(The knocking is heard again. He takes a few steps away from
her, and she vanishes into the wing. The light follows him,
and
now he is facing Young Biff, who carries a suitcase. Biff
steps toward him. The music is gone.)
BIFF: Why didn’t you answer?
WILLY: Biff! What are you doing in Boston?
BIFF: Why didn’t you answer? I’ve been knocking for five
minutes, I called you on the phone...
WILLY: I just heard you. I was in the bathroom and had the
door
shut. Did anything happen home?
BIFF: Dad — I let you down.
WILLY: What do you mean?
BIFF: Dad...
WILLY: Biffo, what’s this about? (Putting his arm around
Biff.)
Come on, let’s go downstairs and get you a malted.
BIFF: Dad, I flunked math.
WILLY: Not for the term?
BIFF: The term. I haven’t got enough credits to graduate.
WILLY: You mean to say Bernard wouldn’t give you the
answers?
BIFF: He did, he tried, but I only got a sixty-one.
WILLY: And they wouldn’t give you four points?
BIFF: Birnbaum refused absolutely. I begged him, Pop, but he
won’t give me those points. You gotta talk to him before
they
close the school. Because if he saw the kind of man you are,
and you just talked to him in your way, I’m sure he’d come
through for me. The class came right before practice, see,
and I
didn’t go enough. Would you talk to him? He’d like you, Pop.
You know the way you could talk.
WILLY: You’re on. We’ll drive right back.
BIFF: Oh, Dad, good work! I’m sure he’ll change it for you!
WILLY: Go downstairs and tell the clerk I’m checkin’ out. Go
right down.
BIFF: Yes, sir! See, the reason he hates me, Pop — one day
he was
late for class so I got up at the blackboard and imitated
him. I
crossed my eyes and talked with a lithp.
WILLY (laughing): You did? The kids like it?
BIFF: They nearly died laughing!
WILLY: Yeah? What’d you do?
BIFF: The thquare root of thixthy twee is... (Willy bursts
out
laughing; Biff joins him.) And in the middle of it he walked
in!
(Willy laughs and The Woman joins in offstage.)
WILLY (without hesitation): Hurry downstairs and...
BIFF: Somebody in there?
WILLY: No, that was next door. (The Woman laughs offstage.)
BIFF: Somebody got in your bathroom!
WILLY: No, it’s the next room, there’s a party —
THE WOMAN (enters, laughing; she lisps this): Can I come in?
There’s something in the bathtub, Willy, and it’s moving!
(Willy looks at Biff, who is staring open-mouthed and
horrified
at The Woman.)
WILLY: Ah — you better go back to your room. They must be
finished painting by now. They’re painting her room so I let
her take a shower here. Go back, go back... (He pushes her.)
THE WOMAN (resisting): But I’ve got to get dressed, Willy, I
can’t —
WILLY: Get out of here! Go back, go back... (Suddenly
striding for
the ordinary.) This is Miss Francis, Biff, she’s a buyer.
They’re
painting her room. Go back, Miss Francis, go back...
THE WOMAN:But my clothes, I can’t go out naked in the hall!
WILLY (pushing her offstage): Get outa here! Go back, go
back!(Biff slowly sits down on his suitcase as the argument continues
offstage.)
THE WOMAN: Where’s my stockings? You promised me stockings,
Willy!
WILLY:I have no stockings here!
THE WOMAN: You had two boxes of size nine sheers for me, and
I want them!
WILLY: Here, for God’s sake, will you get outa here!
THE WOMAN (enters holding a box of stockings): I just hope
there’s nobody in the hall. That’s all I hope. (To Biff.)
Are you
football or baseball?
BIFF: Football
THE WOMAN (angry, humiliated): That’s me too. G’night. (She
snatches her clothes from Willy, and walks out.)
WILLY (after a pause): Well, better get going. I want to get
to the
school first thing in the morning. Get my suits out of the
closet. I’ll get my valise. (Biff doesn’t move.) What’s the
matter!
(Biff remains motionless, tears falling.) She’s a buyer.
