How_Does_the_Beginning_of_Act_2_Further_Our_Understanding_of_the_World_That_Willy_Loman_Inhabits_

Towards the end of Act one, Miller really uncovers the faults in the Loman family, revealing Willy’s suicide attempts, and Biffs failures. On the last couple of pages the lying characteristics of the Loman’s kick in, where Biff, Happy and Willy discuss an idealistic future for themselves; ‘We form to basketball teams, see' … We play each other… sell sporting goods’. This ‘Million dollar idea’ is incredibly unrealistic, and the way in which they discuss this tells us that this conversation is an attempt to try and cover up the faults of the family. So as the end of Act 1 ends with a suicide, it completely contrasts with the beginning of Act 2 where it is more uplifting with ‘[laughing]’included in the stage directions (and not as an attempt to confused and harass Willy). The music introducing the beginning of Act 2 is also ‘Gay and Bright’ which certainly contrasts with when Miller reveals the suicide during the end of Act 1. However there is still a fake aspect included, where Willy cannot be upfront about his loss of work and is more optimistic by saying ‘Sleeping until 10’ instead of confronting the fact that he has now lost his job and can sleep in. The relationship between Willy and Linda seems to have improved also, where Willy seems to compliment and respect her more; ‘No, take a rest’. Willy looks ‘so rested’ contrasting to the words used at the beginning of Act 1 which were ‘terrible’. Then, later on in this scene, Willy and Linda have an argument over the once covered stockings. This shows as soon as the past is reminded to the characters, the emotions change drastically from ‘laughing’ to ‘it gets me nervous’, and the stockings represent the mistakes which the Loman’s make are constantly being brought up in their daily lives. Linda stays similar to what she was like in Act 1 because she is still maternal ‘can I get you some eggs'’ and ‘getting him into the jacket’. Also at the beginning of this Act we are more conscious of the way in which Willy’s moods change, they go from positive talking about the boys and him looking ‘so rested’ to negative points such as ‘the goddam Studebaker’ to talking about ‘Biff will take this house’ to Getting angry at Linda for repairing the stocking when they are broke and unemployed and need all the money they can get. Later in this scene we are introduced to Howard, Howard being younger to Willy is seen as superior due to the fact that he calls him ‘kid’. The way in which Willy almost begs for pay, going lower and lower from $65 a week to $40. This shows how insignificant Willy is to his job and how little impact his thoughts are. Similar to the way Linda treats Willy like a child, Howard does also. Sometimes with children when they are hassling you with something, you try to distract them by showing them something; this is exactly what Howard does to Willy. Trying to distract him with the wire recorder; ‘Howard: Didn’t you ever see one of these' Wire recorder…. Willy: Oh can we talk a minute'.... Howard: Records things, just got the delivery yesterday…’. Because Willy begs for a job from Howard, we lose respect for him in Act two, because he is weaker towards a man who has the American dream, wife, kids and a good job. I think Willy is envious of Howard, because he is living the life Willy had dreamed of which Dave Singleman had- which is what Willy aimed for in his career of being a salesman, he turned down opportunities like ‘Alaska’ because of his aim to have the ‘death of a salesman’, which by losing his job, he lost the opportunity to be like his idolised brother and Dave Singleman.. Ben comes into the Act, after Willy has failed yet again, instead of giving good advice; Ben pushes away Willy with excuses like ‘I haven’t the time Willy’. And the advice of which he does give him is highly impractical for an old man like Willy and really reflect on what Willy should have done not what he can do now. Ben is superior to Willy in the way he has better things to do than talk to him, and the way he calls Willy ‘William’, this also increases our tendency to think of Willy as weak. Ben is the second of Willy’s idols, Ben is shown as the superior figure whom Willy looks up to often, Willy calls to him in his time of need, for example after Willy was fired by Howard he said ‘What should I do Ben' I value your advice.’ The physical objects in this passage are important because they represent certain aspects of Willy’s life, For example, the stockings represent the mistakes being brought up in the present continuously. The jacket is used as one of the maternal gestures which separate Linda from being ‘The Woman’, to being his mother. The Coffee, in Act 1 was used as an excuse, and as Linda is ‘filling it up when she can’, it shows that it is also used as an excuse for part of the happiness at the start of Act 2, so it is like Linda tries to keep it going, like she tries to keep his life going. The Wire recorder is used as a distracting agent for Howard to avoid talking to Willy. During the beginning of Act 2, the past is only brought up by the physical objects (the stockings), Ben and Willy’s aims and idols (Dave Singleman). If you Notice when the past is brought up, it is full of regrets of not going to Alaska, having an affair with the woman and barely any positive thinking is included. The only positive look on the past was not one of Willy’s own, but one of an (could be imaginary) old salesman. This look on the past is idealistic and connects with the future ‘fake’ hopes of which the Loman's have. The present is based around the past and the future. Willy cannot let go, of Alaska and the woman, and all the mistakes which led him to his life now. Yet he cannot blame anything on himself, he usually blames things on physical objects like the refrigerator, and the car which are linked with past choices about whether to get the well known and advertised brand or the one which know body knows. It is based around the future because they are always talking about jobs, and how they will achieve things. The whole family’s state in the past is generally, more happy and positive. The future is showed through the speech or certain characters, for example, Biff and Happy always talk about getting away from the city, and starting their own business. Biff talks about the future lots, especially when he has high hopes about seeing Bill Oliver. Mostly the future is made up of unrealistic lies, which never take place in the future, we can see this when we go back in time, we see Willy and Linda discussing Biffs successful future at universities, however this amazing future never seems to happen. Willy’s state in the present is ‘messed up’, with very changeable moods triggered by some objects or something which another character says or does. Linda is a very worried person in the present, with need due to Willy’s suicide. The Miller presents the future in this passage through talk between the Loman’s, usually it is an idealistic future, and a dream world. Most of the future is based around the jobs and wealth of Biff and Happy, Sometimes Willy also. We can not see the characters emotions in the future, but because the future is idealistic, we see the future being a happy place. Willy see’s the future through Dave Singleman also, this is because Willy would like the ‘death of a salesman’ and Dave Singlemans death is that of a well-liked person. The power of personality, is mentioned a lot throughout the play, this is because the main aims for the Loman’s is to be ‘well liked’, and not to be successful. This is because when Ben offers for Willy to go to Alaska; Willy- once persuaded by Linda decides it is better to be ‘well-liked’ as a Salesman than to be successful. Dave Singleman is one of Willy's idols. Dying the ‘Death of a Salesman’ is what Willy longed for best. Dave Singleman is portrayed as a successful, and powerful man, which no doubt is single too. He is a myth because, we never fully know whether he existed or not, or Willy made him up just to reassure himself that being a salesman is a good and well-respected job. The continent of America is shown through objects which have typical American brands, for example to ‘Simonize’. Also the whole ‘American Dream’ aspect During the start of Act 2, Willy mentions the American dream – ‘were going to get a little place in the country, ill raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens’. The beginning of Act two seems to start of on a high note, with positive attitudes in all the characters. Then Willy’s dreams are shattered by Howard and Willy's life goes slowly downhill. The beginning of Act two gets the idea into our head that as soon as a bit of positive speaking comes into Willy's head, the optimism has gone due to the choices he has made in the past. It also brings up the importance of Linda's character; this is because we can see how much she influences the choices which Willy makes. For example she brings up Howard- ‘Are you going to talk to Howard today'’ and pressures him to ask for an advance- ‘Don’t forget to cask for a little advance,’