Death of a Salesman Page #4

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- I joke too much.

- Why, you're...

I'm short.

I'm very foolish to look at, Linda.

I didn't tell you, but at Christmastime

I happened to be calling on F.H. Stewarts,

another salesman I know

as I was going to see the buyer.

I heard him say something

about "the shrimp".

And I cracked him...

I cracked him right across the face.

I won't take that.

I simply will not take that.

But they do laugh at me.

Oh, I know that.

- Darling?

- No, I gotta overcome it.

- I know I gotta overcome it.

- Darling?

I'm not dressing to advantage, maybe.

Willy, darling, you're

the handsomest man in the world.

You're the best. You're a pal.

On the road I want to grab you sometimes

and just kiss the life out of you.

I get so lonely,

especially when business is bad,

I get the feeling

I'll never sell anything.

I want to make a living for you.

Or business. Business for the boys.

There's so much I want to make for them.

Me? You didn't make me, Willy.

I picked you.

- You picked me, huh?

- I did.

I'm sitting at that desk, watching all

the salesmen go by, day in and day out.

You got such a sense of humour.

And we do have a good time together.

- Sure, sure. Why do you have to go?

- It's 2:
00.

- Come on.

- My sisters will be scandalised.

- When will you be back?

- Two weeks. Will you come up?

Sure thing. You do make me laugh.

That's good for me.

And I think you're a wonderful man.

- You picked me, huh? - I did, 'cause

you're so sweet and such a kidder.

I'll see you next time I'm in Boston.

- I'll put you through to the buyers.

- Right. Well.

Well, bottoms up.

Willy! You just kill me, Willy!

You just kill me!

And thanks for the stockings.

I love a lot of stockings.

- Well, good night.

- Good night.

Oh, and keep your pores open.

Willy!

You are, Willy, the handsomest.

I'll make it all up to you, Linda.

There's nothing to make up.

You're doing fine.

- What's that?

- I'm mending my stockings.

- They're so expensive.

- I won't have you mending stockings!

- Willy...

- Where is he? If he doesn't...

- Give him the answers.

- I do, but I can't on a Regents.

- It's a state exam.

- Biff! Where is he?

You better give back that football.

- Biff, where is he?

- He's too rough with the girls.

- He's driving without a licence.

- Shut up.

Willy.

- Get out of here.

- If he doesn't buckle down he'll flunk.

- You gotta do something about that boy.

- There's nothing the matter with him.

You want him to be a worm like Bernard?

Aw, he's got spirit, personality.

He's loaded with it, loaded.

What is he stealing?

He's giving it back, isn't he?

Why is he stealing?

What did I tell him?

I never in my life told him anything...

Come on up, Pop.

Let's go up.

Huh?

Why did she have

to wax the floors herself?

Every time she waxes the floors

she keels over.

- She knows that.

- Take it easy, Pop.

- Hey, what brought you back tonight?

- I got an awful scare.

I nearly hit a kid in Yonkers.

Why didn't I go to Alaska

with my brother Ben that time?

Ben, that man was a genius.

That man was success incarnate.

What a mistake.

He begged me to go.

The man started with the clothes on his

back and ended up with diamond mines.

I'd like to know how he did it.

The man knew what he wanted, got it.

Walks into a jungle, comes out

the age of 21 and he's rich.

The world is an oyster, but

you don't crack it open on a mattress.

Pop, I told you,

I'm gonna retire you for life.

You're gonna retire me for life

on 70 dollars a week

and your women and your car

and your apartment. You retire me?

I couldn't get past Yonkers today.

Where are you guys? Where are you?

The woods are burning. I can't

drive a car. - Everything all right?

- What's the matter?

- Everything's fine.

- I thought something happened.

- No. - Can't we do something about the walls?

You sneeze in here, in my house hats

blow off. - Come on, let's go up, huh?

- You go ahead. I'm not tired.

- All right. Take it easy.

- What are you doing up?

- I couldn't sleep. I had a heartburn.

- You don't know how to eat.

- I eat with my mouth.

You gotta know about vitamins

and things like that.

- Come on, let's shoot. Tire you out.

- All right.

- You got cards?

- I got them someplace.

What is it with those vitamins?

They build up your bones. Chemistry.

- There's no bones in a heartburn.

- What are you talking about?

- You don't know about it.

- I'll get insulted.

Don't talk about something

you don't know anything about.

- What are you doing home?

- A little trouble with the car.

Oh.

- I'd like to take a trip to California.

- Don't say.

You want a job? - I got a job, I told you

that. What are you offering me a job for?

- Don't get insulted.

- Don't insult me.

- You don't have to go on this way.

- I got a good job.

- What do you keep coming in here for?

- You want me to go?

I can't understand it.

He's going back to Texas again.

- What is that?

- Let him go.

I've got nothing to give him.

I'm clean.

- I'm clean.

- He won't starve. None of them starve.

- Forget about it.

- Then what have I got to remember?

You take it too hard. When a deposit bottle

is broken you don't get your nickel back.

- That's easy for you to say.

- That ain't easy for me to say.

You see the ceiling

I put up in here, hmm?

Yeah, that's a piece of work.

Putting up a ceiling is a mystery to me.

How do you do it?

What's the difference?

- Huh?

- Well, talk about it.

- You gonna put up a ceiling?

- How can I?

- What are you bothering me for?

- You're insulted.

A man who can't handle tools

is not a man.

- You're disgusting.

- Don't call me disgusting, Willy.

Oh, I'm getting...

- I'm getting awfully tired, Ben.

- Keep playing. You'll sleep better.

Did you call me Ben?

That's funny. For a second

you reminded me of my brother, Ben.

- I only have a few minutes.

- You never heard from him again?

Didn't Linda tell you? A couple weeks ago

we got a letter from his wife in Africa.

- He died. - Is that so?

- This is Brooklyn, huh?

- Maybe you're in for some of his money.

- He had seven sons.

There was one opportunity

I had with that man.

There are several properties

I'm looking at.

If I'd have gone with him to Alaska

everything would have been different.

- You'd have froze to death.

- What are you talking about?

Opportunity is tremendous in Alaska.

I'm surprised you're not up there.

There's the only man I ever met

who knew the answers.

- How are you all?

- Fine.

- Fine.

- Pretty sharp tonight.

- Is Mother living with you?

- She died long ago.

- Who?

- Fine specimen of a lady, Mother.

- I'd hoped to see the old girl.

- Who died?

- You heard from Father?

- What do you mean, who died?

- What are you talking about?

- What are you talking about!

- It's half past eight.

- That's my bill.

- I put the ace.

- If you don't know how to play...

- It's my ace, for God's sake.

- I'm through!

- When did Mother die?

- Long ago.

- You never knew how to play cards.

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