This section of Act I clearly goes on to develop Willy's
delusional state of mind. As Willy plays cards with Charley, Ben, Willy's dead brother
enters. Willy confuses Charley with Ben, and a dialogue with the dead brother follows.
Charley of course leaves, unhappy with Willy's strange responses and his inability to
concentrate on the card game. Willy's replies to his dead brother begin to be confused
with his conversation with Charley. Ben then enters into conversation with Willy and
Linda as if he had returned and was alive.
For the first
time in this play, Willy is unable to distinguish what is going on about him from the
imaginary visit of his brother. Ben is an imagined rather than a remembered character.
It appears that he is a figment of Willy's imagination whose purpose is to reinforce
Willy's ideas. It is clear that Willy suffers from a lack of self-understanding and he
turns to Ben as a substitute father figure. Consider the following
quote:
Can't
you stay a few days? You're just what I need, Ben, because I - I have a fine position
here, but I - well, Dad left when I was such a baby and I never had a chance to talk to
him and I still feel - kind of temporary about
myself.
This quote is very
revealing. Note that Willy says this quote "longingly", indicating his own need for a
figure like Ben to be with him, guide him, advise him and support him. It also shows how
he is opposite to Ben in almost every way. Willy feels "kind of temporary" about
himself, indicating that he is not fixed on one thing or even one identity, whereas Ben
is introduced as "utterly certain of his destiny" - of course, the kind of man that
Willy would love to be.
In this episode therefore we are
shown an insight into the mind and character of Willy. The disparity between the reality
which the audience can perceive and that which Willy can see is greater than ever as we
see Willy "creating" the figure of Ben to gain authority and support for his ideas in
business.
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