Act One: Key Events 10-12 Quotes

English Lit: AQA A Level Death of a Salesman, topic 11.2.4

Act One: Key Events 10-12

Here are three quotations showing key events in Act One:

Linda opens up to her sons about Willy’s deteriorating mental state and his suicidal impulses.
“He’s not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a man.”
- From one of the key speeches in the play, Linda’s lines sum up the play’s central message: that all human beings, however insignificant, deserve respect and dignity.

Biff and Happy tell Willy of their Loman Brothers business idea and Biff’s plan to visit Bill Oliver the next day in order to ask for a start-up loan.
“Start off with a couple of your good stories to lighten things up. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it – because personality always wins the day.”
- Willy repeats his mantra that success is built on “personality”, giving his sons the dubious advice that this alone, rather than substance will prevail.

“[The light on Willy is fading. The gas heater begins to glow through the kitchen wall…]”
- Miller uses lighting effects to undercut Willy’s optimism, with the “glow” from the gas heater reminding the audience of Willy’s suicidal urges. Act One ends on a note of impending doom, again signalling the inevitability of Willy’s demise.

According to Willy what "always wins the day”?
What does the "glow" remind the audience of?

“[The light on Willy is fading. The gas heater begins to glow through the kitchen wall…]”