Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman 's American dream, was to become a well-known and loved salesman. Unfortunately, his life was built upon lies and exaggerations in order to escape the pain staking the truth. Willie would have flash backs from his better days at work and with his

The relationship between Willy and Biff is complicated. Actually, Biff is everything for Willy. He doesn’t do well as a salesman anymore, so this situation makes him depressed but at least there is Biff. So Willy believes that Biff will reach the success and his dreams will become true. That makes him want Biff to take some responsibility, in other words this is a big pressure on Biff. “How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it’s good for him to tramp around, take a lot of different jobs. But it’s more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week!” says Willy and then Linda says “He is finding himself Willy.” Then Willy answers again “Not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace!” This shows how Willy mad at him because he thinks they couldn’t reach their dreams because of Biff. Willy says “Sure. Certain men just don’t get started till later in life. Like Thomas Edison, I think. Or B.F. Goodrich. One of them was deaf. I’ll put my money

Discrete — Linda was the only person that new Willy was suicidal which is mainly why she cares for him greatly however she was the reason for Willy’s death. If she would have told someone else Willy could have got the help he needed before he was driven to kill himself.

Charley offers Willy a job in New York, but he refuses. Willy drifts off into another daydream while playing cards, and talks to Charley and his brother Ben at the same time. Now alone, Willy remembers a time when his brother Ben visited, and they discussed their family history with Linda and the kids. Willy walks outside, still talking to the ghosts from his past. Linda hears willy talking to himself and asks him to come to bed. Next Willy leaves to go for a walk wearing slippers. Biff and Happy soon join Linda downstairs, and talk about how they are worried for Willys mental health. Linda reveals that Willy has lost his salary, and borrows money from Charley every so often, bringing it home as a salary. Linda also tells the boys that she found a rubber hose behind the fuse box and a new nipple on the gas pipe of the water heater. This makes her think Willy had tried to asphyxiate himself. When Willy returns, Happy tries to defuse some tension by announcing that he is going to ask his old boss Bill Oliver for money to start a business. Willy is intrigued, and gives Biff advice regarding interviews. Soon Linda tries to offer advice, but Willy shushes

Linda entered and the boys were sent to do chores. Willy bragged to Linda about his successful business trip, but it is eventually realized that his trip was somewhat mediocre. Willy worried that his earnings would not be able to cover all payments that he owed. He griped that he was not well liked, and therefore bad at his job. Linda consoled him and Willy heard a woman laughing; he seemed to have a sexual relationship with this woman as they flirted. The woman seemed to have been a day dream within a day dream, and Willy floated back to his original daydream. Bernard ran into the house, looking for Biff to study with. Biff was reminded to return his stolen football by Linda, who also mentioned that he is too rough with girls. Willy angrily erupts at Biff before his daydream scene ends.

Willy does not treat Biff and Happy equally, and expects too much from them. Willy paid more attention to Biff then Happy when the boys were younger. For example, Happy tried to get Willy’s attention twice by asking Willy “I’m loosing weight, you notice, Pop?” (21), Willy ignores his son and goes on to talk with his wife.

He creates a false image of a skilled salesman in demand, when in reality, he's really washed up. Willy is on a tirade about Biff because he thinks that Biff is wasting his life; he has become a shiftless bum, when Willy had such high expectations for him. As Willy is talking to Linda about Biff, he says that he's lazy and that's why he's a failure. But in the next breath, Willy says that he doesn't understand why someone as hard-working as Biff isn't more successful. Willy's speech is constantly riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions.

