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Misconceptions In Death Of A Salesman

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The downfall of the Loman family is solely caused by the family’s misconception of the American Dream. Due to his misconception of the American Dream, Willy lives his life while believing that he is fulfilling the American Dream, where in reality, he is not. However, he also passes this belief to his sons, and they start to struggle throughout their whole lives because they do no truly understand the American Dream and themselves. Willy’s misconception of the American Dream creates a constant conflict throughout the Loman family, where the majority of it resides with Willy and Biff. Willy lives inside his own fantasy world where he believes that the American Dream is obtained from popularity, financial success, and being well known. Due to his own misconceptions, Willy suffers from working long hours at a job he doesn’t like and is not good at. Willy fails to realize his own misconceptions throughout “Death of a Salesman,” and expects the same out of his own sons. And since Biff fails to meet his father’s expectations, most of the conflict in “Death of a Salesman” comes from the relationship between Willy and Biff. …show more content…

Willy raised Biff to live up to his all his ideals, and Biff up to a certain point, met his expectations. However, Biff would soon not meet up to his father’s expectations by failing the football scholarship due to his lack of mathematical skills. This causes Biff to start to doubt himself, and soon enough, Biff has lost his sense of direction and does not know what to do with his life. This gets so bad to the point where he cannot even keep a job for more than a certain amount of time. And even though at one point he dreams of working on a ranch, he is unable to pursue this dream because it does not meet his father’s expectations. Soon, Biff starts to blame his father for his shortcomings and this sparks the main conflict in “Death of a

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Instead, Tack chases the path that makes him more accepted and this prevents him from uncovering his hidden potential. Similarly, in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” Willy Loman desires this same approval and acceptance. Willy, having grown up without a father figure, is extremely doubtful of his parenting and admits that, “[he is] afraid [he is] not teaching [Biff and Happy] the right [values]” (Miller 52). Due to his own insecurity in his parenting ability, Willy turns to Ben for approval and asks him “how [he] should teach [Biff and Happy]” (Miller 52). By continually looking for Ben’s approval, Willy limits his abilities and fails to be an adequate parent for Happy and Biff.

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Through the portrayal of the Loman family, Miller explores the resilience of characters in the face of societal and personal pressures. Willy's determination and resilience in the face of his failures are striking aspects of the play. Miller also explores Willy's struggle with his identity and self-worth, as well as the impact of the American Dream and financial instability on the characters. The play also explores the resilience of Willy's family, particularly his wife Linda and his son Biff. This play is a timeless masterpiece that continues to resonate with audiences

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Thirty five years later after devoting his life into the career, he hasn’t accomplished the same success that dave have achieved, but “he possessed too much snobbery to admit that his own destiny was in a simple career as a carpenter” (Death of a Salesman). Willy obviously wanted more in life, and since he saw himself not achieving anything, he taught his kids into his way of seeing life, hoping they would have gone the same path and get the dream he had for himself. When Biff came home he realized that Willy was disappointed in Biff, he “resolves to reform his life for the sake of his father, and act 1 closes with the familiar denial of old wounds and Biff’s promise to make a business deal in New York” (Death of a Salesman). Willy’s confusion about the real “American Dream” makes him teach his sons wrong, and his failure because he never understood what was “really needed to succeed insisting to the end that ‘personality wins the day’”

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In addition to Willy, Biff also has a friend who grew up and was more successful than him. While Biff was still living at home well into his thirties, Bernard was a lawyer getting ready to present a case in the Supreme Court. For example, during his conversation with Willy, Charley talks about Bernard's accomplishment by saying, ¨How do you like this kid? Gonna argue a case in front of the Supreme Court.¨ (Miller 95) Willy was ¨genuinely shocked, pained, and happy¨ (Miller 95) and wondered why his son never grew up and made their family proud like Bernard did with his family. Similarly to the absence of a father figure, both Willy and Biff had best friends who had well paying and rewarding jobs, while they were

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Thirty five years later, after devoting his life into the career, he hasn’t accomplished the same success that Dave have achieved, but “he possessed too much snobbery to admit that his own destiny was in a simple career as a carpenter” (Death of a Salesman). Willy obviously wanted more in life, and since he saw himself not achieving anything, he taught his kids in his way of seeing life, hoping they would have gone the same path and get the dream he had for himself. When Biff came home, he realized that Willy was disappointed in Biff, he “resolves to reform his life for the sake of his father, and act 1 closes with the familiar denial of old wounds and Biff’s promise to make a business deal in New York” (Death of a Salesman). Willy’s confusion about the real “American Dream” makes him teach his sons wrong, and his failure because he never understood what was “really needed to succeed insisting to the end that ‘personality wins the day’”

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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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This is also the case for Biff, Willy’s son who had a bright future in high school. Willy remembers times when his sons were successful in Highschool and his job could provide for them all. But this isn’t the case now, his job is a struggle, always has to borrow money from people just to support his two grown up boys still living at home.

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Willy’s relationship with his son in the present is vastly different from his past memories because Biff discovered his father’s affair at the age of 18. This incident is a catalyst for the events in the story and plays an integral role in Willy’s antipathy towards his son and the world. In his youth, Biff was Willy’s pride and joy. As the leader of the high school football team, Biff and his father often showed love and empathy towards one another. The incident changed all of this as Willy and Biff began to resent each other.

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Biff is 34 years old and has yet to make more than $35 a week, which is about the equivalent of $350 dollars today. Willy thinks his son is a lazy bum, while his mother Linda thinks “ he’s finding himself” (Miller 5). Biff not knowing what he is trying to achieve in life is an appearance of the motif. Finding oneself is part of discovering what one’s purpose in life is. One should take time to

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In line with his disillusionment of Willy, Biff rejects the confidence Willy tried to instill in him. He decides that Willy just “blew [him] full of hot air” (131), and that in reality, he is nothing special, just “a dime in a dozen” (132). This lack of confidence then leads to poor decisions that trap Biff in a cycle of self-deprecation. After stealing Oliver’s pen, Biff asks himself: “what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be?

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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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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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