I turned this in for a grade. For my final. This is my semester final. The prompt was: Make a scene continuing the story of any of the plays we read this semester. I chose Death of a Salesman. My group was very supportive of my choice of scene. I love them <33 sm. This is the final product. We called it Birth of a Fruitcake.

There is a bar called “The Crowbar”. What it lacks in width it makes up for in length. It’s set far back into the building it shares with other establishments. The lights outside the bar are warm and soft, the glowing orange of late afternoon. There are silhouettes of the other buildings on the street, and the rest of the building where the bar is located. Inside the outline of the house, there are hanging lightbulbs covered in green glass bulb covers, creating a soft green glow. It’s furnished with a bare bar, with stools lining the right side. Behind the stools, small round tables are scattered throughout the bar. There are dirty glasses and very few chairs actually surrounding the tables. It appears as though the patrons have to steal the chairs they need from other tables. On the left side of the bar, there sits a sparse few bottles of alcohol, all cheap, and glasses for pouring. To the right we see a corner of carpet peeking out from backstage, where the bathroom is located. The forestage is bare, but with a spotlight shining on it for now. Loud incoherent voices are heard off-stage. Bernard exits his home and waits on his patio contemplating if he should go in or not. Biff opens the door to his house and slams it closed while walking to his car.

BERNARD: Hey, Biff! Didn’t know you were home, thought Willy crawled back up.

BIFF: No, just Happy and me, but with the way he's going we're going to get Willy 2.0.

BERNARD: What do you mean?

BIFF: It's. . . Too much.

BERNARD: You wanna grab a drink? It’s been a while, we should catch up.

BIFF: You know what? Yeah. I could use a drink.

The lights on the forestage fade out. BIFF and BERNARD walk to the bar (the main stage)

JASON: Welcome to The Crowbar, fellas. What can I get for ya? [Cleaning two glasses]

BIFF: What’s your poison?

JASON: We got a house special called the Lazarus if you’re interested

BIFF: What's so special ‘bout it?

JASON: It’ll get a good night started.

BIFF: Alright, then, I’ll take a shot a’ that

BERNARD: Make that two, would you?

JASON: You sure you can handle it? [Looking BERNARD up and down]

BERNARD: What? What makes you think I can’t? Why didn’t you ask Biff that?

[BIFF tries and fails to hide a laugh]

JASON: No reason in particular. Just thought there would be a designated driver [Lying through his teeth]

BERNARD: [With exaggerated annoyance] You’re both insufferable. You know what, make that two for me.

JASON: Okay, buddy. [Smiling at BIFF]

BIFF: [He smirks at Jason and nudges BERNARD] Careful, there. Don’t wanna ruin that big brain of yours.

BERNARD: [Pointedly ignoring JASON] A few drinks won’t hurt me. I just won a big case, anyway, the firm won’t care what I do for a day or two.

JASON: [Pouring two shots] here’s one for the big guy and yourself, and I’ll get the next shot in a second. [Cleaning another glass]

BERNARD: So now you know what I’ve been up to, what’s going on with you? What’s with the hat, I thought you were a New Yorker?

BIFF: I was, I was very much a city boy for a while but over the years I came to find out I much prefer the outdoors and more handy work than desks and phone calls.

BERNARD: [He chokes on his drink] You’re a- a cowboy?

BIFF: [Chortling] Something of the sort.

BERNARD: You seem… much more sure of yourself now than you did last time I saw you. At least, before, y’know… [He fidgets nervously]

[JASON raises an eyebrow in curiosity]

BIFF: My dad’s funeral? Yeah… after he died, I realized that he had been controlling how I lived my life- directly, indirectly, what-have-you. But then I realized I had to do something with myself, and I wasn’t about to let him continue to do that from beyond the grave, so… [He trails off, leaving the bar to awkward silence]

BERNARD: Does that connect to what happened at the house? Thought it might have been Happy and Linda but seeing as you are here is there something going on? [He starts to reach for Biff’s hand but stops himself]

BIFF: I came home to see mom. To help her around the house and just to catch up, but when I walked through the door Happy had a briefcase in hand saying he is going to Boston to make some sales, and for a minute there all I see is Willy. I couldn’t handle it. I can’t watch my own brother go down the same path we watched our father go down, so I just started yelling. I knew I should have stopped but it was just too much seeing him like that.

