Good Evening Friends,

Willie Loman seems to be in touch with his authentic self when he is relaxed, at ease, not trying to maintain his front, when he has his defenses down. When he is at ease he uses his innate carpentry talents.

When he is trying to impress his brother, Ben, he instructs Hap and Biff to go across the street and steal (of course that is not the word he uses) some building supplies from across the street because "....we're gonna rebuild the entire front stoop right now!"

Or, when he is bored this proclicity apparently yearns to express itself. There is the scene where we meet the character called Charlie (Uncle Charlie to Biff and Hap), a family friend of the Lomans, for the first time.

The two of them are sitting in the kitchen and Willie says to Charlie, "You see the ceiling I put up in the living room?" Charlie says that it's a "piece of work," and that he could never do that. Willie reacts with contempt and says that any man who can't handle tools is not a real man. He says to Charlie, "You're disgusting."

This is interesting. Now, we have been saying that Willie feels ambivalent toward his father and the legacy he endowed Willie with through genetic inheritance. With Charlie Willie promotes his skill with his hands as almost a badge of honor, a bludgeon to attempt to shame Charlie with.

But in the scene just before he meets with Charlie, Willie almost disparages his gifts and therefore his own biological father. Willie is off on one of his waking sleep walking journeys around the neighborhood. He is ranting, reliving memories from a happier time of Biff's high school glory. This is something he does quite often lately.

Hap and Biff, who is home for a visit (he has been working with horses out in Texas) are in the kitchen with their mother, Linda. Biff is surprised and indignant. In anger he says that Willie, his father, has "got no character," and that Charlie would never put on such a shameful display.

Hap and Biff get into an argument. Hap talks about how Biff has thus far made a flop in the "business world." He talks about the time when Biff had a job with a man, involved with sporting goods I believe, called Bill Oliver.

Hap seems to think that Biff ruined his career (as a shipping clerk) there by whistling in an elevator. I'm not kidding. Hap is very cross with Biff about this. He says, "No man who's got a responsible job whistles in an elevator."

Biff talks about how they (the Loman family) don't really belong in this city (New York). He says that they belong somewhere out in the open field, working as, perhaps, "...carpenters. A carpenter is allowed to whistle."

Willie walks in at this moment and says, "Even your grandfather was better than a carpenter."

What does the word 'even' mean in this context? What does it mean to be 'better than a carpenter?'

It's late and I'm getting groggy. I'll take this up next time.

wingedcentaur