Charley Character Analysis in Death of a Salesman

Willy's neighbor, a steady businessman. He is a constant friend to Willy through the years, though Willy is quick to take offense whenever Charley tries to bring Willy's unrealistic dreams down to earth. Charley foresees Willy's destruction and tries to save him by offering him a job. He gives the final elegy about what it meant for Willy to live and die as a salesman.

Charley Quotes in Death of a Salesman

The Death of a Salesman quotes below are all either spoken by Charley or refer to Charley. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

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The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you're a salesman, and you don't know that.

Related Characters: Charley (speaker), Willy Loman

Page Number and Citation: 75

Explanation and Analysis:

There were a lot of nice days. When he'd come home from a trip; or on Sundays, making the stoop; finishing the cellar; putting on the new porch... You know something, Charley, there's more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made.

Related Characters: Biff Loman (speaker), Willy Loman, Charley

Page Number and Citation: 110

Explanation and Analysis:

He don't put a bolt to a nut, he don't tell you the law or give you medicine. He's a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine... A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.

Related Characters: Charley (speaker), Willy Loman

Page Number and Citation: 111

Explanation and Analysis:

Charley Character Timeline in Death of a Salesman

The timeline below shows where the character Charley appears in Death of a Salesman. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...he will soon open a bigger, more successful business than that owned by their neighbor, Charley, because he is better liked than Charley. (full context)

Bernard, Charley's son, enters. He wonders why Biff has not come over to study math with him.... (full context)

Charley, who has heard the voices in Willy's house, comes over from next door to see... (full context)

Willy asks Charley what he thinks of the new ceiling Willy has put up. Charley shows interest, but... (full context)

In a kind of daydream, Willy's rugged, dignified older brother Ben appears onstage. Willy tells Charley that Ben died only a few weeks ago, in Africa. In his grogginess, he talks... (full context)

A younger Charley enters and warns Willy not to let his sons steal any more from the construction... (full context)

...commission. Nobody will buy from him anymore, and he borrows fifty dollars a week from Charley and claims it is his salary. She tells her sons that Willy has worked all... (full context)

...helmet, but Happy insists on carrying that. Biff allows Bernard to carry his shoulder pads. Charley enters and jokes with Willy about the game, trying to deflate Willy's excessive expectations about... (full context)

Bernard, now grown, is waiting in the reception room outside Charley's office. Charley's secretary, Jenny, comes in to ask Bernard to deal with Willy, who has... (full context)

Just then, Charley comes out of his office and hands Bernard a goodbye gift, a bottle of bourbon.... (full context)

Bernard leaves, and Willy follows Charley into his office. Charley starts to count out the usual fifty dollars, but Willy sheepishly... (full context)

Charley gives Willy the money to pay his life insurance premium. Willy muses that he has... (full context)

The only people at Willy's funeral are his family, Charley and Bernard. Linda is bewildered by the absence of all Willy's business associates, and wonders... (full context)

Charley delivers an eulogy in Willy's defense. He says that a salesman doesn't do anything concrete... (full context)