Buys for
J. H. Simmons. She lives down the hall — they’re painting.
You don’t imagine — (He breaks off. After a pause.) Now
listen,
pal, she’s just a buyer. She sees merchandise in her room
and
they have to keep it looking just so... (Pause. Assuming
command.) All right, get my suits. (Biff doesn’t move.) Now stop
crying and do as I say. I gave you an order. Biff, I gave
you an
order! Is that what you do when I give you an order? How
dare
you cry! (Putting his arm around Biff.) Now look, Biff, when
you grow up you’ll understand about these things. You
mustn’t
— you mustn’t overemphasize a thing like this. I’ll see
Birnbaum first thing in the morning.
BIFF: Never mind.
WILLY (getting down beside Biff): Never mind! He’s going to
give
you those points. I’ll see to it.
BIFF: He wouldn’t listen to you.
WILLY: He certainly will listen to me. You need those points
for
the U. of Virginia.
BIFF:I’m not going there.
WILLY: Heh? If I can’t get him to change that mark you’ll
make
it up in summer school. You’ve got all summer to —
BIFF (his weeping breaking from him): Dad...
WILLY (infected by it): Oh, my boy...
BIFF: Dad...
WILLY: She’s nothing to me, Biff. I was lonely, I was
terrible
lonely.
BIFF: You — you gave her Mama’s stockings! (His tears break
through and he rises to go.)
WILLY (grabbing for Biff):I gave you an order!
BIFF: Don’t touch me, you — liar!
WILLY: Apologize for that!
BIFF: You fake! You phony little fake! You fake! (Overcome,
he
turns quickly and weeping fully goes out with his suitcase.
Willy is left on the floor on his knees.)
WILLY:I gave you an order! Biff, come back here or I’ll beat
you!
Come back here! I’ll whip you!
(Stanley comes quickly in from the right and stands in front
of
Willy.)
WILLY (shouts at Stanley):I gave you an order...
Hammil:
Death
of a Salesman
(The knocking is heard again. He
takes a few steps away from her, and she vanishes into the wing. The light
follows him, and now he is facing Young Biff, who carries a suitcase. Biff
steps towards him. The music is gone. )
Biff: It was great. The car ride
took a lot longer than I thought. There was a lot of traffic near the Boston
area.
Willy: Well I’m glad you made it
son. I have something very important to tell you.
Willy: Angela and I are getting
married.
Willy: I took her to her favorite
Italian restaurant, La Bella Luna and we had a romantic evening of pasta and
her favorite Merlot red wine. We spent hours at the restaurant enjoying our
wine and then I ordered us a cheesecake. I considered proposing over dessert
but she has never been a huge fan of public affairs. After dinner I took her on
a walk near the restaurant. Out of sheer luck I found this gorgeous fountain so
I asked her there on the spot.
Willy: Thank you son. Are you ready
to meet her?
Biff: Yeah that would be great.
Willy: She’s on the back porch.
(Biff set his suitcase near the
door and he and Willy make their way down stage left. The spotlight shines on
them and Angela.)
Willy: Angela I would like you to
meet my eldest son Biff.
Angela: It’s great to meet you
Biff.
Biff: You too Angela. Congratulations on the engagement. Dad just got done telling me the story.
Angela: Thank you very much. It was
very unexpected but such a great surprise.
(Willy exits towards stage top
stage right. The light fades off him and continues shining on Angela and Biff.)
Angela: So Biff, I hear that you
are going to school to be a lawyer. Is that right?
Biff: Yes ma’am that is correct. I
will be graduating next year.
Biff: Yes I am. My football season just
ended so my life won’t be as hectic but I will enjoy the peace.
Biff: I played offense. It was my
first year of playing but I had a lot of fun. If I play next year you and dad
should come to one of my games. We get a pretty good turnout.
Angela: That would be a lot of fun.
I’m always telling Willy we need to get out of Belmont.
Willy: I would like to make a
toast. It’s not very often that I get to see my son but to have both my son and
my fiancé in the room is a rare delicacy. Cheers to an amazing life ahead.
Angela: Cheers.
Biff: Cheers.
