“’Last month… (With great difficulty) oh, boy, it’s so hard to say a thing like this! He’s just a big stupid man to you, but I tell you there’s more good in him than in many other people. (She chokes and wipes her eyes.) I was looking for a fuse. The lights blew out, and I went down the cellar. And behind the fuse-box - it happened to fall out - was a length of rubber pipe - just short’
‘No kidding?’
‘There’s a little attachment on the end of it. I knew right away. And sure enough, on the bottom of the water heater there’s a new little nipple on the gas pipe.’”
Linda’s anxiety is played out well and backed up by Happy’s questions and thoughts on what she’s found. Miller has taken a very upsetting situation and has managed to portray Linda’s feelings perfectly. Her true worry is how she can go behind Willy’s back like this.
“How can I mention it to him? Every day I go down and take it away the little rubber pipe. But, when he comes home, I put it back where it was. How can I insult him in that way?”
This is one of only two things that Linda knows about and for both of them Miller presents Linda in a similar way, very emotional and very defensive of Willy to the children.
The second situation that Linda has knowledge of is Willy borrowing money from Charley, their neighbour and Willy’s friend, and pretending that it is his pay. Linda’s reaction to this when questioned by the boys is presented very well by Miller because she is both defensive of Willy but also upset because he has to resort to borrowing money to keep the family going.
“Why? When he has to go to Charley and borrow fifty dollars a week and pretend to me that it’s his pay? How long can that go on? How long?”
Linda knows that this is only happening because Willy is been phased out of his job and is not on regular income. Miller presents Linda as a kind and loving wife because she is so defensive of her husband’s choice and this proves that she is devoted to him.
There are also, however, situations that Linda has no knowledge of and Miller does not present Linda in a way to react to these as she has no knowledge of them; she does, however, stay by his side as a loving wife. The first of these situations is the stockings which are mixed with the second, the woman. Biff went to visit Willy in Boston after he fails to graduate from high school because he ‘flunked’ maths. While in Boston Biff discovers that not only was his father having an affair but the stockings he promised for Linda were given to this woman.
“’Get out of here! Go back, go back... (Suddenly striving for the ordinary.) This is Miss Francis, Biff, she’s a buyer. They’re painting her room. Go back, Miss Francis, go back…’
‘But my clothes, I can’t go out naked in the hall!’
‘(Pushing her offstage.) Get outa here! Go back, go back!’
‘Where’s my stockings? You promised me stockings, Willy!’
‘I have no stockings here!’
‘You had two boxes of size nine sheers for me, and I want them!’
‘Here for God’s sake, will you get outa here! She’s nothing to me, Biff, I was lonely, I was terribly lonely.’
‘You - you gave her Mama’s stockings! (His tears break through and he rises to go.)’”
Biff’s reaction is in defence of his mother and this is Miller’s presentation of Linda but not in the direct form. Biff has his mother’s interests at heart and Miller uses this as his way of showing Willy was wrong. Miller gets the chance to present Linda’s reaction to the stockings when Willy tells her to stop mending stockings later in the play,
“She kisses him, and a silk stocking is seen hanging from her hand. Willy notices.
‘Will you stop mending stockings? At least while I’m in the house. It gets me nervous. I can’t tell you/ please.’”
Willy’s guilt is evident but Linda does not react and Miller presents her as the subservient loving wife that she is.
The final situation that the audience are faced with that is unknown to Linda is Willy been fired from his job. He hides this from her and this time it is Charley whose reaction we see in Linda’s place. Howard tells Willy that he is not needed anymore and the first person that he tells is Charley when he goes to borrow some money.
“’Charley I’m strapped, I’m strapped. I don’t know what to do I was just fired.’
‘Howard fired you?’
‘That snotnose. Imagine that? I named him. I named him Howard.’”
This final event has so many consequences for Willy and his family. Charley can see this and is why he gives in and lends him money. He is thinking about helping Willy’s family and is looking after their well-being as well as having fear of what could happen to the family if he does not help. This is presented similar to Linda as she would do anything for her family to keep it happy.
Linda is second only to Willy in the Loman family but Miller’s presentation of deception between them makes it harder for them to be partners. Miller presents Linda in a variety of situations that she does and doesn’t know about. Her reaction to these situations are similar and the situations unknown to her I think Miller has chosen another suitable character to take her position and to have a reaction in a way that shows protectiveness for the Loman family but also fear of what the situation could lead to.
