Throughout Death of a Salesman time switches are used continuously, typically to present the audience with the Loman familys background and show deterioration. In act one we see the first flashback at the beginning of the play. As the play starts to go into flashback the backdrop changes from the present Apartment houses and the surroundings become covered in leaves. This is the first sign of the Lomans happy past. Willy is talking sense and telling Biff to watch his schooling, giving him good advice, and then he shows his wealth, polishing the car talking about the hammock that Willy is going to buy, to the punch bag that Willy bought his sons. This all seems too good to be true and as the flashbacks are taking place throughout the play we begin to see a tragic hero uncovered, Willy. The flashbacks show his highs from the past but the reality now is his present, and his falls. As the flashback begins to uncover, we see that the past is arriving on stage before the present has left.
Ben a character from the past that is dead is present in flashbacks throughout the play. But at the start his presence he is more diffuse as he spreads with all the characters in the flashback. Later Ben is still apparent but only when Willy is alone in a flashback. As the flashbacks are happening in the past, the present is still there. So as Willy is talking to Ben, Linda is confused to who Willy is talking to.
The laughter of the past is heard during the play from the woman Willy was having an affair with. This shows Willy conscience, and that he stills thinks about what he did. The stage directions make a point of saying, From the darkness, and although this is not a direct flashback we know it is from the past. Ironically when the womans laughter is heard Linda is telling Willy how handsome he is, To me you are. The handsomest. She then goes on to say about their children and how Willy is an idol to them. This flashback brings in many emotions of the past and shows that although on the surface Willies life is good that there still are downfalls. This technical device is seen as a flashback within a flashback, from present to further past. We see the betrayal of Willy toward Linda when the Woman mentions the stockings, Thanks for the stockings; I love a lot of stockings.
We see Ben arrive in the next time switch; Charley and Willy are playing a game of cards. This flashback is interrupting and causes confusion to the onset characters present. Willy at this point is becoming seemly mad to Charley, as Willy is mixing up Charley and Ben.
As Ben enters a time switch the stage directions note that his music is being played. As he becomes more apparent so does the music, First distantly, then closer, closer. Ben is alone with Willy and this shows the pressure that Willy is under. At the end of this flashback we see Willy walking through to the present. Willy is arguing with nobody only the past and this is used as a device for the characters present Bernard and Jenny to show what effect Willy is having on people, Your father gets all upset every time he comes, Willy has inhabited another existence, talking to himself.
In act two there is the most significant time switch of the play, this explains why Willy and Biff fell out. The operator takes him into a flashback during the present in the restaurant, and then the voice functions into flashback as Willy goes into the washroom. Here the flashback of Biff discovering the affair becomes apparent. Towards the end of the flashback it becomes very emotional and shows the hurt that Willy has caused to Biff. Willy explains, I was lonely, I was terribly lonely. At the end of the flashback Willy finds himself being helped up by the waiters in the restaurant. This flashback shows the audience how plagued by the affair Willy still feels after all this time.
In this play flashback is achieved successfully by the positioning of the actors when on stage. All the flashback action takes place down stage, and the actors enter through wall not conventional doors and windows to show that it is the past, as they cannot use the present doors. The light and music also signal that a flashback is about to begin as with Bens music, this initiates his arrival. As we move into flashback with young successful Bernard the stage directions state what the light of green leaves stains mean. They show that a successful dream is in the air that being Bernard.
The costumes, make-up moods and hair are also different in the past as the play presents a younger character for example, Biff, in his high-school sweater. The Loman family are happier in the past and so we hear, The gay music of the boys.
The backdrop changes frequently. We see this primarily in the first flashback page 15 when the skyscrapers change to trees and leaves. This shows the environment, which the Loman family used to live in.
The function of time switches in Death of a Salesman has proven to be successful. It helps to show the contrast between the past and the present, an insight into Willies behaviour, and also explains the decline that Willy is experiencing in throughout his life. The variety of moods, location and atmosphere throughout the play and its flashbacks make it easier for the audience to comprehend and get an insight into the characters personality. This play makes it easy for the audience to relate to the characters and their lives. What the Lomans are going through is a part of reality of which many people have to deal with everyday and so by incorporating flashbacks into the script makes the theme more accessible to understand.
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