Dear Miller, I still think Willy is crazy.

Author:
Arthur Miller

Setting:
Brooklyn, New York; late 40s (20s-30s for flashbacks)

Plot:
Act I-
The play start with Willy coming home late one night while he should be in Boston on a sales trip. Linda tries to convince Willy to talk his boss (Howard) into letting him work in New York so he doesn't have to travel, and Willy agrees to talk to Howard the next day. Willy then goes to the kitchen to get a snack, where he slowly loses himself in a daydream/flashback. While this is happening, Biff and Happy are talking about their teenage years and their father's recent habit of talking to himself, usually about how Biff has disappointed him. The daydream takes place in the backyard, some 20 years earlier. Willy has just returned from a sales trip and tells his sons that he'll open his own, very successful business someday. Bernard then comes in looking for Biff, telling him he needs to study math or he won't pass and therefore won't graduate. It's mentioned that Bernard and his father, Charley, are liked, but not well-liked. A younger Linda then comes in and Willy tells her his trip was extremely successful, but Linda gets him to admit that it was actually only barely a success. Willy begins to tell Linda that it's because people don't like him. As Linda consoles Willy, he hears the laughter of his mistress, and a daydream within the daydream starts. His mistress laughs some more, thanks him for stockings, and disappears. Willy returns to the first daydream where he sees Linda mending stockings and yells at her, telling her to throw them away. Bernard then bursts in, still looking for Biff. Linda brings up the fact that Biff needs to return a football he stole and that he's too rough with girls. Willy hears his mistress again and yells at Linda and Bernard. His daydream then ends, but he continues to mumble to himself. Happy, in the present day, comes downstairs and tries to get Willy to go to bed. Instead, Willy yells about how he should have gone to Alaska with his brother, Ben. Charley then comes over, having heard the yelling, and plays cards with Willy. Charley and Willy argue because Willy refuses to take the job offer Charley gives him, and Willy begins another daydream that involves Ben. He talks to Ben about going to Alaska, which confuses Charley, who asks Willy what he's talking about. Willy then yells at Charley and he leaves. Willy continues talking to Ben about his life, and the younger Linda comes in to meet him. Charley and Bernard run it to tell them that Biff stole lumber and is being chased by the police. Ben then leaves, but Willy continues talking to him. Back in the present, Linda enters to find Willy outside, and Biff joins her. Linda scolds Biff for being so harsh with Willy, and then tells him and Happy that Willy has attempted suicide. Happy gets upset with Biff, then Willy comes back and yells at Biff also. Happy eventually cuts in and talks to Biff about going into sporting goods together and making their own business. This makes Willy happy and he gives them tips on seeing Bill Oliver, who Biff used to work for. There's a little more arguing and then everyone goes to bed.

