Death of a Salesman (12 page)

Authors: Arthur Miller

BOOK: Death of a Salesman

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HOWARD: ’Cause you gotta admit, business is business.

WILLY [
angrily
]: Business is definitely business, but just listen for a minute. You don’t understand this. When I was a boy—eighteen, nineteen—I was already on the road. And there was a question in my mind as to whether selling had a future for me. Because in those days I had a yearning to go to Alaska. See, there were three gold strikes in one month in Alaska, and I felt like going out. Just for the ride, you might say.

HOWARD [
barely interested
]: Don’t say.

WILLY: Oh, yeah, my father lived many years in Alaska. He was an adventurous man. We’ve got quite a little streak of self-reliance in our family. I thought I’d go out with my older brother and try to locate him, and maybe settle in the North with the old man. And I was almost decided to go, when I met a salesman in the Parker House. His name was Dave Singleman. And he was eighty-four years old, and he’d drummed merchandise in thirty-one states. And old Dave, he’d go up to his room, y’understand, put on his green velvet slippers—I’ll never forget—and pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, he made his living. And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want. ’Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people? Do you know? 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. Things were sad on a lotta trains for months after that. [
He stands up.
HOWARD
has not looked at him.
] In those days there was personality in it, Howard. There was respect, and comradeship, and gratitude in it. Today, it’s all cut and dried, and there’s no chance for bringing friendship to bear —or personality. You see what I mean? They don’t know me any more.

HOWARD [
moving away, to the right
]: That’s just the thing, Willy.

WILLY: If I had forty dollars a week—that’s all I’d need. Forty dollars, Howard.

HOWARD: Kid, I can’t take blood from a stone, I—

WILLY [
desperation is on him now
]: Howard, the year Al Smith was nominated, your father came to me and—

HOWARD [
starting to go off
]: I’ve got to see some people, kid.

WILLY [
stopping him
]: I’m talking about your father! There were promises made across this desk! You mustn’t tell me you’ve got people to see—I put thirty-four years into this firm, Howard, and now I can’t pay my insurance! You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away—a man is not a piece of fruit! [
After a pause
] Now pay attention. Your father—in 1928 I had a big year. I averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in commissions.

HOWARD [
impatiently
]: Now, Willy, you never averaged—

WILLY [
banging his hand on the desk
]: I averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in the year of 1928! And your father came to me—or rather, I was in the office here—it was right over this desk—and he put his hand on my shoulder—

HOWARD [
getting up
]: You’ll have to excuse me, Willy, I gotta see some people. Pull yourself together. [
Going out
] I’ll be back in a little while.

[
On
HOWARD’S
exit, the light on his chair grows very bright and strange.
]

WILLY: Pull myself together! What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I! [WILLY
breaks off, staring at the light, which occupies the chair, animating it. He approaches this chair, standing across the desk from it.
] Frank, Frank, don’t you remember what you told me that time? How you put your hand on my shoulder, and Frank . . . [
He leans on the desk and as he speaks the dead man’s name he accidentally switches on the recorder, and instantly—
]

HOWARD’S SON: “. . . of New York is Albany. The capital of Ohio is Cincinnati, the capital of Rhode Island is . . .” [
The recitation continues.
]

WILLY [
leaping away with fright, shouting
]: Ha! Howard! Howard! Howard!

HOWARD [
rushing in
]: What happened?

WILLY [
pointing at the machine, which continues nasally, childishly, with the capital cities
]: Shut it off! Shut it off!

HOWARD [
pulling the plug out
]: Look, Willy . . .

WILLY [
pressing his hands to his eyes
]: I gotta get myself some coffee. I’ll get some coffee . . .

[WILLY
starts to walk out.
HOWARD
stops him.
]

HOWARD [
rolling up the cord
]: Willy, look . . .

WILLY: I’ll go to Boston.

HOWARD: Willy, you can’t go to Boston for us.

WILLY: Why can’t I go?

HOWARD: I don’t want you to represent us. I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time now.

WILLY: Howard, are you firing me?

HOWARD: I think you need a good long rest, Willy.

WILLY: Howard—

HOWARD: And when you feel better, come back, and we’ll see if we can work something out.

WILLY: But I gotta earn money, Howard. I’m in no position to—

HOWARD: Where are your sons? Why don’t your sons give you a hand?

WILLY: They’re working on a very big deal.

HOWARD: This is no time for false pride, Willy. You go to your sons and you tell them that you’re tired. You’ve got two great boys, haven’t you?

WILLY: Oh, no question, no question, but in the meantime . . .

HOWARD: Then that’s that, heh?

WILLY: All right, I’ll go to Boston tomorrow.

HOWARD: No, no.

WILLY: I can’t throw myself on my sons. I’m not a cripple!

HOWARD: Look, kid, I’m busy this morning.

WILLY [
grasping
HOWARD’S
arm
]: Howard, you’ve got to let me go to Boston!

