Death of a salesman key quotes

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  • Created by: Reema
  • Created on: 27-05-16 10:48
"we see a solid vault of apartment houses..."
Miller uses the word "vault" to convey Willy's feeling of being "boxed in". In contrast to the "towering angular shapes" that oppress the scene in present time, the house is small and seems fragile.
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"...around the small fragil-seeming home"
Signitifcantly, Miller calls it a "home" suggesting that the building is a metaphor for the fragile family structure. The world beyond looms and engulfs the house just as capitalist America overwhelms and consumes Willy.
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"William when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out i was twent-one. And, by God. I was rich!"
The verb "walk" suggests that the riches come without effort all that was needed was the courage to go into a hostile environment, but four years working in diamon mines cannot have been easy, creating a gap between reality and fantay, like Keats.
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"The only thing you got in this world is what you sell"
This monosyllabic statement by C sums up the cynical opposing viewpoint to W's obsession with being well-liked. We know this isnt Charley's philsopy as he gives Willy money so he is trying to puncture W's dreams and keep him in touch with reality.
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"Funny y'know? After all the highways , and the trains, and the appointment, and the years, uou end up worth more dead than alive"
Funhny is a colloquil expression that acknowledges Willy's understanding of the irony of his situation. The use of a syndetic list emphasises his exhaustion highlighted by making it a list of four instead of three.
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"Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person"
Rather than the use of person active voice in "You must pay" , Miller has foregrounded the abtract noun "attention" which is repeated for emphasis. Miller has mottied the agentive phrase so that the decalrtion can be interepted as an imperative
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*attention quote continued*
directed at society as a whole. The adverbial "finally" also achieves extra emphaiss by being embedded withint the verb phrase. Linda has become Miller's mouthpiecve, speaking not only to her sons but aso conveying Miller's message to society.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Signitifcantly, Miller calls it a "home" suggesting that the building is a metaphor for the fragile family structure. The world beyond looms and engulfs the house just as capitalist America overwhelms and consumes Willy.

Back

"...around the small fragil-seeming home"

Card 3

Front

The verb "walk" suggests that the riches come without effort all that was needed was the courage to go into a hostile environment, but four years working in diamon mines cannot have been easy, creating a gap between reality and fantay, like Keats.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

This monosyllabic statement by C sums up the cynical opposing viewpoint to W's obsession with being well-liked. We know this isnt Charley's philsopy as he gives Willy money so he is trying to puncture W's dreams and keep him in touch with reality.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Funhny is a colloquil expression that acknowledges Willy's understanding of the irony of his situation. The use of a syndetic list emphasises his exhaustion highlighted by making it a list of four instead of three.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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