When asking if he can stay in Boston for work, and not travel so much for work, he turns a civil conversation into a shouting match. His boss, understandably, shuts down. Anyone who has tried to convince someone of something knows that when things turn hostile, no one is open to new ideas. Willy effectively negates his chances of getting the non-travel job, and even talks himself into an unpaid leave. Clearly, Willy’s social skills are not that of what a salesman’s should be. Furthermore, Willy ruins relations with his son, Biff, Before Biff leaves for the last foreseeable time. When all Biff wanted was a loving goodbye, Willy refuses to respect him or his decision. Instead, Willy regards Biff coldly. He does not wish him a goodbye and does not shake Biff’s hand when offered. Driven by his desire to keep Biff in the house, Willy reacts completely opposite of how he should; giving Biff no incentive of love or care to stay in the house. Willy effectively tears the family

This meeting is thought to be a great chance for Biff to obtain a loan that will help him start his dream business.” (Enotes) This is the scene where everything is destroyed for the Loman family. “We learn that the meeting never takes place; Bill Oliver does not even remember Biff, making Biff realize that he was merely a shipping clerk for Oliver, and not a salesmen, like Willy had convinced him to believe for years.” (Enotes) This was Biff’s actual realization that his entire life was a complete lie. “The anger that Biff develops after realizing that his life has been a mere fragment of Willy’s imagination makes him want to confront his father at the restaurant. This, he does in aims that Willy would stop, for once and for all, creating fantasies about Biff in Biff’s own head.” (Enotes) This is what happens to Willy after the truth is finally brought to his attention.

Linda is very patient, enabling, caring; loves Willy unconditionally. Biff (present) is angry with him for being a phony; Biff (past) worships him. Happy (present and past) idolizes him and is now worried about him. Biff may be trying to spite Willy because he is angry that his dad cheated. On the other hand, Biff may simply be lost and angry at himself for letting one event ruin his life. Biff gets restless in the spring and realizes that he hasn’t done anything with his life, so he comes home.

Willy cheating on Linda, Linda being in denial that Willy has a problem, and Happy being the buyer when he is actually “one of the two assistants to the assistant” (2.869) are all lies that have been told throughout the family. This proves that he is right about the family being full of lies, which is why they all have weak relationships with each other.

Along with her motives, Linda attempts to keep any voice of reason away from Willy, showing that her selfish desire of her well-being is more important than his. In a discussion with her boys in Act I, Linda says, "I'm- I'm ashamed to. How can I mention it to him? Every day I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But, when he comes home, I put it back where it was. How can I insult him like that?"(1184) Linda claims that acknowledging the truth about Willy's possible attempt to kill himself is an insult. But, in order to develop a solution to any preoblem, one must start with the truth. Linda merely wants to accommodate Willy's mental problems rather than get rid of them, causing him to stay in his troubled state of mind. In another conversation in Act II, Linda tries to push Biff away from speaking with his father:

Biff has begun to develop an alternative view of his father and the lifestyle he leads. Gradually he begins to feel that something is fundamentally wrong with this way of thinking and way of living. He wonders if it’s not more important in life to spend time doing things that you find personally fulfilling rather than using all your energies to chase else’s dream or trying to earn someone else’s approval. Biff was imbued with all the same traits as his younger brother, he felt perhaps subconsciously that being good looking and well liked would be enough to get him through life but has learned that is not true. Biff Loman eventually realizes what a sham his life, his brother’s life, and his father’s life is. He confronts finally confronts Willy after discovering Willy’s intention to kill himself and declares that “You’re practically full of it! We all are! And I’m through with it!” (1512) Willy Loman is furious and he refuses to see what a house of cards his whole life is. He can’t bear the fact that his life does not fit the preconceived notions he had about it. Biff angrily tell him “Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you!” Willy has for so long nurtured the belief that he and his sons are somehow special, and immune, to the pressures of the world that this is unacceptable. After Willy’s death, Biff sadly reflects on how “He never knew who he was” (1516) but Happy vows to continue on the same

Death of a Salesman deals with a struggling salesman, Willy, who fails to achieve his twisted version of the American Dream that he desires so greatly. His pride, his stubbornness, and his misplaced values cause tension in his family and create a divide between his sons and him that cannot be mended. Biff, Willy’s eldest son, struggles to find himself in a world full of possibility. The story focuses on the decline of Willy and the drama that the Loman family faces. As the story progresses, Willy tries to succeed in business and when he continually fails, he then puts the pressure on his sons to succeed where he could not. Throughout it all, Willy’s wife, Linda, stays loyal and selfless, serving her husband despite his cruel words. In the end,

Linda encourages Willy and, in doing so, allows her sons, Biff and Happy, to follow their father's misleading direction in life. [3]