Death of a Salesman: Posting essay

Death of a Salesman spends a lot of time in the past but numerous flashbacks and focus of the author on the past is fair and essential for understanding current problems of the main characters, their motives and actions.

The flashback to Willy’s early aspirations concerning his professional success and career are revealed through his flashbacks to his past career, which he believed to be successful. Willy was a young salesman, who wanted to make a successful career. He believed that he had to work hard to become successful. Even as he failed, he kept believing that his son would do better, if he also worked hard.

Biff and Happy’s recalls on the steady degradation of Willy help to understand what kind of person he used to be in the past and how his mental condition has deteriorated by the time the play takes place. Willy started talking to himself, grew aggressive and could not control his behavior. Such changes would be inexplicable without flashbacks.

The recall of Boston events is essential for understanding of Biff’s motives and behavior. He fails in his learning and professional career because he is disenchanted in his father, whom he treats as traitor. At the same time, Willy also feels being guilty and cannot take the full control over Biff and lead him to the successful professional career. In such a way, the recall of past events in Boston, when Biff found his father with a woman in a hotel room, reveals the complexity of father-son relationships and justify the failure of Biff.

Thus, the reference to the past and numerous flashbacks are essential for the play.