Y3 English Literature EOY Revision Notes

| Unseen Prose
Literary devices – alliteration, allusion, hyperbole, rhyme, juxtaposition, contrast, motif &
symbols, onomatopoeia
Imagery – simile, metaphor, personification, graphic visuals
Setting – sound effect, lighting, conflict, tension & suspense
Language – punctuation, sentence length, repetition, diction (word choice), foreshadowing
Attitude – style (typography), tone, irony
Narration – POV; 1st person: personal engagement, emotion; 3rd person: omniscient)
Characterization – speech, appearance, behavior

| Willy Loman
Delusional  Entrenched in a quagmire of lies, delusions, and self-deceptions
 Cannot come to terms to reality, so makes excuses to distort the
truth to escape the harsh reality
 Contradicts himself
o “Biff is a lazy bum”, “he’s not lazy”
 “Bill Oliver - very big sporting-goods man - he wants Biff very
badly. Called him in from the West”, where he’s “been doing very
big things”
Proud  Desires to feel self-important, boastful, arrogant
o “They know me, boys, they know me up and down New
England.” It’s “open sesame for all of us”, and “I can park my
car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like
their own.”
o “I’m not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman!”
o “Go to Filene’s, go to the Hub, go to Slattery’s. Boston. Call
out the name Willy Loman and see what happens! Big shot!”
o “I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. ‘Willy Loman is
here!’ That’s all they have to know, and I’ll go right through!”
o “I was sellin’ thousands and thousands”, “knocked ‘em cold in
Providence, slaughtered ‘em in Boston”
 Difficult to swallow his pride to accept Charley’s help
o Asks to loan money from Charley “with difficulty”
o “I’ll pay every penny back”
o Claims “I’ve got a job” even though “I was just fired”, “I don’t
want your goddamn job!”
o Responds “furiously” when Charley asks him when he was
going to grow up, saying “you big ignoramus, if you say that
to me again I’ll rap you one! I don’t care how big you are!
(He’s ready to fight.)”
Dishonest,  “I was sellin’ thousands and thousands”, “knocked ‘em cold in
deceitful Providence, slaughtered ‘em in Boston” – tells tall tales and lies
through his teeth to Linda about his business
 “You’ll give him the answers!” – encourages Biff to cheat by
copying the answers from Bernard; lack of integrity
Misguided  Incorrect values
 Distorted version of American Dream; wrong perceptions of
success
 Views that the prerequisites to success are being well-liked and
being physically attractive, places them above importance of
academics
o “Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but
when he gets out in the business world, y’understand, you are
going to be five times ahead of him. That’s why I thank
Almighty God you’re both built like Adonises. Because the
man who makes an appearance in the business world, the
man who creates personal interest, in the man who gets
ahead. Be liked and you’ll never want.”
 Concerned only about materialistic semblances of success – focus
only on generating profits (“he has yet to make thirty-five dollars
a week!”)
In pursuit of  Incompetence in keeping up with changing times and cut-
wrong dream throat business world proved that he was in the wrong line of
work
 Stubborn obstinate pursuit of sales career only meant that he
was beating a dead horse
 All this time, he was barking up the wrong tree
 True calling and affinity lies in outdoors and nature
o “All I’d need would be a little lumber and some peace of
mind” – true passion lies in nature, would be content and
happy with working with his hands
o “All the cement, the lumber, the reconstruction I put in
this house! There ain’t a crack to be found in it any more”
o “He was a happy man with a batch of cement.”
Obsessed with  “Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but
appearances when he gets out in the business world, y’understand, you are
going to be five times ahead of him. That’s why I thank Almighty
God you’re both built like Adonises. Because the man who makes
an appearance in the business world… is the man who gets
ahead.”
 “It’s who you know and the smile on your face! It’s contacts! … a
man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!”
Insecure  Low self-esteem
 “The trouble is, Linda, people don’t seem to take to me.”
 “I know it when I walk in. they seem to laugh at me.”
 “I talk too much.”, “I joke too much.”
 “I’m fat. I’m very – foolish to look at, Linda… as I was going in to
see the buyer I heard him say something about – walrus. And I – I
cracked him right across the face. I won’t take that. I simply will
not take that. But they do laugh at me.”
 “I’m not dressing to advantage.”
 “You big ignoramus, if you say that to me again I’ll rap you one! I
don’t care how big you are! (He’s ready to fight.)”
Lives in the past  Resistant to change; unable to keep up with times, adapt to new
developments
 Seen even in smallest details - “I don’t want change! I want Swiss
 cheese.”
Affinity for  “This time of the year it was lilac and wisteria. And then the
nature peonies would come out, and the daffodils.” – longing, wistful
tone in fond remembrance of the plants in the past, reflecting
his love for nature
 “We’re gonna get a little place out in the country, and I’ll raise
some vegetables, a couple of chickens” – dreams of being
outdoors, doing hands on work
 “All I’d need would be a little lumber and some peace of
mind” – true passion lies in nature, would be content and
happy with working with his hands
 “All the cement, the lumber, the reconstruction I put in this
house! There ain’t a crack to be found in it any more”
 “He was a happy man with a batch of cement.”
Hardworking  Despite just returning home from a trip and being “tired to the
death”, Willy’s mind continues to be focused on work and he
intends to “send a wire to Portland” and “starts pulling on his
jacket” unconsciously, almost as if he intended to leave again
for work
o Tasks are on his mind all the time in spite of his
exhaustion
o Dedicated, diligent worker
 “The world is an oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a
mattress!”
 Believes in hard work and is strongly against laziness

