In Miller S Death of a Salesman, the Viewer Is Witness to the Time Shifts in Which Willy

DOAS

In Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the viewer is witness to the time shifts in which Willy Loman finds himself in an alternate timescape that exists within his present. These shifts help to illuminate Willy’s motivation for and Miller’s use of the shift. Miller is particular about nomenclature and is sure not to refer to the shifts as “flashbacks”, because flashback indicates a different purpose.

TIMESHIFT: the events of the past and present playing out in tandem for Willy

FLASHBACK: the events of the past play out in an instant isolated from the present

TASK: Examine each of the shifts in Act I and pay particular attention to both their triggers and content.

shift / Concrete Trigger(s) &
Audio Trigger(s) / Content/events in scene / Willy’s Purposeà why go to this place in time?
Pg 15 Windshield / Concrete: Biff returns from Texas and they fight before Willy leaves on his trip.
Audio: NA- before text began / Willy tells Linda he thought he was driving the red Chevvy from 20 years before. The boys took amazing car of that car for Willy / The car reminds Willy of the happy past when his relationship with Biff was very strong and happy.
Pg 18
Red Chevvy
Pg 37
The Woman
Pg 41
Uncle Ben

**PAGE # indicates where the shift is TRIGGERED. The Shift TITLE indicates shift CONTENT **

Coding questions:

1. Consider the contents of your table (triggers and purposes). What kind of pattern has Willy unconsciously developed?

2. With your responses to column 3 in mind, what does Willy achieve overall by entering the time shift?

What does Miller achieve by employing the time shift as opposed to the flashback?

3. When Willy enters the time shift, how are the people around him in the present affected—what do they do, how do they feel, what do they do in response?