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Willy loman as a tragic hero death of salesman
Willy loman as a tragic hero death of salesman
Willy loman as a tragic hero death of salesman
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Similarly, highlighting the theme of strained relationships, when his brother Happy asks Biff if he is “still sour on Dad”, Biff replies that “he’s all right, I guess”. The sense of doubt in “I guess” could be suggested to be foreshadowing that their relationship will unfortunately not improve as the play progresses. Furthermore, the heart-wrenching question “why does Dad mock me all the time?” further emphasises their strained relationship. Happy also seems to always be on Willy’s side, thus, making Biff more frustrated.
Biff complains about Willy as a father, saying, “He’s got no character - Charley wouldn’t do this. Not in his own house - spewing out that vomit from his mind.” (Miller 56). Biff does not understand how his father has gotten to such a state of existence. Biff is also clearly frustrated, as even though he loves his father, he resents him for his emotional absence from Biff’s life, and compares him to other people that seem more stable on the outside, like Charley.
Any son who loves his father will always tell the truth. I know this first hand from my excellent relationship with my son, Bernard. Despite his father’s willingness to deny the truth, Biff continues to explain that his life has not been what Willy thinks. Biff’s ability to be truthful to his father, no matter how long it took him to convince Willy, illustrated to me the undying love that exists within that
Biff thought and believed this to a point that he followed everything his dad said and is now struggling to find himself in life without the popularity. Bernard on the other hand thinks the complete opposite, he thinks that you need good grades to be successful. Bernard 's beliefs are cemented when Willy says, "Bernard can get the best marks, y 'understand, but…" This
Each character has a strained relationship with his father that only worsens over time and leads each character to become bitter towards his father. However, each character handles his situation differently. Once Biff gets kicked out of his house, he steals himself out of every job he has and ends up serving time in jail. When Cory gets kicked out, he successfully becomes a Corporal in the United States Marines. While Cory and Biff have slightly different relationships with their fathers, Biff does not overcome his situation as well as Cory due to his weak support systems, role models, and emotional resources.
In Death of a Salesman, as Happy, Linda and Biff were talking to each other, Biff says," They've laugh at Dad for years, and you know why? Because we don't belong in this nuthouse of a city! We should be mixing cement on some open plain"(61). These two quotes show that, like Willy, Biff also does not like how the city is closing in on them. Biff also wants to go away from it from it all, but he too does not have the money to go where they want to go.
Because of his permanent role as the story’s “observer”, Biff ultimately pushes himself away from achieving normal relationships. After the death of his wife, Biff’s desire to uncover the puzzle of others only becomes more prominent. Biff begins to question everyone around him and even sometimes scares himself with his progressing mission to find out about the other characters. “The riddle. The question that had taken root in him and would not let him rest.
Not many achieve happiness in their lifetime. Either they do not live long enough to witness it or they are not prepared for what their happiness is. Happiness is very subjective. Each person’s version of happiness is different. This version of happiness is universal.
HAPPY: What the hell! WILLY: Tell me what happened! Biff [to Happy]: I can’t talk to him! Willy is only able to cope with the reality the Biff lays before him by escaping entirely into his delusions.
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
While Biff is arguing with his father he becomes very emotional and confronting he exclaims, "We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house" (“lines from death of a salesman that shows biffs respect for the family”). It is clear that Biff has created distance from his family and this loss of trusting relationships affects him in his professional life. He never can get over what his father has done which causes him to reject his father's aspirations for him of chasing and achieving the “American dream.” Contrary to Hamlet, Biff does not have a companion he can trust wholeheartedly. This is why he ran far away to live a simple life that does not involve having to deal with lies and deception.
Biff at this point snapped out of his trance and realized that he needed to take responsibility for himself and make his own choices and do what he wanted to do and what makes him
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.
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.
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.
