Here is a chapter-wise detailed summary of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. The play is structured in two acts and a Requiem, not chapters. However, for easier understanding, I’ll break it into scene-wise segments often treated as “chapters” in academic and study contexts.
Act 1
Chapter 1: Introduction to Willy Loman
- Willy Loman, a 63-year-old salesman, returns home exhausted from a failed business trip.
- His wife Linda worries about his health and his driving.
- Willy hallucinates and talks to himself, revealing signs of mental decline.
- Their sons, Biff and Happy, are visiting.
- Biff is a drifter; Willy criticizes him for not having a steady job.
- Tensions are clear—Willy alternates between praising and insulting Biff.
- Biff and Happy discuss their lives and dreams. Biff plans to ask an old employer for a loan to start a business.
Chapter 2: Willy’s Flashbacks – The Illusion of Success
- Willy slips into a flashback of the past: young Biff and Happy idolize him.
- He boasts about success and popularity as a salesman.
- Introduces Bernard, Charley’s son, who studies hard—Willy mocks his lack of charisma.
- Another flashback shows Willy's affair with a woman in Boston, revealing betrayal to Biff later.
Chapter 3: Present and Past Collide
- Willy's conversation with Linda is erratic; he mixes the past with the present.
- Linda reveals they’re in debt and struggling.
- Biff and Happy plan a business venture ("The Loman Brothers").
- Willy is uplifted by this idea, believing success is near.
- Linda confronts the sons about Willy’s suicidal tendencies.
- Tension rises—Biff feels trapped by his father's expectations.
Act 2
Chapter 4: False Hope and Office Disillusion
- Willy, optimistic, plans to ask his boss Howard for a local job.
- Howard dismisses him and eventually fires Willy, despite Willy’s loyalty.
- A flashback of Ben (Willy’s wealthy brother) reveals Willy’s obsession with "being well-liked" over being practical.
- Biff waits all day but only sees Oliver briefly; he realizes he was never important in Oliver’s firm.
- He steals a pen—showing he’s repeating old patterns.
- Willy meets Charley and Bernard, who is now successful.
- Bernard asks why Biff failed after high school; Willy is evasive.
- Charley offers Willy money; Willy is too proud to accept a job but takes the loan.
- Biff and Happy take Willy to a restaurant to break the news, but Willy retreats into delusions.
Chapter 6: Collapse and Betrayal
- In the restaurant, Willy recalls the moment Biff discovered his affair in Boston.
- Biff loses respect for his father, which changed his life trajectory.
- Willy is disoriented; Biff and Happy abandon him at the restaurant.
- Linda is furious at the boys when they return.
- Willy plants seeds in the garden, symbolizing failed hopes.
- Biff confronts Willy with the truth—he’s "a dime a dozen", not destined for greatness.
- Willy, unable to accept this, believes Biff will be successful after his death.
Requiem (Final Chapter)
Chapter 7: The Aftermath – Willy’s Funeral
- Willy commits suicide by car crash, hoping the insurance will help Biff start a business.
- Only a few people attend the funeral—his illusion of being “well-liked” is shattered.
- Linda mourns, confused why he chose death when they’d finally paid off the house.
- Biff refuses to follow Willy’s dreams; Happy vows to prove his father’s vision.
The play ends with Linda’s heartbreaking line: “We’re free… We’re free…”
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