| Biff Loman
No sense of  Lost, unable to “find himself”
purpose  “Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be?”
 “I don’t know what to do with myself”
 “All I’ve done is to waste my life” – feels like a failure
 Cannot stick to a job, no commitment, restless
o “I’ve had twenty or thirty different kinds of job”
In pursuit of  All his life, he had been pursuing the dreams his father wanted for
wrong dream him, but not chasing his own dreams
 Went into business in order to live up to his father’s expectations
and not let Willy down
 Wrong field of work when his free-spirited and rugged nature
showed that his true calling lay in working in the outdoors
 Abhorred the commercial rat race as a “measly manner of
existence”
 “What am I doing in an office” “when all I want is out there”`
Free-spirited  Inspired by nature, loves the great outdoors
o “We should be mixing cement on some open plain”
o “All you desire is to be outdoors”
o “There’s nothing more inspiring – or beautiful than the sight
of a mare or a new colt”
 Detests being tied down by business world
o Abhors commercial rat race
o Monotonous sufferance
 o “To suffer” a “measly manner of existence”
o “What am I doing in an office” “when all I want is out there”`
Realistic  “Pop, I’m a dime a dozen and so are you!”
 “I’m nothing, Pop!”, “there’s no spite in it any more. I’m just what I
am, that’s all.”
Cares for  “Don’t yell at her, Pop, will ya’” – defends Linda
parents  “I don’t like you yelling at her all the time”
 “I hate this city but I’ll stay here” – grudgingly stays for father’s
sake
 “(Crying, broken) Will you take that phony dream and burn it
before something happens?” – despite his anger for his father’s
lies, he genuinely cares for his father, does not want his delusions
of grandeur to lead to self-destruction, and cries out of fear of
something happening to his father

