Death of a Salesman: Summary 1. The events in this story are arranged out of order or by use of 2. The author most likely chose this style of writing to show reflection on the life of an old man. The flashbacks are used to show the style and mannerism of the main character, Willy, and how old age affects man. The flashbacks also give the readers a balance of what happened in the past and a look at what will happen in the future. 3. The primary conflict in this work is when the salesman, Willy tries to convince himself that he has led a good enough life and that he raised his sons to the best of his ability.