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.