When he died – and by the way he died the death of a salesman, in his green velvet slippers in the smoker of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford, going into Boston – when he died, hundreds of salesmen and buyers were at his funeral. Things were sad on a lotta trains for months after that.
– Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman, Act 2. Willy pays homage to mythical salesman Dave Singleman, who he aspires to be like in life and in death. Dave is the epitomy of everything Willy wants to be, liked by everyone, successful, with hundreds of salesman and buyers attending his funeral. Singleman represents Willy’s American dream. Here we witness Willy’s search for identity, as he fantasizes about what will happen when he dies. Ironically only five mourners will turn up at his funeral, for Willy is no Dave Singleman but a mediocre salesman who has only made big sales in his imagination. Willy’s death is foreshadowed here. In his blind admiration for Singleman, we see another example of Willy deceiving himself. There are no family members mentioned being at Singleman’s funeral because he appears to have had none. The name "Singleman" is ironic in that it suggests he was probably a lonely man, not the perfect and fulfilled person Willy imagines him to be.