Discuss the significance of "the woman" in the play Death of a Salesman.

Laurine Herzog

"The Woman" first appears in act one of the play. Willy is speaking with his
wife, Linda, but a moment from his past (and specifically from his extramarital affair with
"The Woman") intrudes upon his present. At first Willy hears the laughter of "The
Woman" and tries to talk over it, perhaps to prevent his wife from hearing it or perhaps in
an effort to defeat and suppress the memory.

The moment when the memory
overcomes the present coincides with the moment when "The Woman" says to Willy,
"I picked you." Willy is so pleased to hear her say this. In fact, he is almost
incredulous, asking her twice to affirm that it is true. The fact that "The Woman"
chose him gives him a sense of validation that he is increasingly unable to achieve in his
present reality. "The Woman" is thus significant because she helps us to understand,
by way of contrast, what Willy lacks in his life in the present.

"The
Woman" is also significant because she changes our emotional reaction to Willy. The
discovery that...

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