BERNARD: Happy's been pretty serious about succeeding for Willy. He even went to my father to get a job. Even when Charley offered him a high starting position he refused insisting that he be a traveling salesman like his father.

BIFF: And that's what kills me. I should have taken him more seriously at the funeral when he said he was going to follow pop’s dreams. I should have listened more in general. I knew he was unhappy with where his life was going. It's just [He stops talking and lets out a sigh] I’m sorry I just can’t keep talking about this. Let's talk about something more lighthearted. We are two buds reunited after all.

BERNARD: [Clearing his throat after a moment of heavy silence] Right, uh, well… I remember you mentioning there wasn’t anyone… special, in your life at the moment, when we talked. Is that still true?

BIFF: Yeah, I mean, no girl I’ve been with has ever… I haven’t really felt anything “special” with any of them, to use your words, and I really don’t know if that’s ever going to happen. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Why do you ask?

BERNARD: Yeah, uh, no reason… [Very noticeably blushing] Hey, I’ve gotta use the bathroom real quick… watch my drinks, would you? [He exits to stage right and is no longer seen] Why is the bathroom carpeted?!??!?!?!?!?!

JASON: Mind ya damn business! [sliding in] And the plot thickens, tell me how long have you two been doing this dance?

BIFF: [Visibly confused] What dance?

JASON: Oh, come on, you know what I’m talking about. I’ve been around the block with love a couple times before, so I know it when I see it.

BIFF: Love? Me? US? [Now getting upset and panicking] Where did you get that big idea? What’s going on in that head of yours?

JASON: Oh trust me, friend, you don’t want to know. But what you do want to know is that if no girl has given you a special feeling, then maybe it’s not a girl your heart desires.

BIFF: [Defensively] Like Hell it isn’t! Look, I just haven’t… met the right girl, that’s it. [Sounding unsure of himself, as though he doesn’t quite believe it, but is trying to convince himself]

JASON: Like hell it is, my good sir. I see the way you two act with each other, and I see the way ol’ toothpick looks at you, the connection is there. Now are you gonna do something about it or not?

BIFF: The way he… But Bernard’s not… there’s no way!

JASON: Look, pal, I got a queer family member, I’m practically an ace at recognizing a friend of Dorothy when I see one, I must admit. [Now pouring himself a drink]

BIFF: But that’s not… I’m not, I swear…

JASON: Oh, drop the act, will ya?... Hey, you alright there, bud?

BIFF: [drifting away from the bar towards the forestage, not appearing to hear JASON] I don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t!

JASON: Oh, man… I didn’t realize this was a sore spot for you. Look, I’ll just get you another drink, how about that? [He moves farther down the bar, getting another glass for BIFF ready, glancing at him every so often]

[BIFF has crossed into the forestage fully now. BIFF’s theme plays as HAPPY exits stage right. BIFF joins HAPPY, now appearing much more happy, but still tense, as if he knows what’s about to happen. HAPPY and BIFF begin chatting. They’ve just gotten back from school. WILLY appears from stage left, and bends to pick up a discarded football. He notices the boys making their way to him, and he waves]

BIFF: Pop! Didn’t know you’d be back so soon

WILLY: Got done with business in Brooklyn, so thought I’d have some time with my boys. How ‘bout a game of catch to get you ready for the game on Friday?

BIFF: Sounds good, pop.

[BIFF, HAPPY, and WILLY start to throw a ball around]

HAPPY: Did ya hear about the boy at school?

BIFF: Which boy at school?

HAPPY: David W. and Joseph M.

BIFF: Nah, didn’t hear anything about them. What did they get up to?

HAPPY: Well, apparently, they were caught in the bathroom together doing more than washing hands.

BIFF: That's not that crazy. Linda and Peter were caught doin’ the same just last week.

[At this WILLY stumbles with the ball caught off guard by BIFF’s response. He continues to throw the ball but is noticeably less concentrated on the game]

HAPPY: Yeah, but they have been hands all over each other since spring break. David and Joseph together is just weird.

