Essay About Stage Directions And Brass Bedstead

Death of Salesman Setting
Essay Preview: Death of Salesman Setting
Report this essay
When the lights come up, the first thing we see on stage is the
suggestion of a small frame house. The front wall is open, and the
stage directions say that “an air of the dream clings to the place.”
The set is designed to minimize the boundaries between past and
present. The same areas used conventionally for scenes in the
present are also used for scenes in the past as free spaces where
characters can step “through the walls.” Only a few key objects tell
us what each room is; for example, a refrigerator, a table, and
three chairs represent the kitchen. In Willy and Lindas bedroom is
a brass bedstead, a straight chair, and a silver athletic trophy
that symbolizes the peak achievement of Biffs life. Upstairs is the
boys old bedroom, with two small beds.
In front of the house is an empty area that “serves as the back yard
as well as the locale of all Willys imaginings and of his city
scenes.”
Behind the roof the outlines of apartment buildings tower
threateningly over the little house, which seems as fragile as Willys
dreams. The stage directions call the house “a dream rising out of
reality.” and this reflects the central theme of Willys longing to
fulfill himself in a world where making money is the only acceptable
goal.
The stage directions say the play takes place “today.” Its
premiere