Knocked ’em cold in Providence, slaughtered ’em in Boston.
– Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman, Act 1. Death of a Salesman, Act 1. The theme of illusion vs reality is illustrated when Biff asks if his father knocked the buyers dead. Willy, prone to distorting the truth and creating his own reality, using hyperbole and a boxing metaphor about winning fights and killing opponents to exaggerate his success.