BIFF: There not harmin’ anyone and in the end-

[BIFF gets cut off by WILLY who now seems to be forcing himself to stay calm]

WILLY: Happy, go inside.

HAPPY: But-

WILLY: [cutting off HAPPY and yelling] I said get in!

[HAPPY looks at him then runs off stage. Everyone has stopped throwing the ball around leaving it on the yard. WILLY walks to BIFF]

BIFF: What was that about, pops?

WILLY: You can't just go about spewing that nonsense.

BIIF: What nonsense? We’re just talking about the guys at school.

WILLY: Do you talk to those fruitcakes?

BIFF: Only a bit. We're all in the same geometry class. And don’t call em’ fruitcakes, they’re my friends. We play ball sometimes.

WILLY: I'll get you switched out of that class, and stop talkin’ to them. They are not your friends, they're just trying to infect you.

BIFF: Infect me with what! They are good people and I won't let ya-

[Cutting of BIFF, WILLY gets closer to BIFF and grabs him by his shoulders]

WILLY: You have to listen to me! I'm just trying to protect you from their illness. You have a good future ahead of you and they are trying to ruin it for you.

BIFF: They’re not ruining anything, you're just being cra-

[WILLY slaps BIFF and as the sound rings out the sound of a glass being set down on the bar can also be heard]

WILLY: I'm doing this for you. Remember that.

[WILLY walks off stage. BIFF walks back to his seat at the bar holding the cheek that WILLY slapped. In front of him is now a drink]

JASON: Here's some water. You looked a bit out of it, so I thought you should refresh yourself.

[BERNARD exits the bathroom and crosses back to the bar. He does a double-take when he sees the state BIFF is in. He takes a seat cautiously]

BERNARD: What happened? Did Jason give you another Lazarus?

BIFF: Is it true?

BERNARD: What are you talking about? Did something happen while I was gone?

BIFF: I was jus’ thinkin’ about what our friend Jason said, and was just wondering are ya a homosexual?

[JASON pauses behind the bar, where he was previously nervously cleaning glasses. He slowly sets the glass down, placing the cloth back down on the counter. He’s clearly listening, but BIFF and BERNARD don’t seem to notice]

BENARD: I don’t know what you’re saying. I have a wife.

BIFF: We both know what you were like when you were younger. Why do ya think that Willy didn’t want you around all that much? He knew and he was just tryin’ to protect me.

BERNARD: Willy was never trying to protect you. He was just trying to control you. I thought you’d realized that by now.

BIFF: Maybe he wasn’t right about being a football player, but in the end he just wanted what was best for me.

[BERNARD moves towards BIFF, starting to put his hand on his shoulder when BIFF smacks his hand away]

BIFF: Keep your hands away from me! [He swings and punches BERNARD in the face. BERNARD stumbles back, holding his face. BIFF brings his arm back to strike BERNARD again while he’s still shocked]

JASON: Hey! Hey! Break it up, the both of you [Grabbing the back of their shirts] Now I have a strict no fighting rule in my bar, so if you keep this up I’ll have Bruce handle this. Now he won’t kill ya, but he’s completely fine with traumatic brain injuries.

BIFF: Stay outta this, scarface!

JASON: Alright, get the hell out of my bar!

[BIFF and BERNARD are tossed out of the bar. They move to the alley way that is located in the forestage]

BERNARD: What the hell was that for?

BIFF: First time getting kicked out of a bar?

BERNARD: It isn’t funny, I liked that bar, and we fought! [He gently pokes his cheek to assess the damage, and winces]

BIFF: Sorry ‘bout that. Life’s just been so messy recently.

BERNARD: Seriously, what’s going on with you? You looked like you'd seen a ghost when I got back. And don’t give me some half-assed excuse– you can’t just punch people out of nowhere!

BIFF: I kinda have seen a ghost. Ya know how Willy had those outbursts talking to people who are not there and all, well I kinda had one for myself.

BERNARD: What did the old man say?

BIFF: Happy and me came back from school and were just playin’ a game of catch with Willy when Happy started talking about the incident in 10th grade.

