English Paper 2 quotes

Death of a salesman

Through Willy's didactic aphorism, Miller exposes how capitalist ideology reduces success to superficial popularity.

Be liked, and you will never want.

Through the repetition of “liked,” Miller undermines Willy's belief that social approval guarantees success.

Bernard

he’s x 2

He's liked, but he's not well liked.

Through Ben's jungle metaphor, Miller mythologises capitalist success while exposing its seductive appeal

(juxtaposition of danger and wealth presents capitalism as an alluring gamble that promises extraordinary rewards.)

The jungle is dark, but full of diamonds, Willy.

Through Willy's emphatic exclamations, Miller dramatises the fragility of masculine identity under capitalist pressures.

(biff is included here)

i’m

I'm not a dime a dozen! I'm Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!

Extended metaphor

When Willy confronts Howard after being dismissed, Miller uses the comparison between a worker and a consumable product to criticise capitalism's exploitation of ageing employees. Willy's protest exposes the gap between his years of loyalty and the company's refusal to recognise his humanity.

“- a man

You can’t eat the orange and throw away the peel - a man is not a piece of fruit!

Cumulative listing, irony, foreshadowing

When Willy reflects on his years of travelling for work, Miller builds a list of his professional experiences before ending with a disturbing calculation of his worth. The contrast between a lifetime of labour and his financial desperation exposes how capitalism has shaped Willy's sense of identity.

Hint: no full stops till end

After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.

Linda’s nautical metaphor presents Willy as vulnerable and lost, challenging the assumption that men must always be strong

. Because he’s

Be loving to him, because he’s only a little boat looking for a harbour.

Repetition and tragic irony expose the emptiness of material success when the family has been destroyed.

Linda asks a rhetorical question at willy’s grave

Hint: Why did you do it, 3x search(no commas) and . willy, 2x today

I made the last payment - dear - and there’ll

will be nobody home

Why did you do it? I search and search and I search, and I can’t understand it, Willy. I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And there’ll be nobody home.

The seed motif symbolises Willy’s desire to leave a legacy and his fear that his life has amounted to nothing.

right away

I dont have a thing

4 full stops

I’ve got to get some seeds. I’ve got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground.

Biff’s repetition and accusatory language expose the lies sustaining the Loman family. The hotel-room revelation is a key turning point.

You fake! You phony little fake! You fake!

Contrast and characterisation: At Willy’s funeral, Charley defends Willy’s profession, presenting the salesman’s dream as inseparable from his identity. His sympathy contrasts with Biff’s rejection of Willy’s ambitions.

hint: way, blue,riding on a smile,shoeshine

no just xxx

He’s a man, way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine […] A salesman has got to dream.

Biff’s natural imagery expresses his rejection of urban capitalism and his desire for a more authentic life.

hint: we are

working*

Men built like we are should be working out in the open.

Juxtaposition and hyperbole:

Biff contrasts the exhausting work routine with the freedom of being outdoors, criticising a society that sacrifices most of life for a brief holiday and material success.

suffer - for the sake

Suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation

The carpenter imagery contrasts honest, tangible work with the artificial pressures of business culture.

Hint: mixing cement, some open plain — carpetners, whistle

A carpenter

We should be mixing cement on some open plain - or carpenters. A carpenter is allowed to whistle!

Metaphor and accusatory language — Biff’s metaphor of Willy filling him with “hot air” suggests that Willy inflated his expectations with false promises and unrealistic ideals, leaving Biff unable to develop an authentic sense of identity or independence.

I never… anywhere.. you blew so full

dont include: in life xxx

I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air.

Declarative language and blunt diction — Biff rejects the illusion of exceptionalism, acknowledging that neither he nor Willy is the extraordinary man Willy imagines. Miller challenges the American Dream’s promise that ambition and personal charm guarantee greatness.

“I am not…

no full stops till end

I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you.

The metaphor of burning the dream shows Biff’s desperate attempt to free himself from Willy’s expectations.

foeshadowing (hint: take,phony,burn)

that

Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?

Stage directions and visual imagery: Miller presents the Loman home as confined by imposing urban buildings, undermining the freedom promised by the American Dream.

towering, angular shapes, surrounding, sides

it: the loman house

behind it

[towering, angular shapes behind it, surrounding it on all sides]

Dream imagery: The opening stage directions blur aspiration and reality, reflecting Willy's difficulty confronting his circumstances.

full stop

[An air of the dream clings to the place, a dream rising out of reality.]

Irony and symbolism: Willy reflects on paying off the mortgage, revealing the emptiness of material success without family connection.

You…

house.

nobody…

You work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there's nobody to live in it.

Juxtaposition: Ben's description of the jungle combines danger with wealth, presenting the American Dream as alluring but destructive.

but* not and

The jungle is dark, but full of diamonds, Willy.

Contrast: Linda challenges the assumption that social status determines the legitimacy of suffering, defending Willy's humanity.

A small man can be just as exhausted as a great man.

The repetition conveys Biff's emotional exhaustion and identifies Willy's ambitions, rather than simply his failure, as the source of tragedy.

dreams*

2 x all

He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong.

Exclamation and direct declaration: Biff confronts the family's self-deception, recognising the damage caused by inherited illusions.

“I realised… !”

ridiculous

I realised what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been!

Repetition and declarative language — Linda repeats “attention” to emphasise that Willy deserves dignity and compassion despite his lack of wealth or status. Miller challenges a society that overlooks ordinary people who do not achieve conventional success.

Attention, attention must be paid to such a person.

Technique and analysis	Quote
Metaphor and contrast — Biff describes the city as a “nuthouse,” showing his frustration with the pressures of urban life. His preference for practical work outdoors contrasts with Willy’s belief that success comes from business and social status.

We don’t belong in this nuthouse of a city!

Inclusive language and declarative statement — Biff’s use of “we” directly confronts Willy, while the absolute statement exposes the family’s culture of dishonesty. Miller presents truth as necessary for breaking free from the false ideals of the American Dream.

“We’ve never told the truth for five minutes in this house!”

Exclamatory dialogue conveys Biff's frustration with Willy's unrealistic expectations. The symbolism of "prizes" represents his former identity as a celebrated football player, highlighting the contrast between his youthful achievements and his adult failures. Biff attempts to reject the superficial values of the American Dream and establish an identity independent of his father's expectations.

I’m not bringing home any prizes any more, and you’re going to stop waiting for me to bring them home!