Death of a Salesman
A photo story by Michelle,
Katharina, Marius, AnnSophie and Svenja
The Characters
•
Linda Loman
Willy Loman
Biff Loman
Happy Loman
Charley
Howard Wagner
Ben
Willy Loman, an unsuccessful salesman in his sixties,
enters his home in New York late at night with two large
sample cases.
He talks to his wife Linda who is waiting for him and tells
her why he came back so early. He had an experience
that made him feel as if he was driving in the past.
Linda is worried about Willy and wants him to ask his
boss Howard for a job in New York. She doesn’t want
Willy to have to drive to Boston every day.
Willy and Linda start talking about their sons Biff and
Happy who are asleep in their bedroom. Willy says that
Biff is lost because he is working on a farm. Linda tries to
convince Willy that Biff is just trying to find himself and
that Willy shouldn‘t be so criticising. After that Willy
remembers how famous and popular Biff was when he
attended school but Linda stops him from that and he
immediately starts to complain about the surrounding of
their house.
The boys are awake in their room and Happy tells Biff about
Willy talking to himself as if he was talking to Biff and his car
driving problems. They remember their old times in the house
and talk about their life now. Biff is not happy with his life
situation and says: "I've always made a point of not wasting my
life, and every time I come back here I know that all I've done is
to waste my life." (page 11) In addition to that Happy says that
his life isn’t easy, too , although he has fun with a lot of women
and a well paid job he doesn’t feel well. Both have the idea to
buy a ranch together but then Happy thinks about the good
sides of his job and refuses from this idea.
While Happy is talking Biff gets the idea of visiting Bill Oliver
who might lend him money to buy his own ranch. Oliver liked
Biff and being liked is the way to success in business as their
father said. They hear their father talking downstairs and Biff
becomes sad because he’s worried about his mother.
Later Willy talks to himself so loud that
everyone gets awake. He thinks of old times
when Biff was a succesfull football “star” at his
school.
While Willy is mumbling to himself, Linda starts
arguing with Biff because she says that it‘s Biff‘s
fault that Willy became like this. Now Willy gets
in on the family discussion and the situation gets
more complicated. He and Biff begin to argue,
but Happy interjects that Biff plans to see Oliver
the following morning and Willy is the happiest
man on earth then. Everyone goes to sleep
believing that tomorrow will fulfill their dreams:
Willy expects to get a local job, and Biff expects
to get a business loan.
The next day Linda tells Willy that Biff and
Happy invited him for lunch and that they
would meet in the restaurant. After that
Willy goes to see Howard but instead of
getting a job transfer Willy is fired.
Now Willy is alone in Howard‘s office and Ben
crosses his way. Ben wants Willy to come to
him to Alaska because he needs help there but
Linda keeps Willy away from this chance. This
conversation only happens in Willy‘s mind. He
talks to people in the past.
Things don‘t go round with Biff, too. Bill Oliver
doesn‘t show any interests for him and so Biff
doesn‘t get any money.
As willy gets home his neighbour Charley
comes over and Willy tells him about being
fired. Charley offeres him a job but Willy
refuses the chance. Instead of that he asks
Charley for money because he needs to pay
his bills. Charley gets angry with that and
Willy leaves.
Bernard arrives and asks Willy why Biff didn‘t
graduate. He says that all Biff had to do was
attending summer school, but he didn‘t.
Bernard remebers that Biff visited Willy
before he failed and asks what happened.
Willy knows that Biff caught him with his
affair in a hotel while he wanted to tell his
father that he had become the football
captain. He realizes that this is the reason
why Biff didn‘t graduate and that this is also
the reason for Biff hating Willy.
Biff left the place, threw away his
sneakers with “University of Virginia” on
it and he quitted his career as football
captain. He went away to work far far
away from his father and to try to forget
about the affair, but he couldn’t.
When they meet in the restaurant Biff wants to tell the truth to Willy but Happy
prefers to tell a lie to Willy because he is so enthusiastic. Biff and Happy meet
two girls and leave the restaurant with them.
As soon as Biff and Happy come home Linda starts a big fight with Biff because
she‘s so angry and disappointed. The boys left their father alone in a restaurant
just to have fun with girls.
She doesn‘t want Biff to talk to his father and she says that she wants him to
leave the house. Willy is outside in the garden seeding seeds. When he comes
in Biff tells him how much he cares about him although he had an affair in the
past. After hearing that Willy waits until everyone went to bed and says that he
needs a few minutes for himself.
When he‘s alone in the kitchen, he starts talking to Ben, his brother who is just
present in his thoughts. Willy says that he wants to kill himself because of the
life-insurance which would pay 20.000$ if he dies in an accident. With this
money Biff would have a chance to start a new life and he would be able to find
himself.
When Linda calls for him to come to bed,
Willy quickly grabs his hat and coat and jumps
into his car.
With a content smile on his face Willy
died because of the great love between
him and his son Biff.
THE END 