BERNARD: You are gonna have to be a bit more descriptive. I wasn’t very social in high school.

BIFF: Just two guys were caught in the bathroom and Willy just went crazy at the thought of me bein’ around them. Even slapped me. I got the message from him and started avoiding anyone who Willy wouldn't like. Even you.

BERNARD: That's why you stopped talking to me?

BIFF: Yeah, sorry about that. Even after he died I wanted to reach out. I wanted to start talkin’ to you again, but I thought that you hated me, that you stopped liking me.

BERNARD: Look, I loved you, and I don’t think I ever stopped.

BIFF: But… you have a wife?

BERNARD: Appearances. We both… swing a different way.

BIFF: Oh.

BERNARD: Yeah. Oh.

BIFF: And the kid? Your son?

BERNARD: We’d both wanted a kid for awhile, and we’re real good friends, even if we’re not… in love. It’s not like we’d be able to raise one with people we loved, so why not?

BIFF: I see.

[They stand in awkward silence for a moment, before BIFF speaks up]

BIFF: Why don’t I take you back to where I’m staying? Uh, patch you up, and maybe… talk?

BERNARD: Talk? [He gives him a small smile]

BIFF: I’ve spent my whole life hiding an important part of myself. Maybe it’s time I gave someone a look into the real me.

BERNARD: I’d be honored.

BIFF: Oh, don’t get a big head about it.

BERNARD: I don’t know, Biff. [He steals the hat from off BIFF’s head, putting it on his own] Seems about the same size as your’s.

BIFF: [He smirks] You know what the rule is, right?

Fin.

I love thinking about the characters and there was just this whole melancholy feeling hanging above the whole play that I loved from the very beginning. We have a salesman, Willy, who is too caught up with his own pride to realize that he’s failed in life, even driving him to the point of insanity. There’s Linda, the wife who loves him too much for her own good and even more than she loves her sons, which consequently leads her to ruins. She gives off Elizabeth Schuyler vibes, but she loves her husband more than children. Biff, their oldest son, has a tendency to steal things and he’s a high school has-been who can’t seem to find himself. Happy, their youngest, lived in Biff’s shadow yet idolized him all the same and shows signs of turning into their dad. These are just the expositions for them, but the way Miller portrays the characters with what happens in Willy’s head and with how each of their actions is so deeply imbued with their personalities is so impactful, especially when it culminates in the final act.

I think the thing that stood out to me the most was the climax and the final scene of the second act, where their personalities are the most discernable. Willy is trying to plant seeds in this concrete jungle of a city that he hates living in, trying desperately and impatiently to sow the seeds of love and nurturing into something that won’t accept it anymore, much like how it is too late to change how he raised his sons. Linda is close to estranging Biff and Happy because they abandoning their father and Happy shows no signs of caring for anyone but himself, already turning into his father, pretending that he is more than he truly is, lying about his job and acting like he’s a lady’s man. Biff cares in a way that is different from many. He sees his father as his equal and as someone who he needs to confront. Willy, in all his delusions, believes that Biff is spiting him by leaving and being unsuccessful. In this one moment, everything just melts away. Biff is a child and he has finally figured out who he is. He’s not the star player of the football team. He’s not some hotshot who deserves the world. He’s someone who needs to work harder and be humble and he’s not special, like his father raised him to believe. 

Yet despite all of Willy’s faults when raising him, he does not blame his father for his failures. He loves him. He has always loved him. And Biff cries this to Willy, finally being able to get him to understand that his love goes beyond all of that. This is the man who raised him, and he will always love him. This realization that Willy has completes his life, in a way. His son loves him. It’s almost as if he has been searching for forgiveness all this time, ever since Biff decided not to go to the University of Virginia after finding out that Willy was cheating. He has hoped that money or a good position or being able to take care of his wife from then on would redeem him in the eyes of his son, and he has tried to use his salesman charisma and inflated ego to prove that he deserves forgiveness, but it just keeps getting in the way. When Biff realizes who he is, Willy’s purpose as a father is complete and he realizes that he has to die in order to let his family live on in peace. He has poisoned the soil he planted the seeds in and he must remove himself in order for them to grow.