As the first act ends, Willy remains largely sympathetic.
The details revealed about his character thus far suggest a man who is at loose ends,
experiencing difficulty as a parent and as a
professional.
Willy has been having trouble driving and
trouble selling. He is struggling to make ends meet and struggling to even to simply
continue to work.
...the audience discovers that Willy has had
several automobile accidents recently and that he seems to be emotionally
unstable.
Willy varies
between a hopefulness and a despair regarding his working life and the same can be said
for his relationship with Biff. While Biff is clearly the favorite son, he is also a
problem for Willy.
Willy wants to be close to Biff (and,
ultimately, wants to be forgiven by Biff), he has difficulty communicating with his son.
Willy's advice is driven by a hope that Biff might take Willy seriously and achieve
success in business. This hopefulness is significant in Willy's effect on the
audience.
Willy lacks professional ability, but maintains
hope. He has a troubled relationship with Biff, but continues to admire his son and hope
that through him some success might be achieved for both (or all) of
them.
This hope creates sympathy in the audience, as well
as a deeper emotional investment in Willy's troubles, which are not yet clearly Willy's
fault.
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