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Is Willy A Good Father

Decent Essays

Failure as a father figure shows acceptance. After the recent argument with Biff, Willy finally understands who he truly is and was. In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, Biff states, “The scum of the earth, and you’re looking at him!” (Miller,124). These words were only a few out of many that made Willy understand he must change because it was his son saying these words to him; someone who meant a lot to Willy. In Susan Koprince’s article," The Secret Life of Willy Loman: a Miller-Thurber Connection,” the author states,” He cannot even transform himself into a good provider, a wise father, or a faithful husband” (Koprince,1). Biff’s harsh, but loving words show Willy that he still loves him and Willy understands that Biff has been through a lot because of Willy; such as catching him in the middle of an affair or watching …show more content…

At first, Willy was not thinking about suicide until he looked at how much the insurance paid and believed that it could fix all “problems” in the family. In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, Willy states, “It’s twenty thousand dollars on the barrelhead. Guaranteed, gilt-edged, you understand” (Miller,126). Biff’s argument opened Willy’s life completely open, from himself to his life debts. In Susan Hacht’s article,” Death of a Salesman,” the author states, “Willy believes that only killing himself will solve his family's problems, financial and otherwise. An insurance policy will allow his mortgage and other bills to be paid in full and give Biff and Hap the funding to start their own business.” (Hacht,1). Living in conformity, Willy tried to follow rules that he believed would make him unique. Instead they made him live in a world where he ignored everything, which resulted in his suicide after discovering what role he played in society. All in all, Willy Loman committed suicide to support his family after learning what his position was in

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