Death of a Salesman Act 1 Summary

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In the play Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, the main character Willy Loman faces an internal struggle. Willy is a sixty-three year old salesman who is trying to make enough money weekly on commission to cover his bills and support his family. He returns home after a long day of traveling. His wife, Linda gets up to talk with him, she asks if he has been in an accident. He is clearly being short with her but responds that nothing has happened. Later he explains how he kept falling asleep on his way home. Linda wants Willy to get a job that he doesn’t have to travel, for his own health. The two sons Happy and Biff are in town. They come down to the kitchen and catch up talking, they remember the good ‘ol days when they were younger. Happy is the younger brother, he is successful and confident. Biff is not doing as well as Happy, but has dreams of owning his own land and having a ranch. Willy begins having flashbacks and expressing his worries about the boys while talking to himself around the house. Willy and Biff fight a lot because Willy doesn’t like the fact his son cant hold a job down. Willy has a flashback to when the boys were in high school; he remembers them washing his car and how popular they were. He goes back to the time Biff had a “borrowed” football, being the football star Willy laughs and tells him to return it. Willy on a trip out of town reveals a new character. He brings stocking to a lady and we learn he is cheating on Linda. Willy begins to have many flashbacks to his brother Ben who has passed now. Willy wakes Linda and Biff one night when they find him outside in his slippers. The boys seem confused; they ask Linda how long it has been going on for. She explains that it is from his salary and working on commission. She is aware that he is borrowing fifty dollars from the neighbor. She tells the boys they are ungrateful. She

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