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Who Is Biff In Death Of A Salesman

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Throughout the story of Death of a Salesman, Biff Loman has been trying to step out of what was normal for his family and make a name for himself. We see Biff in many different parts of the story attempting to escape, from the guilt of his mother to the neediness from his brother, Biff Loman has struggled to have a meaningful life. Biff has something holding him back from becoming successful and that was his father, Willy. Since he was young he had been influenced by his father ideals of his father, when Biff was young he needed more practice with his football skills. Is “That so? And he gave you the ball, heh? Well, I borrowed it from the locker room. I want you to return that. I told you he wouldn’t like it! Well, I’m bringing it back. Sure, …show more content…

But then you see Biff in a new light you see him as a man who wants to change himself and become someone different than his father, not relying on his relationships with others to become successful. running down the stair Biff remembers“ And suddenly I stopped, you hear me? and in the middle of that office building, do you hear this? I stopped in the middle of that building and saw -- the sky. I saw the things that i love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? why am I trying to become what I don't want to be?” Biff didn't want to be like his father he wanted to be someone better, someone who could be trusted and someone who people wanted to hire. Biff forced himself to stray from his father's beliefs so he could become the person he wanted to be. With the way that Biff is heading hopefully he will have a meaningful and happy life.

In the play of Death of a Salesman, Happy Loman has followed his father's footsteps for a very long time, this has caused him to be unsuccessful in his life. We see Happy who doesn't love his father but is influenced by the way his father has lived his life up to this point to be how Happy has lived his life. Just like

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Unlike his father and brother Biff ends up changing by the end of the story. He was always the apple of his father’s eye being the sport star of the family. But, after failing high school and finding out about his father’s infidelities his went downhill. His actions of not going back to finish school and disregard for authority showed his immaturity. Although he started out as immature by the end of the story he had stood up to his father and decided to take charge of his life.

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According to Zeus “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his HEART.” In the Odyssey, Odysseus tries to get home to his wife and son, but he always seems to get set back. Along the way, Odysseus faces obstacles on his journey home. Odysseus shows he is a hero throughout the story when he saves his crew from the Cyclops, he makes sure his crew doesn’t die from the Siren’s songs, and he had the favor of Zeus against the men he fought for his kingdom, highlighting that he was the hero in Zeus’ eyes. Odysseus having the favor of Zeus is a big deal because he taught good meaning, Odysseus is a hero.

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Both characters realized that hard work is necessary to get what they want and that success is not a result of popularity. Bernard recognizes this much earlier in his life and becomes successful from an early age. This highlights how fathers play a crucial role in character development. Ironically Biff is similar to Willy, even though he refuses to admit it. Through this, Miller implies that all humans have inherited traits from their parents that cannot be denied.

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“Throughout time, literature has been used as an instrument to revolt against social and political issues” This quote explains how literature has been used through out all these years and how it used violent action against an established government issues. A successful totalitarian government is when they have total control and access of the citizens and their social and personal life. Freedom is non existing if ruled under a totalitarian government. They rule through fear and only target on a specific religion and belief.

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In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, the main character, Willy Loman ultimately suffers when his extravagant dreams to be successful and free from financial debt control his every thought and lead to his mental decline. Within the play, Willy becomes mentally ill when he can no longer distinguish his outrageous desires from the realities of his own life. Willy’s idea of his American Dream develop from the idea that a well liked and attractive man in business will always acquire success. Willy’s two sons, Biff and Happy also

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so he instead fools himself with excuses. Willy Loman behaves similarly with his perception that he is well liked. Willy insists that being well liked is the key to success and he is very proud of being liked. He also teaches his sons that being well liked is more important than getting good grades. This leads Biff to fail math in high school.

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Ben’s Effect on Willy In the story, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is a traveling salesman in New York that is growing old trying to support him and his family. In the story, we find out that Willy grew up without a father and in the shadow of his older brother Ben. Ben was always the more successful one out of the two. Growing up, Willy looked up to Ben and aspired to be just like him.

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Willy Loman, protagonist of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, is the embodiment of the tragic hero Northrop Frye is discussing when he said “Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them,... Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning.” Willy’s lofty and unattainable goal of the American Dream that he set for himself and his family causes him to suffer, as well as all those around him. His attitude and actions most negatively affect his son Biff, who was never the same after he caught his father in the affair. In addition to Biff, Willy is the cause of the suffering of his second son Happy and wife Linda.

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He refuses to see the concrete facts; he gets fired, has been a poor father figure and husband, and has had an unsuccessful career as a salesman. He not only fails to recognize the failure within him but the failure within his son. He never loses the grand, rich ambitions he has for his son despite the fact that Biff is a normal human

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Biff, son of Willy in Death of a Salesman, is an

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In Death of a Salesman, "In Death of a Salesman Miller gives us various versions of the urban business-success dream. Dave Singleton and Charley represent its ideal form,” (Eisigner). Biff is not interested in the business world so it is difficult for Willy to inspire him in this aspect of his life. However, Jessie gets people what they want. Jessie believes that, “real power is the ability to get the inmates what they want – things they aren’t supposed to have – which happens to be a particular talent of mine,” (Spears__).

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His desire to control Biff’s life caused so many problems between them. His insecurity came out when he states “I’m like a boy, i’m not married, I’m not in business”. He felt like he wasn’t living life to his father's expectations. Biff:”Well, i spent six or seven years after high school trying to work myself up shipping clerk, salesman, business of one kind or another. And it’s a measly manner of existence.

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Happy incorporates his father's doings of changing reality in order to create situations that are more favorable to him. Happy’s views of success are doing what you love. He grew up listening to Willy lie about everything, so it is not surprising when Happy talked about his career. Instead of telling the truth that he is an assistant to the assistant, Happy lies and tells everyone he is the assistant buyer. Tarnished not only by his father’s views of success, but his own, Happy has another very unique view of success.

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This cancelled his plans to be a collegiate football player. Ever since then, things have kept going on a downhill path for Biff. Willy and Linda both notice this and it devastates them. But, instead of helping his son, Willy becomes agitated for the rest of his life. He expected his son to be better but, Biff did not want to be better.

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