductions

1.1.1Author 1.1.2Historical Context 1.1.3Setting 1.1.4Social Issues

2

Act One

2.1

Key Events

2.1.1Staging 2.1.2Key Events 1&2 2.1.3Key Events 3&4 2.1.4Key Events 5&6 2.1.5Key Events 7&8 2.1.6Key Events 9&10 2.1.7Key Events 11&12

2.2

Key Themes & Literary Techniques

2.2.1Foreshadowing, Flashbacks, Settings 2.2.2Family, Reality, Fantasy

3

Act Two

3.1

Key Events

3.1.1Key Events 1&2 3.1.2Key Events 3&4 3.1.3Key Events 5&6 3.1.4Key Events 7&8 3.1.5Key Events 9&10

3.2

Key Themes & Links

3.2.1Pride 3.2.2Metaphor 3.2.3Self-Realisation

4

Extended Passage Analysis

4.1

Act One

4.1.1Staging 4.1.2The Woman

4.2

Act Two

4.2.1In Howard’s Office 4.2.2The Final Confrontation 4.2.3The Requiem

5

Character Profiles

5.1

Willy & Linda Loman

5.1.1Willy Loman 5.1.2Linda Loman

5.2

Biff & Happy Loman

5.2.1Biff Loman 5.2.2Biff's Relationship with Willy 5.2.3Happy Loman

5.3

Other Characters

5.3.1Uncle Ben 5.3.2Charley 5.3.3Bernard

6

Key Themes

6.1

Concepts

6.1.1The American Dream 6.1.2Fathers & Sons 6.1.3Nature & the City 6.1.4Success 6.1.5Men & Women

7

Writing Techniques

7.1

Structure

7.1.1Act One 7.1.2Act Two

7.2

Realism

7.2.1Introduction 7.2.2Staging 7.2.3Language

7.3

Expressionism

7.3.1Introduction 7.3.2Staging 7.3.3Music

7.4

Symbolism

7.4.1The Garden / Seeds 7.4.2Diamonds 7.4.3Alaska & Africa

7.5

Motifs

7.5.1Introduction 7.5.2Cars 7.5.3Silk Stockings 7.5.4Money 7.5.5Mythological Figures

8

Historical Context

8.1

Historical Context

8.1.1Miller’s Family & The Great Depression 8.1.2America’s Recovery

9

Literary Context

9.1

Tragedy

9.1.1Introduction

9.2

Applying Tragic Concepts

9.2.1The Tragic Hero 9.2.2The Tragic Flaw 9.2.3Recognition 9.2.4Emotional Release 9.2.5Chaos & Disorder 9.2.6Revenge 9.2.7Inevitability

10

Critical Debates

10.1

Introduction

10.1.1Introduction

10.2

The Marxist Reading

10.2.1Marxist Analysis 10.2.2The Marxist Reading

10.3

The Feminist Reading

10.3.1Feminist Analysis 10.3.2The Feminist Reading

10.4

The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.1Eco-Critical Analysis 10.4.2The Eco-Critical Reading 10.4.3Post-pastoral

10.5

Other Debates

10.5.1The Play as Tragedy 10.5.2The Critics

11

Recap: Main Quotes

Jump to other topics

1

Introduction

1.1

Introductions

1.1.1Author 1.1.2Historical Context 1.1.3Setting 1.1.4Social Issues

2

Act One

2.1

Key Events

2.1.1Staging 2.1.2Key Events 1&2 2.1.3Key Events 3&4 2.1.4Key Events 5&6 2.1.5Key Events 7&8 2.1.6Key Events 9&10 2.1.7Key Events 11&12

2.2

Key Themes & Literary Techniques

2.2.1Foreshadowing, Flashbacks, Settings 2.2.2Family, Reality, Fantasy

3

Act Two

3.1

Key Events

3.1.1Key Events 1&2 3.1.2Key Events 3&4 3.1.3Key Events 5&6 3.1.4Key Events 7&8 3.1.5Key Events 9&10

3.2

Key Themes & Links

3.2.1Pride 3.2.2Metaphor 3.2.3Self-Realisation

4

Extended Passage Analysis

4.1

Act One

4.1.1Staging 4.1.2The Woman

4.2

Act Two

4.2.1In Howard’s Office 4.2.2The Final Confrontation 4.2.3The Requiem

5

Character Profiles

5.1

Willy & Linda Loman

5.1.1Willy Loman 5.1.2Linda Loman

5.2

Biff & Happy Loman

5.2.1Biff Loman 5.2.2Biff's Relationship with Willy 5.2.3Happy Loman

5.3

Other Characters

5.3.1Uncle Ben 5.3.2Charley 5.3.3Bernard

6

Key Themes

6.1

Concepts

6.1.1The American Dream 6.1.2Fathers & Sons 6.1.3Nature & the City 6.1.4Success 6.1.5Men & Women

7

Writing Techniques

7.1

Structure

7.1.1Act One 7.1.2Act Two

7.2

Realism

7.2.1Introduction 7.2.2Staging 7.2.3Language

7.3

Expressionism

7.3.1Introduction 7.3.2Staging 7.3.3Music

7.4

Symbolism

7.4.1The Garden / Seeds 7.4.2Diamonds 7.4.3Alaska & Africa

7.5

Motifs

7.5.1Introduction 7.5.2Cars 7.5.3Silk Stockings 7.5.4Money 7.5.5Mythological Figures

8

Historical Context

8.1

Historical Context

8.1.1Miller’s Family & The Great Depression 8.1.2America’s Recovery

9

Literary Context

9.1

Tragedy

9.1.1Introduction

9.2

Applying Tragic Concepts

9.2.1The Tragic Hero 9.2.2The Tragic Flaw 9.2.3Recognition 9.2.4Emotional Release 9.2.5Chaos & Disorder 9.2.6Revenge 9.2.7Inevitability

10

Critical Debates

10.1

Introduction

10.1.1Introduction

10.2

The Marxist Reading

10.2.1Marxist Analysis 10.2.2The Marxist Reading

10.3

The Feminist Reading

10.3.1Feminist Analysis 10.3.2The Feminist Reading

10.4

The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.1Eco-Critical Analysis 10.4.2The Eco-Critical Reading 10.4.3Post-pastoral

10.5

Other Debates

10.5.1The Play as Tragedy 10.5.2The Critics

11

Recap: Main Quotes

Practice questions on Act One

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

1
What time periods does _Death of a Salesman_ alternate between?Multiple choice
2
Features of the structure of _Death of a Salesman_:True / false
3
Where does the action alternate between in _Death of a Salesman_?True / false
4
Features of Act One of _Death of a Salesman_:True / false
5
Where does the action of Act One alternate between?Fill in the list

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Men & Women

Act Two