Death Of A Salesman Chapter Summaries

On the same day, Willy loses his job. He goes to meet his boys for a dinner to “celebrate”. He previously decided he wanted to hear some good news to tell Linda, regardless of the facts. Biff tries desperately to come clean with his father and tell him the truth about the rejection he took from Oliver. Unfortunately, Willy refuses to hear it and Happy learned the same method of dodging reality from his Dad.

What happens when a child is held to high expectations; also what if a parent has instilled faulty morals into a child that they expect greatness from? This can lead to a terrible combination of failures and disappointments. In Death of a Salesman, by Author Miller the readers see how a character named Biff, a child held to high expectations, partnered with a parent with faulty morals, has ultimately caused his inability to see things for what they are and he is unable to make just decisions for himself. The reader can also see Biffs growth as an individual when he finally decides to break free of the expectation his parent put on him, in which he finds his true self.

At one point in the play, Willy says, “Biff is a lazy bum”(16). Moments later in the same conversation with Linda, Willy adds, “There’s one thing about Biff, he’s not lazy”(16). Even when confronted by his boys, Willy is unable to deal with the truth, that his sons won’t amount to very much at all. He ignores reality very well, and instead of pointing out that Biff hasn’t established himself yet, Willy tells Biff, “You’re well liked, Biff….And I’m telling you, Biff, and babe you want…”(26). The boys are clearly aware of their status and the status of their father, and Happy is found putting Willy’s personality in a nutshell, “Well, let’s face it: he’s [Willy] no hot-shot selling man. Except that sometimes, you have to admit he’s a sweet personality”(66). Obviously, Willie’s failure to bring up his children effectively, and his delusional thinking including denial of reality helps fortify his depleting condition and confusion.

To make a change in his life, Biff decides he will ask his old employer Bill Oliver for money to start a ranch. The boys then suddenly hear willy downstairs talking to himself, and attempt to sleep. Next the lights on the stage move to Willy, who is sitting in the kitchen lost in memory. Willy remembers when biff and happy were young boys and helped him wash their car. He goes on and tells the boys that when he travels he is well liked, and that soon he will open a successful business. Next the neighbors son Bernard enters wondering why Biff has not come over to study with him. After Bernard leaves Willy tells Biff that he can't be successful without being well liked. Soon a younger version of Linda appears. She asks Willy about how much money he made on his trip, at first he says he made $1,200, then drops it to $200, but then admits to it only being 70 dollars. As Willy continues talking to Linda, a laughter appears over hers. Soon, the scene shifts and Willy flirts with The Woman, a secretary for a buyer. He gives her stockings and she thanks him for

Willy’s biggest issue with his son is that he let him down by not being any more successful than him. He feels like Biff is failing on purpose just to make him look bad. Although, he has no decent job and is single; Biff has become disoriented about life. Earlier in the play Biff tells Happy, “I tell ya Hap, I don't know what the future is. I don't know - what I'm supposed to want” (Miller266). Biff once looked up to his father as a role model, but lost all faith in him once finding out that he was having an affair. Ever since he has rejected Willy’s commitment of being a husband and also a father. To add to his ruins are Willy’s ideas of how Biff should get ahead in life. Willy taught Biff that popularity was the right way to get to the top, rather than hard-work and dedication. Trying to live by his dad’s standards caused Biff to fail high school and become unable to put forth the effort to become

Bernard interrupts the scene complaining about Biff’s academic stance in math. Willy goes on to talk about how Bernard’s intelligence won’t get him far in life because he’s a “well-liked” person. Linda then appears and the boys head inside the house. While Willy believes his business

Linda is angry and ashamed of both of her sons, especially of her eldest son Biff, for leaving Willy all alone in the restaurant while he was in the middle of one of his delusions. Linda believes they treated him worse than they would have treated any other decent human being. Linda shouts at Biff, “You invite him to dinner. He looks forward to it all day- … -and then you desert him there.

