Death of a Salesman 1

"Just wanna be careful with those girls, Biff, that's all. Don't make any promises."
-page 1557

This quote comes from Willy early in the play. This is the first instance when Willy has an actual flashback and the reader gets information from Willy's memory. Willy is thinking back to the times when him and Biff and Happy all got along and when expectations for the future were at the highest. Because this account is from Willy's memory, than it is nonrealistic. Memory is a major connection between Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie. Both are nonrealistic, because memory is never 100% accurate. It takes into account the perspective of only the single person's memory. Willy thinks back and remembers how great things used to be when Biff was athletic and successful. I'm sure if it were Biff or Happy or Linda's memory, it would be at least slightly different from Willy's. Willy's flashbacks, hallucinations, and recollections of memory are very important in the story. Understanding what is real and what isn't is crucial in understanding the play.