Style in Death of a Salesman

1. Style in Death of a Salesman 1

2. What is an idiom? • An expression, style or manner of expression peculiar to a language or culture

3. Now that you know what an idiom is... • Find three idioms within the first act of the play and copy them into your notebooks. • With a partner discuss what you think they mean and then be prepared to explain them to the whole class.

4. Now that you know what an idiom is... • Write up three idioms you are aware of already • With a partner discuss what you think they mean and then be prepared to explain them to the whole class.

5. Idioms from Act I • Linda to Willy: “You’ve got too much on the ball” - • Linda to Willy: “You make mountains out of molehills.” • Biff to Happy: “Don’t lay it all on me.” • Happy to Biff: “You still run around a lot?” • Biff to Happy:”...he thought the world of me.”

6. Idioms from Act I cont. • Happy to Biff: “You gotta stick around.” • Willy to Biff in flashback: “Then when you’re all set...Boy you must really be makin’ a hit.” • Biff to Willy in flashback: “Did you knock them dead, Pop?” • Willy to ‘the woman’ in flashback: “Well, bottoms up!” • ‘The woman’ to Willy in flashback: “You just kill me.”

7. Idioms from Act I cont. • Willy to Charley in flashback: “I gave them hell.” • Charley to Willy in flashback: Come in later, we’ll shoot a little casino.” • Biff to Linda: “He always, always wiped the floor with you.” • Biff to Linda: “Never had an ounce of respect for you.” • Willy to Linda: “I’m tired to the death.”

8. Vocabulary within Act I • “...solidvault of apartment houses...” • * repression, * jovial, * mercurial, * massive dreams, * turbulent, * trepidation • “You’re too accommodating dear.”

9. Period colloquialism • “That man was a prince.” (p. 14).

10. Curses - Blasphemy • Willy: When the hell did I lose my temper • Willy: “Goddammit!”

11. Imagery within Act I • Stage directions: “An air of a dream clings to the place, a dream rising out of reality.” (p.11). • Willy: “...life is a casting off.” • Willy: “They massacred the neighborhood.” (p.17). • Willy: “The competition is maddening!” (p.17). • Willy: “You’re my foundation and my support, Linda (p.18).

12. Willy • Stage directions:“He is past sixty years of age, dressed quietly.” (p.12). • Stage directions: “...his exhaustion is apparent.” (p.12). • Willy to Linda: “I’m tired to the death.” (p.12) • Willy to Linda: “No, I see everything.” (p.13). • Willy to Linda: “I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts.” (p.14). • Willy to Linda: “I’m the New England man. I’m vital in New England.” (p.15).

13. Willy quotes cont. • Willy to Linda: “The way they boxed us in here. Bricks and windows, windows and bricks.” (p.17). • Willy to Linda: turning to Linda, guiltily: “You’re not worried about me, are you, sweetheart?” • [Linda points out that he said he had lowered his windshield: “Me I didn’t.” He stops. “Now isn’t that peculiar! Isn’t that remarkable -” He breaks off in amazement and fright as the flute is heard distantly. (p.18). • Happy to Biff: “Something’s - happening o him. He - talks to himself.” ...it got so embarrassing I sent him to Florida ... most of the time he’s talking to you...(p.21).

14. Linda • [stage directions] “Most often jovial, she has developed an iron repression of her exceptions to Willy’s behaviour - she more than loves him, she admires him, as though his mercurial nature, his temper, his massive dreams and little cruelties, served her only as sharp reminders of the turbulent longings within him, longings which she shares but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to their end.” (p.12). • [stage directions] : “...calls with some trepidation.” (p.12).

15. Linda cont. • [stage directions] “very carefully, delicately.” (p.13)...”helpfully.” • [stage directions] “resigned.” (p. 13). • [stage directions] “She is taking off his shoes.” (p.13). • [stage directions] “with infinite patience” (p.17).

16. Biff • Willy: worried and angered. “There;s such an undercurrent in him. He became a moody man.” (p.15) • Linda: He was crestfallen Willy. You know how he admires you. (p.15). • Linda: He’s finding himself Willy. (p.15). • Willy: Not finding yourself by the age of thirty-four is a disgrace! ...The trouble is he’s lazy goddammit! ...Biff is a lazy bum!” (p.16). • Linda: I think he’s still lost, Willy. I think he’s very lost. / Willy: Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such - personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff - he’s not lazy. (p. 16).

17. Biff cont. • Willy: He could be big in no time. My God! Remember who they used to follow him around in high school? When he smiled at one of them of them their faces lit up. When he walked down the street... • Willy: “I’ll put my money on Biff.” (p.18). • [stage directions] :...but in these days bears a worn air and seems less self-assured. He has succeeded less, and his dreams are stronger and less acceptable than Happy’s. (p.19). • Biff to Happy: “...Just don’t lay it all to me.” (p.22). • Biff to Happy: “I tell ya, Hap, I don’t know what the future is. I don’t know - what I’m supposed to want.” (p.22).

18. Happy • [stage directions] Happy is tall, powerfully made. Sexuality is like a visible color on him, or a scent that many women have discovered. He, like his brother, is lost, but in a different way, for he has never allowed himself to turn his face toward defeat and is thus more confused and hard-skinned, although seemingly more content (p.19). • Happy to Biff: “I think I got less bashful and you got more so. What happened, Biff?” (p. 21).