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'Death of a Salesman' York Notes
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Just some notes I made from the York Notes revision guide.
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Death of a SalesmanYork Notes Advanced:
‘Mountains out of molehills’ - Is Willy inventing his own difficulties, or is he the victim
of a terrible fate?
Biff: ‘I’m like a boy’ – openly sexist and indicate a lack of maturity
Happy refers to one woman he had his first sexual encounter with as a ‘pig’.
Is Willy responsible for his sons’ lack of achievement?
The competition for job success is transformed into a competition for the more
physical pleasure of sexual success.
Theme of competition throughout the play, Happy views women as ‘conquests’ and
takes pleasure in seducing colleagues’ women for sport.
Sexism does not bring happiness or triumph
Biff and Happy’s voices are like a running commentary on their father as he speaks to
himself downstairs
Willy idealises Biff and cruelly attacks him for his lack of career success
Biff’s worries of ‘not getting’ anywhere’ echo his father’s worries about his job
Lack of happiness emphasised by their relationships with women
Willy tends to ride the crest of emotional waves
Part of Willy’s appeal lies in the universality of some of his beliefs and concerns
Does Willy refuse to accept reality or is he unable to do so?
Both his dreaming and cruelty suggest that Willy lives in a world of his own.
Liable to sudden change: ‘Biff is a lazy bum’ to ‘not lazy’.
Woman in hotel describes Willy as ‘self-centred’ – liable to overlook the needs and
aspirations of others
Willy can be seen as mistaken, malicious or misguided. Some of his errors derive
from his own bizarre ideas, some from the desire to hurt or offend others and some
are misinterpretations of messages that society sends to him.
To condemn him outright would be as mistaken as believing that he played no part
in his overall downfall. Willy has courage of a kind and his one great quality is his
persistence. He spends a great deal of time achieving very little
The play contains many sincere tributes to his courage and determination, the
necessary virtues for success in any walk of life.
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