English Connor Beatty

Tying Up the Threads

From medieval times, imagery was the word used for the design of a tapestry. A
tapestry is created by passing coloured threads
among fixed warp threads. This is what Arthur
Miller does with his imagery; by constantly
repeating certain images, he reinforces the basic
themes of the play. He presents a tapestry which
tells a story.

Find three quotations for each of the threads which run

throughout Death of a Salesman. Enter your completed
response to the Tying Up The Threads dropbox in D2L.

Threads of Competition: Im gonna run that department before the year is up. (p.107 )
1) With one gadget he made more in a week than a man like you could make in a lifetime.
P.34

2) Im staying right in this city, and Im gonna beat this racket! P.111

3) Bigger than Uncle Charley! Because Charley is not liked. Hes liked, but hes not well
liked. P.18

Threads of Identity: He never knew who he was. (p.111 )

1) No, Dad, I was a shipping clerk. P.83

2) Why am I trying to become what I dont want to be? P.105

3) I am not a leader of men. P.105

Threads of The American Dream: The jungle is dark but full of diamonds. (p.107 )
1) How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? P.5

2) Ill get him a job selling. He could be big in no time. P.6

3) Thats just the spirit I want to imbue them with! To walk into a jungle! P.37

Threads of The Tragic Hero: You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who
landed in the ash can like all the rest of them. (p.106)

1) But hes a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. P.40

2) But if you cant walk away? P.73

English Connor Beatty

3) And then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and youre finished. Nobody
dast blame this man. P.111

Threads of Betrayal of Ideas: You fake! You phoney little fake!

(p.95)

1) That snotnose. Imagine that? I named him. P.75

2) You dont want to be anything, is that whats behind it? P.88

3) You invite him to dinner. He looks forward to it all day and

then you desert him there. P.97-98

Threads of Lies: I did five hundred gross in Providence and seven

hundred gross is Boston. (p.22)

1) I sell champagne. P.78

2) I averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in

commissions.

3) Im gonna get married, Mom. I wanted to tell you. P.50

Threads of Unrealistic Expectations: Like a young god, Hercules

something like that. (p. 51)

1) Start big and youll end big. Ask for fifteen. P.47

2) Youre comin home this afternoon captain of the All-Scholastic

Championship Team of the city of New York. P.67

3) If I could get then thousand or even seven or eight thousand

dollars I could buy a beautiful ranch. P.14

Threads of Unrealistic Mortality: After all the highways, and the

trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more
dead than alive. (p.76 )

1) Oh Ben, thats the beauty of it! I see it like a diamond. P.100

2) I always knew one way or another we were gonna make it, Biff
and I! P.108

3) Ben, hell worship me for it! P.108

English Connor Beatty

After finding all the quotations, what essential questions does this play
raise? Essential questions are the big life questions. These are
questions that cause us to reflect on the meaning of life and other
philosophical issues.

How does pride interfere with ones views of success?

How do other peoples expectations shape an

individuals values?

To what extent will people lie to themselves to allow

them to pursue their dreams?

To what extent will people pursue unrealistic or

unachievable goals? Why do people pursue them?