Death of a Salesman: Characters, Place & Time of Action

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(A) CHARACTERS

Willy Loman

      A salesman who has had to travel up and down the country for the Wagner company for thirty-four years. He is above sixty and has been taken off salary and put back on straight commission.

Linda

      Willy’s devoted, loyal wife who is all sympathy for her husband. She loves him inspite of all his illusions and failings.

Biff Loman

      Willy’s elder son on whom Willy has pinned all his hopes. Biff had once been a star football player in high school and held several scholarships. But he has been spoon-fed by his father and for the last fourteen years has been unable to find himself. At the opening of the play, he has just returned home from somewhere in the west.

Happy Loman

      Willy’s younger son who works in a department store and has his own apartment in another section of the town.

Charley

      A life-long acquaintance and a neighbor of the Lomans who has loaned out money to Willy every month, since Willy was put on straight commission.

Bernard

      Charleys son and a childhood friend of Biff's. He is now a very successful lawyer.

Tenny Jenny

      Charley’s Secretary.

Ben

      Willy’s brother who left home very early and became tremendously wealthy. He appears only in Willy’s day-dreams or illusions.

Howard

      The son of the former owner of the Wagner company. He is now running the company and is responsible for callously putting Willy on straight commission.

Miss Francis

      The woman in Boston with whom Willy has an affair.

Letta

      The girl that Happy picks up in the restaurant.

Miss Forsythe

      Another girl that Happy picks up in the restaurant.

Stanley

      A young waiter in the restaurant.

(B) PLACE OF ACTION

      The action takes place in Willy Loman’s house and yard and in various places he visits in New York and Boston of today.

(C) TIME OF ACTION

      When the play opens, Willy feels trapped by all events of the past. Thus, appropriately enough, Miller has shown to the readers, these scenes of the past and their influence on Willy’s present life. Hence, the real time of the play is only twenty-four hours, but the scenes encompassed by Willy’s flashbacks, cover a much larger part of Willy’s life.

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