When Willy and Biff are together in the house, conflict constantly enlarge between them. Linda argues with Willy concerning his in crazy love with Biff. Linda states that “You shouldn’t have criticised him, Willy, especially after he just off the train. You mustn’t lose your temper with him (Miller,1949).” Willy replies back to Linda declaring that “When the hell did I lose my temper? I simply asked if he was making any money. Is that a criticism? (Miller,1949).” Willy further declares that “There’s such as undercurrent in him. He become a moody man. Did he apologize when I left this morning? (Miller, 1949).” This quotes denounces Willy desire Biff to certainly live a righteous lifestyle. He wanted Biff to know when he’s wrong. Linda further states that “He was crestfallen, Willy. You know how he admires you. I think if he finds himself, then you’will both be happier and not fight any more (Miller, 1949).” Although the relationship broke down, there was still love between a man and his

The final third of Death of a Salesman had interesting and unexpected elements, and remained very enjoyable. The final scenes connect loose ends left over from previous scenes, and tie them into a satisfying and logical conclusion. A conversation between Willy and Charley opens the final third of Death of a Salesman. Willy asks Charley if he can borrow money from him. Charley instead offers Willy a job, which Willy refuses.

Some of the techniques he uses to show this are the use of motifs, the

Biff and Happy once deeply respected and looked to their father for advice and encouragement, as in the past Linda says “few men are idolized by their children the way you are”⁶, but as they realise his advice was false and he had been living a lie throughout life. As soon as Biff finds out about his father’s affair he no longer respects him and Willy remains unable to win back his trust. “You fake! You phony little fake”⁷. Willy feels that by his suicide, it will prove to Biff that he was truly committed to providing for his family. He still believes that Biff will become successful by having the money from his life insurance showing how he never learnt from his mistakes. “Can you imagine that magnificence with twenty thousand dollars in his pocket? ...When the mail comes he’ll be ahead of Bernard once more”⁵. It is more tragic that Biff is the one who realises that “he had the wrong dreams”⁴ at his funeral. Rather than feeling proud, Biff he pities his father. Ironically it is

Furthermore, Biff, along with Happy tries to conjure up a crazy idea of putting on a sporting goods exhibition. The problem with Willy is that he never grows up and deals with his obstacle; and he has taught this life strategy to his sons.

Rather than seeking money and success, Biff wants a more basic life. He wants to be seen and loved for who he is. While Biff is, in some ways, desperate to impress and please his dad, he also realizes that Willy has imperfect, greedy dreams that Biff is neither able, nor desires, to achieve. Willy does a horrible job of paying attention to the fact that Happy, and especially Biff, hate the competitive world of business, and they want to move to the West and open up a ranch. Willy abandons the ideas and dreams that his sons have for their own

However, Biff and Happy do not accomplish Willy's hopes to have very successful sons. Biff Loman is a thirty-four year old, rough, good-looking former star athlete. He is also a moody and troubled man. Like his father, he is worried both about the family tensions and about work. He was a very promising football athlete, but his life changed completely when he discovered that his father was cheating with another woman. Biff drifted and left home and traveled around seven states to get a better job but could not. He also went to jail for stealing a suit. In fact, Biff "utterly failed to live up his father's expectations." He has an internal struggle trying to know what to do with his future. The main conflict between them is that Willy sees Biff as a person with a lot of possibilities for his life, but the truth is that he sees himself as a "nobody". On one side, he feels the pressure that he has to please his father's wishes; and on the other hand, Biff wants to do what he thinks it is right for his life, his own dreams. But Willy does not want to believe that a member of the Loman family could be or is a "nobody" or a "loser" in life. However, this illusion is gone at the end of the story for both. And Willy is not open to listen to his sons and to realize, as Biff says, "he never knew who he was."

Later in a flashback, Willy and Biff are on their way to Ebbets Field for a football game when Charley appears and beings a conversation with Willy. Merely joking around, Charley makes a few comments which Willy takes great offense too and beings insulting Charley and telling him to put his hands up as if to fight. Willy's arrogance shows it's face once again when Willy is talking to Biff about his meeting with Oliver. Completly ignoring what Biff is saying, Willy goes on about how good of a kid Biff is and how impressive he is. Though not directly insulting, Willy ignores what his son has to say and goes off on his own tangents, losing the respect of the reader. Willy then ends up in another flashback in the bathroom of the restauraunt where he met Happy and Biff for dinner. The most disgusting part of Willy is revealed here. Biff walks in on Willy and his woman friend whom hes had a secret relationship with. Willy attempts to cover it up and when that doesnt work he orders Biff around and shows how bad of a person he can be.