Time

• In Death of a Salesman, time is manipulated to allow instantaneous shifts between past & present.
• Use of sets:

  In Death of a Salesman, Miller’s use of set design (e.g. transparent sets), projections, backgrounds, lighting and costume allow him to flit between past and present, all depending on Willy’s thoughts at the time.
• Flashbacks:

  This use of flashback or “continuous present” can be unsettling
• E.g. when Willy talks to Ben during his card game with Charley. The audience sees Willy’s mind disintegrating before its eyes.
• The Great Gatsby:

  The past is of crucial significance in The Great Gatsby, with its central protagonist driven to “repeat the past” in his love affair with Daisy Buchanan.
• The enigma of Gatsby’s past, and the various rumours which swirl around concerning it, also adds to his allure.
• The Great Gatsby flashbacks:

  Fitzgerald also uses flashbacks.
• E.g. with Jordan Baker’s recounting of meeting Gatsby and Daisy as young lovers in 1917.
• Tess of the D'urbervilles:

  In Tess of the D'urbervilles, the central protagonist is haunted by, and unable to escape, her past
• Hardy’s insistence on Tess’ ancestry, and his use of ancient, prehistoric settings (such as Stonehenge - the place of Tess’ arrest) help to elevate Tess’ story to tragedy.