| Happy Loman
Egoistic  “I’ve got more in my pinky finger than he’s got in his head”
 ““I gotta show some of those pompous, self-important executives
over there that Hap Loman can make the grade.”
 Pretentious; assumes self-importance to feel better about himself
 Trumpets himself as assistant buyer, when, in reality, he is only an
assistant to the assistant buyer
 Feels that he is better than everyone else – “I can outbox, outrun
and outlift anybody in the store” but ““I have to take orders from
those common, petty, son-of-bitches till I can’t stand it any more”
 Resents taking orders from others, arrogant
Materialistic  Consumed with desire for materialistic success
 Lusts after power, position, authority
 “My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women” – “it’s all I ever
wanted”
 “I want to walk into the store the way he (the manager) walks in”,
where “the waves part in front of him”
Lack of morals  “Wait for the merchandise manager” who is “a good friend of
and values mine”, “to die” – secretly wishing for his friend to die so he can
take over he position
 Describes women as “like bowling or something” and “it doesn’t
mean anything” – objectify (disrespects) women, treats them like
a meaningless game/conquest
 “That girl Charlotte I was with tonight is engaged to be married in
five weeks” – “and he’s the third executive I’ve done that to”
 “I’m not supposed to take bribes” or women engaged to others,
but “still, I take it and – I love it!” – dishonest, deceitful, unethical
business means
 Knows that it’s a “crummy characteristic” but continues to do it

| Linda Loman
Loyal, loving  Emotional support to Willy
wife o “You’re my foundation and my support, Linda.”
o “You’re the best there is, Linda, you’re a pal.”
o Talks to him with “infinite patience”, never loses her temper
despite Willy venting his anger on her
 “He’s the dearest man in the world to me” even though he may
not be “the finest character that ever lived” – accepts Willy’s flaws
and loves him unconditionally, wholeheartedly
 “I won’t have anyone making him feel unwanted and low and
blue.”
 “Be sweet to him. Be loving to him. Because he’s only a little boat
looking for a harbour.”
o Defensive and protective of Willy, speaks harshly towards
sons in contrast to her usual mild demeanor
o “You pay him that respect, or else you’re not going to come
here” – stern, does not mince her words
Understanding  Encouraging, makes excuses to reassure Willy
o “Maybe it was the steering again. I don’t think Angelo knows
the Studebaker”
o “Maybe it’s your new glasses”
o “You’re doing wonderful, dear”
 Never raises her voice in objection to him, but quietly agrees to
make him happy
 “He has to go to Charley and borrow fifty dollars a week and
pretend to me that it’s his pay”
o Sees through Willy’s lies but understands what he is going
through, and does not confront him with the truth because
she knows that breaking his delusion will be akin to breaking
him
Unmaterialistic  “Just mending my stockings” – doesn’t feel the need to want for
new items; content with leading a frugal life
 “He only needed a little salary”
Naïve  Never really the impact of her actions; by feeding Willy’s delusions
and refusing to burst his self-deluded bubble, she was only
bringing him more harm than good
 Truly believed that all Willy needed was “a little salary”; does not
understand the pragmatism and harshness of the real world
 Lives in an enclosed bubble of her own, content with living within
a tapestry of lies that she tries so hard to keep together, only to
have it all fall apart and collapse on her in the end

| Charley
Loyal, caring  Steadfast in helping Willy despite being treated poorly and
friend unappreciated by Willy
o Speaks “kindly” to Willy and does not lose his temper even
when Willy insults him as a “big ignoramus” and is “ready to
fight” him
o “Who the hell do you think you are, better than everybody
else?”
Sympathetic  Despite not being very fond of Willy, he understands his plight
 o Lends Willy money frequently
o Offers him a job
 Defended Willy, shielded him from blame for his actions
o “Nobody dast blame this man. You don’t understand. Willy
was a salesman” and “a salesman is got to dream.”
Compassionate  Kindly asks Willy “how much do you need?” – agrees to loan Willy
without question, knowing Willy is in need
 Lends Willy fifty dollars every week
 “I offered you a job. You can make fifty dollars a week. And I won’t
send you on the road.”
Sensible  “He’s a man of few words”, which is respected
o Sensible to know not to talk too much, but enough
 “When a deposit bottle is broken you don’t get your nickel
back.”
o Does not stubbornly persist in things when he knows
they are impossible; able to learn to let go and take
things easy; does not stress himself over unimportant
matters; sound judgment
 “I never took interest in anything” – not overly concerned
about immaterial things
 Offers Willy practical advice
o “You take it too hard” – counsels Willy to take things
easy and not worry excessively and wear himself out
o “Them things” such as names and appearances “don’t
mean anything” to Charley; “you named him Howard, but
you can’t sell that. The only thing you got in this world is
what you can sell.”
o “Why must everybody like you? Who liked J. P. Morgan?
Was he impressive? In a Turkish Bath he’d look like a
butcher. But with his pockets on he was very well liked.”
 Does not place great importance on
superficial things such as popularity, and
understands that appearances is not
everything
 Adopts a more realistic mindset, able to understand how the
real, business world operates, with money being the one that
talks