HOWARD [
hard, keeping himself under control
]: I’ve got a line of people to see this morning. Sit down, take five minutes, and pull yourself together, and then go home, will ya? I need the office, Willy. [
He starts to go, turns, remembering the recorder, starts to push off the table holding the recorder.
] Oh, yeah. Whenever you can this week, stop by and drop off the samples. You’ll feel better, Willy, and then come back and we’ll talk. Pull yourself together, kid, there’s people outside.

[HOWARD
exits, pushing the table off left.
WILLY
stares into space, exhausted. Now the music is heard—
BEN’S
music—first distantly, then closer, closer. As
WILLY
speaks,
BEN
enters from the right. He carries valise and umbrella.
]

WILLY: Oh, Ben, how did you do it? What is the answer? Did you wind up the Alaska deal already?

BEN: Doesn’t take much time if you know what you’re doing. Just a short business trip. Boarding ship in an hour. Wanted to say good-bye.

WILLY: Ben, I’ve got to talk to you.

BEN [
glancing at his watch
]: Haven’t the time, William.

WILLY [
crossing the apron to
BEN]: Ben, nothing’s working out. I don’t know what to do.

BEN: Now, look here, William. I’ve bought timberland in Alaska and I need a man to look after things for me.

WILLY: God, timberland! Me and my boys in those grand outdoors!

BEN: You’ve a new continent at your doorstep, William. Get out of these cities, they’re full of talk and time payments and courts of law. Screw on your fists and you can fight for a fortune up there.

WILLY: Yes, yes! Linda, Linda!

[LINDA
enters as of old, with the wash.
]

LINDA: Oh, you’re back?

BEN: I haven’t much time.

WILLY: No, wait! Linda, he’s got a proposition for me in Alaska.

LINDA: But you’ve got—[
To
BEN] He’s got a beautiful job here.

WILLY: But in Alaska, kid, I could—

LINDA: You’re doing well enough, Willy!

BEN [
to
LINDA]: Enough for what, my dear?

LINDA [
frightened of
BEN
and angry at him
]: Don’t say those things to him! Enough to be happy right here, right now. [
To
WILLY,
while
BEN
laughs
] Why must everybody conquer the world? You’re well liked, and the boys love you, and someday—[
to
BEN]—why, old man Wagner told him just the other day that if he keeps it up he’ll be a member of the firm, didn’t he, Willy?

WILLY: Sure, sure. I am building something with this firm, Ben, and if a man is building something he must be on the right track, mustn’t he?

BEN: What are you building? Lay your hand on it. Where is it?

WILLY [
hesitantly
]: That’s true, Linda, there’s nothing.

LINDA: Why? [
To
BEN] There’s a man eighty-four years old—

WILLY: That’s right, Ben, that’s right. When I look at that man I say, what is there to worry about?

BEN: Bah!

WILLY: It’s true, Ben. All he has to do is go into any city, pick up the phone, and he’s making his living and you know why?

BEN [
picking up his valise
]: I’ve got to go.

WILLY [
holding
BEN
back
]: Look at this boy!

[BIFF,
in his high school sweater, enters carrying suitcase.
HAPPY
carries
BIFF’S
shoulder guards, gold helmet, and football pants.
]

WILLY: Without a penny to his name, three great universities are begging for him, and from there the sky’s the limit, because it’s not what you do, Ben. It’s who you know and the smile on your face! It’s contacts, Ben, contacts! The whole wealth of Alaska passes over the lunch table at the Commodore Hotel, and that’s the wonder, the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked! [
He turns to
BIFF.] And that’s why when you get out on that field today it’s important. Because thousands of people will be rooting for you and loving you. [
To
BEN,
who has again begun to leave
] And Ben! when he walks into a business office his name will sound out like a bell and all the doors will open to him! I’ve seen it, Ben, I’ve seen it a thousand times! You can’t feel it with your hand like timber, but it’s there!

BEN: Good-bye, William.

WILLY: Ben, am I right? Don’t you think I’m right? I value your advice.

BEN: There’s a new continent at your doorstep, William. You could walk out rich. Rich! [
He is gone.
]

WILLY: We’ll do it here, Ben! You hear me? We’re gonna do it here!

[
Young
BERNARD
rushes in. The gay music of the boys is heard.
]

BERNARD: Oh, gee, I was afraid you left already!

WILLY: Why? What time is it?

BERNARD: It’s half-past one!

WILLY: Well, come on, everybody! Ebbets Field next stop! Where’s the pennants? [
He rushes through the wall-line of the kitchen and out into the living-room.
]

LINDA [
to
BIFF]: Did you pack fresh underwear?

BIFF [
who has been limbering up
]: I want to go!

BERNARD: Biff, I’m carrying your helmet, ain’t I?

HAPPY: No, I’m carrying the helmet.

BERNARD: Oh, Biff, you promised me.

HAPPY: I’m carrying the helmet.

BERNARD: How am I going to get in the locker room?

LINDA: Let him carry the shoulder guards. [
She puts her coat and hat on in the kitchen.
]

BERNARD: Can I, Biff? ’Cause I told everybody I’m going to be in the locker room.

HAPPY: In Ebbets Field it’s the clubhouse.

BERNARD: I meant the clubhouse. Biff!

HAPPY: Biff!