Well, I have just finished the play. And still, I am a little confused. How exactly did Willy die? I understand that he crashed his car. But was he sentient at the time? Or was he having an episode of mania? Many questions left unanswered. What will happen to Biff and Happy and Linda? She doesn't work and they don't have stable jobs. They're screwed.
     I think one theme of the play was "the American Dream". They're a white, middle class family. The kids play football, the husband works and comes home to a loving family. It all seems so perfect; like it would never fall apart. But then it does. And the American Dream goes down in flames. Is this a metaphor for America? Does Miller think that America is going to crash and burn? Or is he saying that it already has.
     Even though I didn't love this play, it brought me new insight. Miller showed me that even though a family looks wonderful from the outside, life on the inside could be awful. And that's something I had never thought of before.

Well, this play officially has me confused. Miller keeps introducing new characters without really explaining who they are. I think Bernard is Biff and Happy's cousin. Or his he just a friend? All of Willy's hallucinations are confusing. I can't keep track of who's who or what's actually going on. Overall, I'm not a big fan of this play. It's simply mediocre.
     I feel bad for Linda, though. She obviously loves Willy, but that seems to be part of her problem. She's blinded by her love for him and doesn't see how sick he really is. She thinks he's just stressed from work, but in reality, he's having serious issues.
     I also feel really bad for Biff. Living at home when you're 34 years old would really suck. Willy and Linda need to kick him and Happy out. It's time for the babies to leave the nest for good.
     Another thing I don't understand is who "the woman" is. Is it signs that Willy is having an affair? Or is he remembering a past lover? Maybe this play would be more understandable if I were to watch it, but as far as reading it goes, it's not very good. 

Now Biff and Happy Loman enter the scene. They are Linda and Willy's two sons. Biff and Happy get along well, but they're still living at home even though they're at the age that they should be out in the world seeking their respective fortunes. Biff says he is 34 years old so maybe Happy is 30 or 31.
           At this time, Willy and Linda have been talking in the kitchen, but once Linda goes to bed, Willy keeps talking. He has a long imaginary conversation with Biff and Happy as children. He's shows signs of Schizophrenia and maybe manic depression. I think he loves his sons and he's proud of them, but wants them to get out of the house and start a life of their own. 
     This addition to Willy's character makes me think. What caused him to develop some psychological disorder? Was it inherited? Or did some event traumatic event in his  life cause this? Perhaps it was the long hours of solidarity while driving from state to state. Or maybe the recurring disappointment of not making a sale. Will we find out? Or is it simply a detail that doesn't pertain to the plot? 

Willy Loman at first seems irritable and somewhat brusque when talking to his wife Linda Loman. I think he's getting too old for his job as a traveling salesman. He mentions that his mind keeps wandering while driving to the point that he forgets he is driving. Perhaps the beginning of Alzheimer's or some other disease? At this point I'm really not sure what the plot is. Maybe it's about him searching for a new job or maybe retiring from his current one?