Linda Loman

In the play “Death of a Salesman” by, Arthur Miller examines a timeless struggle on the constraints of women within a patriarchal society. Miller highlights that struggle through the character Linda Loman. Linda acts as a rational and stable figure in the family during times of despair. Miller depicts Linda as a housewife which represents how society views and treats women. The challenges that Linda Loman faces throughout the play “Death of a Salesman” explicitly shows the strength women possess to function within in a dysfunctional society.

Firstly, Linda acts as a stable figure within the family due to her silence when she is belittled by her husband Willy. Willy is a dominant male figure who controls the conversation and is not capable

Now, Willy’s immoral character has been established the reader immediately can see a connection between Willy and the way Linda is treated daily. For example, the family is in an emotionally charged situation when Biff is going to ask Oliver for a loan; Linda has barely established herself in the conversation when Linda says, “He loved you”, immediately Willy says, “Will you stop!”. Linda stays strong during this and tries to interject a couple of more times during this scene to no avail. Linda never takes a dominant role in the conversation. With Willy’s actions when she did speak the reader could conclude the conversation could have escalated to verbal attacks or a physical altercation with Willy. Linda has learned not to speak up. When women stand

First off, Linda even though she is not the breadwinner in the family still has to bear the responsibility of keeping up with the bills. That responsible is shown when Willy says, “I am not going to pay that man”. Willy’s immoral character shows up again. Linda now must take on this challenge, and Linda says, “Well, you owe him three and a half”. If Linda could earn an income and provide for the family which is not possible for a housewife Linda would not have to argue with Willy to pay the money that he owes. What is wrong with this is that if Willy decided not to pay the money that he owed Linda would have no say in the matter. Another way that Miller depicts Linda as a housewife is when Linda is seen bringing the laundry inside. Willy believes that Linda should not be carrying the laundry basket and Willy says to Biff and Happy “since when do you let your mother carry the wash up the stairs”. By willy saying that to his chidlern it is demeaning to Linda and makes her look weak. With this scene Miller is also showing how fathers are teaching their sons to treat women. Moreover, that cycle of how men treat women keeps repeating itself. The cycle of disrespect towards women past down from father to son is seen when Linda says, “He is too rough with the girls” speaking about Biff’s treatment of women. Lastly, Linda is cast in the light of a housewife and the men in