Name _____________________
Mrs. Kobylarz/English III
Death of a Salesman
Explain the significance of the following quotes:
1. That’s because he likes you. If somebody else took the ball there’d be an uproar (30).
Willy teaches Biff unethical behavior – condones stealing and tells him that he is
extraordinary and deserves special treatment.
2.
Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who
creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want
(33).
Willy’s values are superficial – appearance and personality are most important characteristics
3. I’m very liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don’t seem to take to
me (36).
Willy contradicts himself – knows the truth, but conceals when it is bad. He will never admit
to weakness.
4. Willy, darling, you’re the handsomest man in the world-(37).
Linda constantly tries to build Willy up which doesn’t help him face reality.
5. Ben! I’ve been waiting for you so long! What’s the answer? How did you do it (47)!
Willy wants to know the secret to success that has evaded him all his life. He doesn’t
understand why he hasn’t been successful.
6. So attention must be paid. He’s not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog.
Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person (56).
Linda believes Willy deserves respect in his old age. His sons (and his boss) disrespect him
because he is no longer useful to them.
7. I’m gonna get married, Mom. I wanted to tell you (68).
Happy’s cry for attention – tells his parents what he thinks they want to hear (regardless if it
is truthful or not) to try to please them.
8. You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away – a man is not a piece of fruit (82)!
Willy devoted his whole life to his company and now that he is no longer productive, they get
rid of him. It isn’t right to take all the good things someone has to offer and then cast him
aside when he has no more to give.
9. When the hell are you going to grow up (97)?
Willy’s lack of success has a great deal to do with his immature values. He believes that
personality and attractiveness are more important than hard work and intelligence.
10. The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that
you’re a salesman, and you don’t know that (97).
Charley knows that hard work and intelligence lead to success – not personality and physical
appearance.
11. After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up
worth more dead than alive (98).
Willy believes that is life has not been successful because he has nothing material to
represent his success. His life insurance policy payable upon his death will leave his family
$20,000 which is a tangible measure of his success unattainable while he is still alive.
12. I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life as been! We’ve been talking in a dream for
fifteen years. I was a shipping clerk (104).
Biff’s realization that his family constantly hides the truth to conceal weakness and
inferiority. He needs to face reality and deal honestly with is life.
13. No, that’s not my father. He’s just a guy (115).
Happy lies about Willy being his father to get what he wants at the time.
14. You – you gave her Mama’s stockings (121)!
The stockings are a symbol of Willy’s betrayal of his family and its consequences to Biff’s life
as well as Willy’s guilt over this.
15. I’ve got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the
ground (122).
Willy has nothing tangible to leave to his family to represent that his life was a success.
16. I see it like a diamond, shining in the dark, hard and rough, that I can pick up and touch
in my hand (126).
He sees his insurance policy as his only chance of leaving a tangible measure of success to his
family. He compares the insurance money to the diamonds that made his brother Ben rich.
17. Pop, I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you (132)!
Biff realization of the truth - that he and his father are ordinary, average men.
18. When the mail comes he’ll be ahead of Bernard again (135)!
Willy convincing himself that the insurance money will make Biff extraordinary. He refuses to
accept Biff’s truth.
19. There’s more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made (138).
Willy was much more suited to manual labor than sales. He lacked the self-awareness to
pursue what could have made him successful and happy.
20. Willy, I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And there’ll be nobody
home (139).
Willy worked a lifetime to pay off his home and ironically killed himself right when he would
have accomplished this goal and had a tangible measure of his success.