Death of a Salesman- Language of Discipline/Genre Terms

1. Death of a Salesman- Language of Discipline/Genre Terms Santiago Gonzalez

2. Language of Genre • Symbol • Something used for representation of something else. A symbol can be a sign, material object, or something else immaterial. • Motif • A recurring subject, theme, or central idea in a work of literacy. The motif is usually the underlying theme of a novel or other piece of literature.

3. Language of the Genre • Flashback • A device in the narrative of a novel by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work. • Tragedy • A dramatic composition dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict.

4. Language of the Genre • Foil • To prevent the success of, or frustrate. A foil can also be a defeat, check, or repulse. • Irony • A technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.

5. Language of the Genre • Realism • A manner of treating subject matter that presents a careful description of everyday life, usually of the lower and middle classes • Expressionism • A technique of distorting objects and events in order to represent them as they are perceived by a character in a literary work.

6. Language of the Genre • Requiem • A celebration of a Mass for the repose of the souls of the dead. • A requiem is a celebration of any form-music, hymn, or dirge-for the repose of the dead

7. Language of the Discipline – Act 1 • Jovial • Joyous or cheerful • Linda has learned to repress her discontent with Willy’s behavior due to her jovial expression. • Trepidation • Dread; being alarmed • Linda calls to Willy with trepidation after she hears him outside of the bedroom.

8. Language of the Discipline – Act 1 • Crestfallen • Adj.) Discouraged; dejected. • To be crestfallen is to be discouraged or depressed. Biff was crestfallen after Will criticized him for not making any money • Laconic • Adj.) Short and to the point • Charley is a large man who speaks slow and to the point; he is described as being laconic

9. Language of the Discipline – Act 1 • Approbation • Approval or praise • Willy nods his head in approbation at Happy for doing a good job at polishing the car. • Gallantly • Courageously • Ben gallantly and chivalrously greets Linda when she enters with the wash basket.

10. Language of the Discipline – Act 1 • Evasively • To avoid or elude • Biff evasively denied being hateful with Willy to his mother. • Audacity • Reckless and daring • When Ben spoke to Willy about the way he is raising his boys, he spoke with vicious audacity.

11. Language of the Discipline – Act 1 • Stolid • Apathetic or stupid • Uncle Ben was a stolid, 60 year old man who was certain about his “destiny” and oblivious to most everything else • Indignantly • With anger • Happy describes how Charlotte was engaged and angrily yet laughing admits how he still loves her.

12. Language of the Discipline – Act 2 • Seething • Full of anger or sadness • Willy, seething with sadness, refused to shake Biff’s hand as Biff prepared to leave with no intention of returning. • Ruddiness • Pink-ish or red-ish complexion • Willy tells Ben how he misses how he and his son used to be, describing his pink, ruddiness complexion.

13. Language of the Discipline – Act 2 • Spite • Hateful feeling • Throughout Act 2, Willy refers to Biff as a spite because he has hurt Willy by refusing to be what he wants him to be. • Contemptuous • Arrogant, insolent • As Biff argues with his father, he justifies his revelation that he doesn’t want what his father wants him to be… “making a contemptuous begging fool” out of himself.

14. Language of the Discipline – Act 2 • Elegiacally • Lamentingly • Willy turns to his home lamentingly as he reflects in deep thought on realizing that Biff loves him.

15. Language of the Discipline – Act 3 • Carte blanche • With full permission • Bill Oliver called Biff to work, giving him full permission, out to the west. • Comradeship • Friendship; spirit of working together • Willy explains to Howard how when his father was a salesman, there was respect and comradeship towards salesmen and how now there is no personality in it.

16. Language of the Discipline - Act 4 • Commission • Revenue or percent gained • Willy lied to Howard, claiming that he averaged $170 per week, in commission, with his father, in hopes that Howard will take him back to what he used to be. • Gist • Meaning, essence • “The gist of it is that I haven’t hot a story left in my head, Biff.”

17. Language of the Discipline – Act 4 • Invalid • Worthless, unfounded • Biff offers Willy a drink, with guilt “as to an invalid.”