She’s worried and takes it out on her boys, accusing Biff of being the cause of Willy’s unhappiness. Worse, Willy has been attempting suicide. Linda admits to her sons that she and Willy are struggling financially. In the middle of the night, Willy’s talking to himself so loudly that everyone wakes up. Biff, feeling as though he should stay close to home and fix his relationship with his dad, decides to talk to a former employer, Bill Oliver, about getting a loan to start a business. The brothers are legitimately worried, as they have never seen their father like this. He’s ranting so loudly that Happy and Biff wake up. Later that night, Willy starts having flashbacks and talking to imagined images as if they were real people. Willy thinks Biff is being wish-washy to spite him. Willy thinks Biff could easily be rich and successful, but is wasting his talents and needs to get on track. Biff has just returned home from working as a farmhand in the West. We begin to learn some family background and hear about Willy and Linda’s grown sons, Biff and Happy. Willy thinks that getting the new job is a sure thing since he (wrongly) sees himself as a valuable salesman. Seeing that her husband is no longer able to do his job as a traveling salesman, Willy’s wife, Linda, suggests that he ask his boss, Howard, to give him a local office job at the New York headquarters. After nearly crashing multiple times, Willy has a moment of enlightenment and realizes he shouldn’t be driving. Bernard leaves the house, and Linda leaves the room, holding back tears.Willy Loman, an old salesman, returns early from a business trip. Willy, enraged by the unglamorous truth of his son’s behaviour, plunges into a state of distraction and shouts at them to shut up.Linda comments that some mothers fear that Biff is “too rough” with their daughters. Bernard insists that Biff return the football.Bernard replies that he cannot do so during a state exam. Willy orders him to give Biff the answers. Bernard returns to the Loman house to beg Biff to study math.He notices Linda mending stockings and angrily demands that she throw them out-he is too proud to let his wife wear an old pair (Biff later discovers that Willy has been buying new stockings for The Woman instead of for Linda).The Woman fades into the darkness as Willy returns to his conversation with Linda in the present.She thanks Willy for giving her stockings and promises to put him right through to the buyers when she sees him next.She tells him that she picked him because he is so funny and sweet. In Willy’s daydream, they sit in a hotel room.The Woman is Willy’s mistress and a secretary for one of his buyers.Just as he tells her that he misses her terribly when he is on the road, The Woman’s laughter sounds from the darkness.As Linda assures him that he is the handsomest man ever, Willy replies that she is his best friend in the world.Willy thinks people laugh at him for being too fat he once punched a man for joking about his “walrus” physique. His jealousy of his neighbour becomes painfully clear.He explains that Charley earns respect because he is a man of few words. Willy complains that he talks and jokes too much. Linda tells him that he is successful enough.In a rare moment of lucidity and self-criticism, Willy moans that he cannot move ahead because people do not seem to like him.The $70 commission is barely adequate to cover the family’s expenses. Under questioning, he admits that he grossed only $200. Linda quickly figures his commission at over $200.
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