Death of a Salesman
by Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman: Dialect 1 key example

Act 1
Explanation and Analysis—You're a Pal:

As an incisive portrait of the common American, Death of Salesman explores the mid-20th-century American dialect. Characters like Happy and Willy frequently exchange easygoing, folksy expressions. Biff addresses his mother as a “pal,” for instance, and Willy calls her “kid,” as though fostering a sense of casual camaraderie. Contractions—such as “I’m tellin’ ya,” or “whattya got, Dad?”—add to the bygone charm of an outlook that is beginning to fail Willy.