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Death Of A Salesman Quote Analysis

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The theme of the American Dream is present in Death of a Salesman. One supporting quote for this is, “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. To get on that subway on the hot mornings in summer. To devote your whole life to keeping stock, or making phone calls, or selling or buying. To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors with your shirt off. And always to have to get ahead of the next fella. And still—that's how you build a future” (Miller 16). Biff has trouble coping with the competition that is part of the American way of life, but …show more content…

One quote supporting this is, “Funny, Biff, y’know? Us sleeping in here again? The old beds. He pats his bed affectionately. All the talk that went across these two beds, huh? Our whole lives” (Miller 21). In this quote, Happy and Biff talk while visiting their parents in the house where they grew up. Happy’s words reveal a strong bond between the brothers and their good memories of their childhood years. The scene reminds the reader that Willy Loman has provided a home for his family and that his family has shared his dreams. Another supporting quote is, “There were a lot of nice days. When he’d come home from a trip, or on Sundays, making the stoop, finishing the cellar, putting on the new porch; when he built the extra bathroom; and put up the garage. You know something, Charley, there’s more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made” (Miller 91). These quotes show the character of Death of a Salesman reminiscing on their family life, despite the struggles they faced. The second quote is important because in it Biff is standing at his father’s gravesite, talking to his father’s friend. Biff’s words reveal that in spite of all his differences with his father, he has affectionate memories of their family life. Biff memorializes times when the whole family was together, and his father was working for them all. Biff’s speech also honors the work that Willy Loman put into their family home. The image of Willy Loman working on his house represents the unsung heroism of Willy’s struggle to build something lasting for his

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‘To what extent, and it what ways, does Miller create sympathy for Biff (so far)?’ Arthur Miller, author of ‘ The Death of a Salesman’ successfully uses the character of Biff to not only highlight the key themes of the ‘American dream’, family values and father-son relationships but also to create a sense of sympathy for Biff from the audience. To begin, Biff is one of the most troubling characters we meet so far, besides his equally or possibly more troubling father, Willy.

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Near the end of high school Biff began to strive to please his father carrying his father’s pride on his shoulders “This Saturday Pop, this Saturday- just for you, I’m going to break through for a touchdown.” Biff warrants his father’s approval because of the pride his father exudes. The father-son relationship is the bond Linda hopes is strong enough to save Willy. However, after Boston, the two men’s regards for each other quickly dissipated.

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Even though Willy Loman's son Biff failed to meet the standards Willy set for him, he attempted to set realistic boundaries for him as a child. He wants to raise him in such a manner that he could be a business owner, though he is unaware that Biff could not live up to his expectations. He possessed qualities he felt that Biff needed to meet his dream saying "We can't go back to the old days though, can we? And let's try not to blame everything on the war. I realize it's a business kid, and everybody's got to pull his own weight.

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Biff Loman is Willy 's oldest son. He was a very good football player but failed his math classes and was not able to graduate. he also got frustrated when he saw his father with another woman. Happy Loman is Biff 's younger brother who is thought to be a womanizer. He is seen as is older brother 's shadow.

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While Linda enabled him, Willy could not help himself too keep ruining the good opportunities he had and turning them into some factious reality. At Willy`s funeral Biff comes to the realization that his father had all the wrong dreams and visions of success. Willy`s only dream was the fake “American Dream” that people believe will happen overnight. Willy`s failed attempts and happiness bonded into one and played a part into him creating this false reality and persona that he was the best salesman and that he was well loved by everyone around him.

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Biff wants to retake the class in the summer but when he catches his father having an affair his perception of his father, his biggest role model, is shattered causing him to give up on the things he used to want to do. Willy represses this memory entirely and tries to blame others for Biffs behavior instead of himself. Willy also fools himself into thinking he is well liked and successful. In small moments of clarity Willy admits that people have made fun of his physique and no one talks to him anymore when he goes

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In both "The Great Gatsby" and "Death of a Salesman", the American Dream is presented as a driving force behind the characters' actions, but ultimately leads to their downfall.

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He is troubled by the paths that his two sons, Biff and Happy 's lives have taken. He has always expected more and cannot accept what they have become. All of this is taking a toll on Willy and has affected his state of mind. When a

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Through Biff Loman, Miller illustrates the failure of the American dream through the paradoxical relationship between him and his father, Willy Loman, presenting the notion that the secret to true happiness and success lies outside of the confines of the typical American dream of wealth and materialism. Molded by his father’s unrealistic ambitions, it became near impossible for Biff to assimilate as a functioning member of the

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In one scene, Biff admits to his father that “he is a dime a dozen”. This proves that Biff is aware of the fact that he has wasted his life chasing something that will never be. In his final conversation with his father, he attempts to make him see that he is a failure as well by saying “You were never anything put  hard-working drummer who landed in the ash van lieke all the rest of thgem! I’m one dollar an hour, Willy!”. Willy, however, never admits the fact that his son and him are both losers.

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He is now resentful of his father, and wishes to veer off the business path, even though he knows that’s what Willy would have wanted from him. Biff’s brother, Happy, is taking on the life that was expected of him, but Biff is not the same. Though part of success involves being financially stable, the salesman's career, family and lifestyle should not be tied directly into the “definition” of the American Dream. Biff’s American Dream was different from his Father’s, Mother’s and Brother’s, which is how it rightfully should be. Finding one’s true self, identity, hopes and dreams is an important part of success, which the Loman family needed to come to terms with.

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One example is the high level of expectations Biff’s father has for him. Willy gloats about Biff being a star, “Look at this boy[Biff]. . .three universities are begging for him”(86;2). Biff’s ego boosts through the roof, which only sets him up for suffering more when he fails.

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Willy finds out his dream of being an popular, well respected salesman is impossible and takes his own life. Linda supports Willy despite the abuse and confusion he puts her through with his various attempts to take his own life, with his delirious ramblings and hallucinations, and with his constant deception. Happy still sees his father as a hero and Biff finally begins to grasp the truth of the “American Dream”. When Willy kills himself, all of the Loman family, including Willy, break free from the web of false dreams he spun and begin to understand Willy’s failings. They also realize their own flaws.

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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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The American Dream - Death of a Salesman “The hope for a better tomorrow has no doubt been with the human race for thousands of years, but for a very long time that hope, for the most part, remained dim as the battle for survival dominated life,” (DeLair 1). The definition of the American Dream by James Adams has a major influence on people in the 1950’s. The American Dream can be portrayed in many ways, and many have their own opinion about the American dream; from life experiences, stories, and movies, the American dream has influenced people, giving them strives and motives to succeed in their dreams. Everyone has their own American Dream, in different perspectives; “Death of a Salesman,” by Arthur Miller represents the American Dream

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