Act II-
Willy comes into the kitchen and has breakfast, which Linda has made for him. He seems excited and hopeful, but then gets upset when Linda tells him about the payment on the fridge. Linda then tells him that the boys were dressed well and left early to see Oliver, and that they're taking him to dinner that night. Willy perks up again and goes to ask Howard for a job in New York. As he leaves, Biff calls and Linda reminds him to be nice to his dad at dinner. The scene then changes to Howard's office, where Howard is playing with a new wire recorder. Willy tries to ask about a job, but Howard makes him listen to his kids and wife on the recorder. Finally, Willy makes his proposition and Howard promptly denies it. Willy argues back, bringing up an old salesman who got Willy interested in the business in the first place. Howard just tells Willy to calm down then leaves. Willy gets more upset, so Howard comes back in and tells Willy to take time off (fires him). As Howard leaves again, Willy has another daydream/flashback, and Ben enters. He talks to Willy more about going to Alaska, but Linda reminds him of his job and his kids. Willy turns Ben down and then praises Biff for being well-liked. As Ben leaves, Bernard enters, excited to go to Biff's big football game. Charley comes in and teases Willy about the game, and the scene changes once again. Willy is now in Charley's present day office. Bernard quiets Willy's yelling and mentions that he's going to Washington to fight a case (he's a lawyer now). Willy asks Bernard why Biff never succeeded and in response, Bernard asks Willy what happened when Biff went to visit him in Boston after finding out he'd flunked math. Willy gets defensive, telling Bernard not to blame him. Charley then comes in and says goodbye to Bernard. Willy then asks for money, but more than he usually does. Charley again offers him a job, and Willy again refuses. Charley scolds Willy's need to be liked, but still gives him the money. Willy seems beaten, and exits the office on the verge of tears, telling Charley he's his only friend. At the restaurant they're meeting at for dinner, Happy helps set a table and meets a call girl. He flirts with her then asks her to call another call girl. While she's gone, Biff enters. He tells Happy about his experience waiting for Oliver all day, only to find out he didn't even recognize him. Biff talks about how Willy had him believing he was a salesman for Oliver when he had actually only been a stock boy. Biff decides to let Willy down easy when he tells him of his failure. Willy gets upset when Biff does this and blurts out that he was fired. Biff tries again to let Willy down easy, but Happy cuts in with comments that sound like Biff succeeded. Willy perks up at this. Biff then yells at Willy for not listening. Biff starts to explain what happened as another flashback/daydream begins. A young Bernard runs in, yelling to Linda that Biff failed math and won't graduate. They realize he's gone to Boston to see Willy. Back in the present, Biff finishes his story and Willy criticizes him for failing math. Trying to quiet Willy, Biff tells him that Oliver is talking to his partner about giving Biff the money. Willy has a renewed interest in the tale now, which upsets Biff and he yells at Willy again, and Willy shouts back. The call girls return as Biff helps Willy get to the restroom. When he sees Happy flirting with the girls, Biff argues with him about Willy, then storms out of the restaurant. Happy and the girls follow, leaving Willy alone in the restroom. A new flashback/daydream then begins with Willy and his mistress flirting and redressing themselves. When there's a knock on the hotel room door, Willy pushes his mistress into the bathroom and answers the door. The young Biff is standing there. He tells Willy that he failed math and they discuss going back to Brooklyn immediately to talk to his teacher. When Biff imitates his teacher, Willy and his mistress laugh. Hearing this, Biff confronts Willy. When he realizes his father's infidelity, Biff calls Willy and fake and leaves. Back in the present, a waiter helps Willy off of the restroom floor and gives him directions to a seed store. The scene then changes to the Loman kitchen, with Biff and Happy coming home. They're surprised to see Linda awake and she scolds them for leaving their father in the restaurant the way they did. As she yells at them, Biff looks for Willy and finds him attempting to plant the garden by flashlight. Willy is again daydreaming. He's talking to Ben about an unknown $20,000 proposition. Ben tells him to be careful because "they" might not hold up their end of the deal, and Biff will think he's a coward. Biff approaches Willy and they both end up in the kitchen, yelling at each other. Happy tries to intervene, but Biff won't let him. Biff brings out the piece of pipe that Willy had used to attempt suicide and then breaks down, crying in Willy's arms and begging him to let him go. Touched, Willy stops fighting. Everyone goes to bed, but Willy says he need a couple minutes. He again talks to Ben. Willy tells Ben that Biff will be great with the $20,000, then agrees to leave with him. Linda calls out Willy's name but he doesn't respond. She continues calling as Willy leaves the house and his car starts. Linda and the boys shout as the sound of Willy's car speeding away and crashing are heard.

Requiem-
Standing at Willy's grave, Linda and Happy are shocked at how poorly attended the funeral was. Biff tells them Willy had the wrong dreams, and Charley defends Willy by saying he was just a victim of being a salesman. Linda lingers at the grave and asks for forgiveness for not being able to cry. She tells Willy that she paid the last house payment that, and repeats "We're free..." as the play ends.

Significant Characters:
Willy- Willy is the main character of the play. The play follows him and his thoughts/daydreams/flashbacks. He's 60 years old and has been a salesman his entire working life. His idea of success is popularity; not just being liked, but well-liked. This is why he's so disappointed in Biff: Biff doesn't have a real job and isn't famous or popular. His affair is another strain on his relationship with Biff.

