Act Two

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Act Two: The Present

In the present and the final few hours of Willy's life, a series of calamities push him to his final act.

The present

In the present, events soon begin to spiral downwards.
We move outside of the Loman home to Howard’s office, Charley’s office and the restaurant. In each new setting, a new calamity occurs.

The present cont.

Willy is effectively sacked from his job, refuses a job offer from Charley and is then abandoned by his sons.
The play moves swiftly towards its climax – Willy’s final confrontation, back home, with Biff.
It is after this that Willy decides on his final act.

Act Two: The Past

Willy’s memories and imaginings intrude into the present at an ever faster rate, eventually overwhelming him.

The past

As the play moves towards its final act of tragedy, Willy’s memories and imaginings intrude into the present at an ever faster rate:
- Young Bernard announcing that “Biff flunked Math!”
- The voice of the telephone operator.
- Biff entering the Boston hotel room.
- Ben’s entrance.

The past cont.

Each and every one overwhelms Willy.
He has less and less control over his mind and, as “sounds, faces, voices, seem to be swarming in upon him”, each memory propels him closer towards his self-destruction.

Requiem

The short final scene allows Willy’s family, and the audience, to reflect on Willy’s life.

Interpretations

The Requiem offers competing judgements, leaving the play (and Willy’s life) open to interpretation and argument:
- Biff rejects Willy’s values.
- Happy vows to fight on.

The mood

The play ends as it began, with the sound of a flute, but the mood at the play’s close is one of almost overwhelming sadness.

1Introduction

1.1Introductions

1.1.1Author

1.1.2Historical Context

1.1.3Setting

1.1.4Social Issues

2Act One

2.1Key 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

2.2Key Themes & Links

2.2.1Foreshadowing & Inevitability

2.2.2Time

2.2.3Settings

2.2.4Family

2.2.5Reality v Fantasy

3Act Two

3.1Key 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

3.2Key Themes & Links

3.2.1Pride

3.2.2Metaphor

3.2.3Self-Realisation

4Extended Passage Analysis

4.1Act One

4.1.1Staging

4.1.2The Woman

4.2Act Two

4.2.1In Howard’s Office

4.2.2The Final Confrontation

4.2.3The Requiem

5Character Profiles

5.1Willy & Linda Loman

5.1.1Willy Loman

5.1.2Linda Loman

5.2Biff & Happy Loman

5.2.1Biff Loman

5.2.2Biff's Relationship with Willy

5.2.3Happy Loman

5.3Other Characters

5.3.1Uncle Ben

5.3.2Charley

5.3.3Bernard

6Key Themes

6.1Concepts

6.1.1The American Dream

6.1.2Fathers & Sons

6.1.3Nature & the City

6.1.4Success

6.1.5Men & Women

7Writing Techniques

7.1Structure

7.1.1Act One

7.1.2Act Two

7.2Realism

7.2.1Introduction

7.2.2Staging

7.2.3Language

7.3Expressionism

7.3.1Introduction

7.3.2Staging

7.3.3Music

7.4Symbolism

7.4.1The Garden / Seeds

7.4.2Diamonds

7.4.3Alaska & Africa

7.5Motifs

7.5.1Introduction

7.5.2Cars

7.5.3Silk Stockings

7.5.4Money

7.5.5Mythological Figures

8Historical Context

8.1Historical Context

8.1.1Miller’s Family & The Great Depression

8.1.2America’s Recovery

9Literary Context

9.1Tragedy

9.1.1Introduction

9.2Applying 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

10Critical Debates

10.1Introduction

10.1.1Introduction

10.2The Marxist Reading

10.2.1Marxist Analysis

10.2.2The Marxist Reading

10.3The Feminist Reading

10.3.1Feminist Analysis

10.3.2The Feminist Reading

10.4The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.1Eco-Critical Analysis

10.4.2The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.3Post-pastoral

10.5Other Debates

10.5.1The Play as Tragedy

10.5.2The Critics

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