Death of a Salesman 20 Quotes

‘his exhaustion is apparent’, ‘feeling the soreness of his palms’

Stage direction— Willy is introduced as vulnerable and tired, demonstrating the demanding nature of his dream and his failure to achieve it.

‘the trees are so thick’, ‘the sun is warm’

Willy— he is describing how beautiful the natural scenery is, demonstrating his desire for it which he is blind to. Willy chases the American Dream and the ideal of Dave Singleman, however this is ultimately the wrong choice for him and leads to his downfall.

‘I’m the New England man. I’m vital in New England’

Willy— this demonstrates his hubris and delusion, as it becomes more apparent later in the play that Willy is very much a peripheral force in the firm and is not vital, therefore this statement is very ironic.

‘To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors’

Biff— he is a character that breaks the tragic cycle, as he is less blind than Willy because he recognises the delusion and that the idea is not what he truly wants.

‘Be liked and you will never want’

Willy— this links to his hubris and perception of being ‘well-liked’, and how this leads to success. However, this is a very flawed concept that is ultimately what leads him to his downfall and being fired, as ideas of camaraderie (‘he asked me what I thought of the name Howard’) is showed to be powerless in the cut throat capitalist society.

‘there’s sixteen dollars on the refrigerator…..there’s nine-sixty on the washing machine…vacuum cleaner….roof’

Linda— this is to demonstrate the demanding nature of capitalist society and how it causes financial entrapment, therefore making Willy’s dreams futile as he is trapped in a cycle of poverty

‘I’m fat. I’m very foolish to look at Linda’

Willy— this could suggest that he is unstable, physically vulnerable and weak. It could also demonstrate his need for validation, as we see through the affair with The Woman (‘I picked you’), and his insecurity.

‘I love a lot of stockings’ ‘Linda darning stockings’

The Woman and stage direction afterwards— the stockings arguably represent Willy’s betrayal and guilt, and invite the audience to see The Woman as a catalyst in the tragedy. This is Willy’s error of judgement, and shows there is a lack of integrity in his marriage.

‘The woods are burning’

Willy— the fragmentation of his memories, and this symbolises how the American Dream is slipping away.

‘When I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich!’

Ben— American Dream is conveyed as an easy process, conveying to the audience the nature of Willy’s delusion that he will be successful one day. It represents the idea of capitalism and making lots of money fast, which also reinforces Willy’s delusion.

‘Biff, I swear to god, Biff! His life is in your hands’

Linda— she blames Biff for Willy’s suffering and implies that Willy not committing suicide relies on Biff becoming successful. Here we see how Linda is complacent in the suffering of both Willy and Biff, and that Biff is a tragic victim.

‘the cheers when he came out— Loman, Loman, Loman!……a star like that, magnificent, can never really fade away’

Willy— he is reminiscing of a time when Biff aligned with his perception of success, and this phrase shows Willy’s concept of popularity and being ‘well-liked’, and how it leads to success. It is ironic when he says that the star can never really fade away, because Biff has faded away and no longer embodies his idea of success.

‘He’s only a little boat looking for a harbour’

Linda— this evokes pity in the audience as it suggests that Willy is vulnerable and has no agency, and that he is suffering.

‘your father…asked me what I thought of the name Howard’

Willy— he is clinging to the idea of camaraderie and fraternity that no longer exists in this cut throat capitalist America.

‘when he died hundreds of salesmen and buyers were at his funeral’

Willy— his idealistic view of Dave Singleman and his popularity contributes to his delusion of needing to be ‘well liked’, which we ultimately see at the end of the play to be an illusion (‘where are all the people he knew’), demonstrating his flawed judgement

‘You can’t eat the orange and through the peel away— a man is not a piece of fruit’

Willy— the idea of ‘man is not a piece of fruit’ suggests the cut throat capitalist agenda and contradicts the idea that everybody is replaceable, however this is ultimately overturned by Howard’s decision to fire Willy

‘You fake, you phony little fake! You fake!’

Biff— he has just discovered the affair, and realised his father is not who he thought he was. This could potentially show the breakdown of order and the bond between Willy and Biff, which turns the latter into a tragic victim.

‘I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!’

Willy— he refuses to accept his role as a common man (‘willing to lay down his life to secure his personal dignity’) and maintains the delusion that he and Biff are successful and well-liked.

‘He had a good dream. It’s the only dream you can have— to come out number one man’

Happy— this shows that he is doomed to repeat the tragic cycle, as whilst Biff says ‘I know who I am’ and is clearly free from it, Happy still maintains the delusion and belief in the American Dream.

‘We’re free and clear. We’re free. We’re free….we’re free’

Linda— these are the last words of the play and are ironic. There is a sense of dissatisfaction, as they are not really free and are still trapped in the capitalist society. Willy sacrificed himself for his family without realising that their love was unconditional, and he was not a commodity to sell (although he ultimately ended up being one).