Biff- Biff is 34 years old, and has just come home after three months of being in prison for stealing a suit. The star football player in his high school days, Biff has yet to accomplish anything of real importance, including getting a real job. Although Willy sees Biff a total failure, Biff sees himself as trapped in Willy's dream for him. Biff is the only character who's honest with himself about who he really is and the kind of failure he's had in life.

Happy- Happy is pretty much a mini-Willy. Even after seeing Willy's demise, Happy is determined to stay in New York to make sure Willy's death wasn't in vain. Happy is the least able to see himself clearly, completely absorbed in the false, materialistic American Dream that Willy has portrayed his entire life. He constantly says he's better than he really is by saying he's an assistant buyer when he's really the assistant's assistant.

Linda- Linda is Willy's wife and, as I see it, a codependent. Linda is the most level-headed character in that she doesn't have the skewed view of the American Dream that her family has, but she, in a way, feeds Willy's view. Instead of telling Willy to be honest with himself, she's passive and lets him continue in the way he's been going. With the gas tubing, for example. Instead of confronting him, she leaves it for him.

Ben- Ben is Willy's brother and father figure/role model. Ben embodies Willy's idea of success, as he found a diamond mine in Africa and was instantly rich. Willy constantly regrets not joining Ben on his exhibition, and in the end, Ben (or his imagined flashback self) is who Willy talks to about committing suicide.

Charley- Charley serves as a foil to Willy. Instead of worrying about being liked, Charley works hard and owns his own business, eventually giving him the success (monetarily) that Willy so longs for. Charley is kind of like an older brother to Willy in that he looks out for him and takes care of him even though he doesn't necessarily like him.

Style:
The play follows Willy, but doesn't necessarily use his point of view. Miller's tone, ranging from naive and happy-go-lucky to depressed and anxious, helps show the decline in Willy's life as the former is used more in the flashbacks, the later in the present. Miller uses a lot of symbolism in DoS, though. For example, Ben and his diamond mine symbolize tangible success, which Willy could never attain. Stocking also play a prominent role in play, as they symbolize betrayal and infidelity. Miller also uses quite a few motif to help the reader understand the play, such as a failed Christ figure (Biff, since he's 34 and just spent THREE months in PRISON), directions (north, south, east, west) and what they symbolize (freedom, industrialization, self-discovery, etc), contradictions (mostly Willy), and male dominance.

Quotes:
"'There's one or two other things depressing him, Happy.'
  'What do you mean?'
  'Never mind. Just don't lay it all on me'" (14).
~ This quote comes up multiple times, with slight variations. I think it's just one of the examples of Biff seeing Willy as he is. Granted, he has a good reason to see it better than Happy. Still, it shows Biff's ability to see things clearly.

"He's liked, but he's not... well liked" (21).
~ Ladies and gentlemen, we have found the problem! This quotes pretty much sums up why Willy never succeeded the way he wanted to. Willy's main (if not only) focus was on being well liked, and his failure in that caused his other failures and influenced the way he saw himself and his sons.

"And I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody!" (96)
~ This, again, showcases Biff's ability to see the truth. He acknowledges that he's never been able to take orders from anyone because Willy brought him up to think that being on top is the only way to be. Willy's reaction that it's actually because Biff failed math helps prove this point, as Biff failed math because Willy had him believing his position on the football team and the scholarships he had lined up would get him to where he needed to be.

Theme:
Hard work will get you farther in life than being well liked.
~ There are so many examples of this in DoS. There's obviously Willy, who spent his whole life convincing himself that being well liked was the key to success and in the end, committed suicide because his life had turned out to be a failure. In contrast, there's Charley, who Willy specifically says isn't well liked, but he's the one who ends up giving Willy the money he needs, clearly more successful. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Biff was raised to think popularity was everything, where Bernard was raised to do the work he needs to do. In the end, Biff has never had a solid job and just got out of prison, while Bernard is an extremely successful lawyer.