WillyLoman'sPotencyin an Episode
of ArthurMilledsDeathpf a
Salesman
PatrickMcEvoy-Halston
9712576
English437R01
Dr. Baillargeon
August1011998
-l-
InthisepisodpwewitnessBiffworkingwithhishands,pofishing
andwashingthecar,
andaboutto takedownthebigbranchof thetree. Thisis thesortof labourhewilllater
findsatisffingas a profession;
andthisis nosurpriseconsidering
howWillyemphasizes
thedramaof theseactivities,
offeringencouragement theirsignificance,
suggesting and
a surpriseaftertheyaredoneas if in rewardfor a jobwelldone.Willybarksordersas if
thecarwasa military
cleaning operatiofl"Oon't
leavethehubcaps...Get
thechamois
to
thehubcaps...use
newspaper (la3)+esays. Then,thisjob done,he
on tnewiliOowsj
directsBiffsattention to, will"
to thebigbranchoverthehousewhich,if notattended
falfin a stormandhittheroof (143).Seemingly,
a battlehasbeenwon,butthewaris
notyetover. Then,he rewardshisboyswitha punching
bagfromthebackseatof his
car,whichhas"gotGeneTunney's on it!' (1M1. lt is notsurprising
signature thatthe
romance
associated
withthesesortsof activities
willneverfadefor Biff.
thatBiffplaysbotball,as thisis alsoa sportof intense
It is alsonotsurprising
physical
dramasetin a paistoral
scene.Justas Biffis competent
at hisworkat home,
at footballibutwithfootballhissuccessbringsnotonlythepraiseof his
he is competent
abouthisownjob. Hetalksabout
Status,beingwellliked,is whatWillyhighlights
havingcoffeewiththe mayor,andthe specialattentionhisautomobile
receivesbythe
copsin NenrEngland.Biffcannotyetknor thatachieving
statusin thewort worldis not
statusin highschool.Status,andjob satisfaction
thesameas achieving willnotgo
Willyhaslinkedhisloveof hissonwithhispopularity,
togetherfor Biff. Butbecause
andas Biffwantsto pleasehisfatherbadlyenoughto offerto'breakthroughbr a
(145),otakin'oneplayfor Pop"(145)evenwhenhe is supposed
toucttdown' to pass,wo
whyBiffadmitsto Happythathe is so messedup. Theillusionof
understand
existsonlywhileBiffis ignorant
compatibility of lifeat work;andwhenhe is no longer
ignoranlhe is leftunprepared by hisnewreality.Hischoiceto workat a
andconfused
J
minute'(1214),
Wlly respondsbytellingthemof his epecialsecrot hewill onedayorn
his orrn businessand"neverhavto leavehomeanymoro'(144). LMllywantsto reward
hi8sons'loveby offeringtheman idyllicfutue. Heblours thispromisewiththe promise
future,theywill visitboautifultorns andthe fineetpeoplein Nav
thatin thdr immediate
England.lt is notsurprising,then,thatWlly, at the ageof sixtythrce,withno illusions
thathe can provideanythingmonumental
to his sonsin lib, willconceiveof doingso
withthe insurarrce
moneytheyuouldcollectwithhis death.Laterin thisepisodewhen
Bifftellshis fetherthathewill makeoneplaytur his father,Willykiss8himand
'Oh,uaifll I tellthisin Boston!'(145).lt is a sequence
el<claims remarkably
similarto
hisson'slove. Hiselatedreadionis to prcmisa
theepisodewhercWlly rediecovers
that that boy- thatboyis goingto be magnifrcent!'
(218),endto wish,"oh,if I could
kisshim'(219).
Thescenepecedingthis rpalization,
whereWillyis alonein the gardenplanting
4 v"F
h-,
ll ,n",.,, seeds,is aleogivenprecadence
in thisepiso6. Willybringsourattsntion
to thebig
t' ., \t"l
;tJi; . " thhous.Hi6intention,
branchthetoverhengs to eliminate
tiilBthratto hishouso,
(' rt'
r,r , i , , ...enticipetes
Wlly's futilebattleto plantseedsdespitethe shadoilefromthe pressing
'"' bui6ings.lt is eppropriate, in thb laterscene,wherethememories of his
'lr ',' Fpartment
^,1' t,It
. l,i^ llnl infdelityhavefloodedhismind,thatthisbdtleseemfutile;turtheimposing
natureof the
V,r'-,lttt
jro {' ,-'. apartment is notopposedbythememoryof Willy'astrength.Butin thisearlier
buildings
1c
,,1'-1t.,,l
("ll'' 4r
' 'i. '
-5-
Willyhasnotyetaflowedhisinfidelity
episode, hismemory,
to dominate so it is
thatthethreatpresented
appropriate bythebranch,hisenvironment,
is metand
mastered
byWll/s ingenuity.
Cuttingdowna branchis,of course,notequivalent
to banishing
theapartment
buildings.But,in thisepisode, a pastbeforethe
Willydoesexactlythisby remembering
apartment werebuilt.Whatmakesthismorethansimplenostalgia
buildings is thathis
memoryis nota simpfeflashback;
insteadhe is invokingmemories
almostas if to use
themto battlethepresent.Strengthened
in hisremembran@
of thestrengthof his
homeandfamilyin thepast,he blotsouttheapartment in hismind,coatshis
buildings
housewithgreenleavesandconjuresup theflutemusicassociated
withthefieedom
hisfatheroncehad,andan idyllicNewEnglandlife. All of thisis manifested
on stage.
hisboysaregivena physical
In addition, presence
on stage,andthewallsin hishouse
aremadepermeable
to them. Certainly
thiscanbe understood
as a deviceof epic
thatthisis a play,butit canalsobe
theatreto remindus,whilewe arewatching,
as a defiantWilly'sresponse
understood madeon himbythe
to thesunealimposition
buildings.Themanipulations
apartment of thewallsin thehousein Willy'smind,canbe
likenedto therepairs,andalterations
he hasdoneto hishome;it is a displayof his
masteryof hisownhousehold;
to shapeandalterit as hewills.
,tP
andaggressive.Happyorunson stage
Thegesturesin theepisodearepurposeful
witha punching
bag"(aQ:Willy"pufsan armaroundeachboy'(144);
Willy"sfopsthe
incipient
argument"(l around,'practicing
44); Biffpnan@s passingtheball"(145),
Biff
fakesWilly'shand,andWillykissesBiff. Mostsignificantly,
Wlly "nodsin approbation
thenlooksupwart(}!3), {hroughouttheplay,Millerhashis
fora fewseconds,
v e( \ryqt
mnstantlyrising,sittingorffig down.lt is appropriate
characters in thisoptimistic
episodein whichtheapartment
buildings
havebeenerasedin Willy'smind,thatWilly
fooksconfidently
upwards.Forthesamereason,it is alsoappropriate
thatat the
beginning Willyraiseshisvoiceto a @nveraational
of thisepisode, level.
Thecumulative
effectuponus bythisechochamberof an episode,is to associate
potency,
forthefirstandonlytimein theplay,withWilly. Wthoutthisepisodeof the
Willymakesneartheendof theplaythathe is 'not a dimea
pfay,thedeclaration
dozen!'(217r,thathe is'WillyLomanl',wouldseementirely
withoutsubstance.
With
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fto'.*,"ta i#, try, I
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WORKSCITED