Key Events Five and Six

• The first memory scene is triggered by Willy thinking of his old car.
• Willy remembers Biff and Happy as boys cleaning “that red Chevvy”.
• Willy retreats back to happier times, where his boys idolised him and together they made plans for the future.
• His boys trust and believe in Willy, both competing for his attention.
• “WILLY: [stopping the incipient argument, to HAPPY]: Sure, he’s gotta practise with a regulation ball, doesn’t he? [To BIFF] Coach’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative!”
• The quote reveals Willy’s clear favouritism, chiding Happy while defending Biff.
• It also demonstrates Willy teaching Biff the wrong lesson: that the coach will applaud Biff’s theft.
• Miller here introduces the motif of Biff’s petty thefts which will escalate, from the crate of basketballs to the suit in Kansas City, and ultimately lead Biff to jail.
• Miller shows us Willy’s responsibility for Biff’s behaviour.
• We remain in the past and begin to see Willy's reality rather than his constructed version of events.
• Still in the past, we see Willy and Linda calculate Willy’s earnings and go over the bills they have to pay.
• We see behind Willy’s fantasy world and learn how much he and his family are struggling to make ends meet.
• “Oh, I’ll knock ‘em dead next week. I’ll go to Hartford. I’m very well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don’t seem to take to me.”
• We see how quickly Willy can contradict himself as reality intrudes into his dream-world.
• At this vulnerable moment, he cannot keep up the pretence to his wife.
• The quote also reveals the doubts and insecurity Willy carries inside.
• He has built his notions of success on popularity and charisma but it is in these areas that he is failing.