7.5.4
Money
Money
Money
References to money are repeated throughout the play, with characters assessing their value in ‘cash terms’.
Willy's delusions
Willy's delusions
- In Howard’s office, Willy insists that “I averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in the year of 1928”, measuring his value in a financial calculation.
- However through previous scenes with Linda, audiences have probably learned not to take Willy at face value when he talks about how much money he has made.
Biff's calculations
Biff's calculations
- Biff, in assessing his and Willy’s lives in the final clash with his father, pleads with him to accept that he is only “one dollar an hour” and that they are both “a dime a dozen”.
- Willy, tragically, rejects this valuation.
Willy's worth
Willy's worth
- Willy has measured his own worth and has a “guaranteed twenty-thousand-dollar proposition” to transform the Lomans’ fortunes.
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
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