| Bernard
Loyal, caring  Arranges with Biff to study with him, to help him study for the
friend Regents
 “I heard Mr Birnbaum say that if you don’t start studyin’ for math
he’s gonna flunk you, and you won’t graduate. I heard him!” –
anxious, concerned for Biff
 Faithfully helps Biff cheat, even though it betrays his own moral
code, but does it out of his genuine loyalty and friendship and
“give(s) him the answers”
 Steadfast, unwavering friendship despite Willy insulting him as a
“pest” and “anaemic”, and Biff taking advantage of him
Humble  Modest about his achievements, “protesting” when Charley
mentions proudly that Bernard was “going to argue a case in front
 of the Supreme Court”
 Does not boast about it, shrugs it off as “just a case”
 Sensitive, does not rub his success in Willy’s face
 Not arrogant, does not let his success go to his head
Realistic  Even at a young age, he has a pragmatic and realistic view
of the world – “just because he printed University of Virginia
on his sneakers doesn’t mean they’ve got to graduate him”
 Understood the importance of education, paid attention to his
studies
 Gives Willy practical advice – “Sometimes it’s better for a
man just to walk away.”

| Howard Wagner
Insensitive  No room for sentimentality
o Unsympathetic; dismisses Willy’s past contributions to the
company, and the “thirty four years” he put into the firm
 Claims that “there just is no spot here” for Willy, refuses to
accommodate Willy’s request, unable to sympathize despite
knowing that Willy is old, “tired” and that he “gotta earn money”
(“forty dollars” – “that’s all I need” “to set my table”, “I can’t pay
my insurance”)
 Cannot be bothered to listen to Willy’s stories of the past, listens
“barely interested”
Modern  Understands cut-throat business world; focused on survival and
businessman every man for himself
 Focused only on dollars and sense
 Money-driven, results-oriented
 “Business is business”
 “I can’t take blood from a stone” – dismisses Willy as useless and
unimportant once he has ran out of usefulness, and Howard
cannot get any benefits out of him

| Ben Loman
Bold  Takes risks; entrepreneur
 “When I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was
twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich.”
o Risk-taking ventures
Ruthless  Relentless pursuit of wealth and fortune; willing to sacrifice and
abandon family
o ”I was just a baby … only three years old… I remember you
walking away down some open road”
o Abandoned family and brother to fend for themselves even
when Willy was at such a young age
 Puts business first, kinship second
o “Is Mother living with you?”
o Completely ignorant and clueless about own mother;
flippantly dismisses it as “too bad” when he learned that she
died; complete lack of grief or emotion suggests his lack of
 concern about familial relationships, which means nothing to
him
 Lets nothing stop him and stand in his way of accomplishing
things
o “I’ve only a few minutes” and “I have an appointment in
Ketchikan Tuesday week”
o Cannot wait to leave despite Willy’s requests for him to stay;
impatience to get things done and sole focus on work
suggests that he does not get emotions get in his way and is
only oriented on getting things done
o When sparring with Biff, he “trips Biff” – “Never fight fair with
a stranger, boy. You’ll never get out of the jungle that way.”