Act 1 Essay, Research Paper

Summarization of Act 1

This play was written perfectly. Traditionally, Act 1 is an introduction to

what s to come, Arthur Miller does an excellent job in describing in detail all the

characters traits and more importantly all there problems and conflicts with

others. Early on in the play, Willy Loman is fighting and arguing with just about

everybody in the play. At first, he begins with his wife Linda. Linda is trying to

convince Willy that he deserves to be given a solid job in the firm without having

to travel everyday. Then Willy takes his frustrations out on his son Biff when he

comes home to visit. Willy is trying to tell him to get a real steady job, but Biff is

still looking for the right position.

Everyone on this earth has dreams and aspirations, some are achieved, some

aren t, but Willy believes that if you have a dream that it absolutely must be

achieved no matter what the situation is. Being a little child growing, the majority

of us look up to our father and want to follow in his footsteps and be the best at

what he is. For Willy and his brother Ben that was being a great salesman, they

were both inspired by there father who made a ton of money making and selling

flutes. They wanted what there father had and they both tried to obtain it. One

succeeded but then later on died, Willy on the other hand did indeed become a

salesman, but is not an ideal one. He is not respected at all and does bring in very

high commissions for him or the firm. Willy has been living in the past for a very

long time, he has various flashbacks in this play to remind him of all the good times

he had with his brother Ben, his father and also his sons. Having a brother myself,

you are always in competition with each other and losing is just not an option. In a

weird way, Willy has not only lost to Ben, but he also feels that he has let his

father down in a way. He wants the life that Ben and his father had, but he knows

that he will never achieve it because he just doesn t know the secrets of the

business. Since he knows he a lost case, he wants to try and give his children a

chance to succeed the way Ben did and the way they have the ability to. He

doesn t want to live the rest of his life knowing that he didn t give his family

everything that he could have.

This was an excellent introduction, I am very anxious for Act 2 and can t

wait to see what unfolds.