Death of a Salesman Opening Stage Directions

‘…we see a solid vault of apartment houses around the small, fragile-seeming home.’

• Introduces the idea of the house as family and dominated by the aurrounding apartment blocks.

• Introduces the theme of the fragility of dreams

• Provides a juxtaposition to the rural spaces referred to in the opening line of the stage directions.

• Tells us that the family is wealthy.

A melody is heard, played upon a flute. It is small and fine, telling of grass and trees and the horizon.

• An ironic comment on the concrete jungle in which Willy lives.

• The word 'horizon' evokes the idea of extensive space.

• This introduces the theme that the rural aspects are quashed by the city.

• The music suggests an idyllic, outdoor setting.

..the surrounding area shows an angry glow of orange.

• personifying the effect of the surrounding city on the Lomans' aspirations.

• personifying how the city has encroached on their dreams.

• personifying an offended city.

• Personifying how the city is an enemy to everyone.

"We are aware of towering, angular shapes behind it, surrounding it on all sides." What doesn't the author imply?

• Isolation

• The harshness of Capitalism

• Fellowship

• Fabricated image of the social pressure on their fragile seeming home.

An air of the dream clings to the place, a dream rising out of reality. Which of the following is incorrect?

• dreams were a central aspect to people living in the house

• the lines between dreams and realities were blurred in the house

• the pessimism of the American dream

• foreshadows Willy's unachievable dream

On a shelf over the bed a silver athletic trophy stands. Which of the following is incorrrect?

• It implies that Willy is involved in his child’s life.

• That Biff wants his past glories to remain seen.

• Willy’s dreams (succeeding his life) is hidden behind a silver athletic trophy.

• A silver athletic trophy indicates that Biff’s trophy is admired by Willy.

The entire setting is wholly or, in some places, partially transparent.

• The audience needs to know everything.

• Glass is a cheaper option for staging.

• The family's false perceptions of their own value and unrealistic dreams are obvious to the audience.

The flute plays on. He hears but is not aware of it.

• This reveals the disturbance within Willy's mind.

• This suggests that Willy is deaf.

• This shows how arrogant he is towards other people.

• This illustrates all the frustrations that are in his head.

"...He is past sixty years of age, dressed quietly..." What does this sentence imply?

• His work is an extreme hard-work that exhausts him all the time.

• It is an introduction which shows the contrast between his appearance and his job.

• His ability at work is highly valued by his colleaguesn so that he's working until the age of sixty.

she has developed an iron repression of her exceptions to Willy’s behavior..

• She is emotionally wounded by Willy's behavious but puts up with it as she has nowhere else to go.

• she has remained true to her jovial nature and adapted herself to Willy's unfair behaviour towards her, which has not only allowed her to turn a blind eye on his faults but also made her love and admire his personality.