Death of a Salesman Act Two Active Reading Notes

• Act begins in the morning after Willy has woken up at 10
• He says that it was the best sleep hes had in months
• Willy is always looking toward the future and what he wants to do in the future
• Just like an average american family he starts talking about his appliances failing when you pay them off and like its timed, well at least i think like that
• metaphor - Hes only a little boat looking for a harbour
• It seems now that in act two their life is starting to turn around  
• Howard introduces a tape recorder of some sort to Willy 
• Willy is trying to get a job from Howard but he keeps turning him down even though they have been friends for a long time 
• shows that Howard has the mindset of a true business man, do what is best for the business no matter what
• Introduces the idea of death of a salesman here with - "When he died - and by the way he died the death of a salesman, in his green velvet slippers in the smoker of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford, going into Boston - when he died, hundreds of salesmen and buyers were at his funeral.
• Willy is fired from his job but Ben offers him a new job in Alaska
• They all go to Biffs football game 
• Willy is very proud of Biff and is proud to be the dad of the captain.
• it seems that all though he hasnt really accomplished much himself his sons have bright fututres and it almost seems like he is jealous of them or wish he could have that
• Also though he wants his sons to grow up and be very successful at the same time
• Willy is still arguing with himself as if he was talking to Charley 
• Willy is getting worse and worse and it seems that the stress is taking a huge toll on him
• Willy is lying to Bernard about Biff and his job he is trying to get just to make Biff look greater
• Willy is headstrong 
• He is starting to get more and more desperate for money as things just keep not going his way and everything else is going for everybody else. true story of the american dream
• So Biff went to get the job idea to Oliver but he realized that Oliver didnt really know him at all and that the plan was going downhill but he didnt want to tell Pop because he doesnt want him to lose himself again
• Biff has a hard time telling Willy what happened becuase he doesnt want to disappoint him
• you can tell because he stutters alot while talking and can quite get it out
• Setting - The light green leaves stains the house, which holds the air of night and a dream
• They keep going into the past to a show what happened like during the football game and the time they tell he flunked math
• Actually Willy keeps seeing what happens in the past and thats why he hears the voices and is talking to himself
• two girls walk in Mrs forsythe from before and Letta
• Willy is having his own episode while everything else is going on 
• its like two stories are going on at the same time. hard to tell since its a play
• Who is "The woman" in his falshback
• Willy cheated on his wife with a girl along time ago and is remembering it
• Music is heard, Willys theme
• apparently willy has his own theme music haha
• The flute starts again
• Willy at this point is slowly losing his mind
• Tone - Oh, Ben, how do we get back to all the great times? Used to be so full of light, and comradeship, the sleigh-riding in winter, and the ruddiness on his cheeks. 
• shows that it is serious and that its a bad time right now
• Biff leaves his father in one of the worst possible ways i can think of and it shows the tone also in this story of the american dream
• Ben is like an imaginary friend to Willy
• Willy drives off into the night and crashes this time killing him
• its later and the family is all staring down at the grave as they look at Willys grave