Willy Loman Struggles

Children often struggle to agree with their parents on their pursuits and aspirations into adult life. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman a classic case of this common struggle is put on display between Willy Loman and his son Biff. In Biff’s case, his dream or the American Dream is, “to be outdoors, with your shirt off. And always to have to get ahead of the next fella” (Miller 11). While it seems that Biff doesn’t carry the set standard idea of the American Dream, one must remember that the American dream is simply one’s pursuit into happiness and a better life and for Biff, the American Dream is moving out west where no one else can judge him or tell him how to live. The underlying, but the central theme of Biff’s pursuit to achieve

During the play one of the most obvious occurrences of this feud comes when Biff tells his mother, Linda of how he thinks he is unfit for the business world, “It’s just--you see, Mom, I don’t fit in business”(Miller 44). In this instance, Biff is expressing his dislike for business to his Mom, Linda most likely because he is too afraid to talk to Willy about what he wants to pursue. Biff also says, “Not that I won’t try. I’ll try and I’ll make good” (Miller 44). This shows that Biff wants to conform to his father’s dream and expectation for him. This is understandable because Willy seems very adamant on Biff joining the business world and continuing the family legacy. As seen later on when Willy joins the conversation he sarcastically states, “Go back to the west! Be a carpenter, a cowboy, enjoy yourself!” (Miller 45) From this, it is apparent that Willy thinks moving to the west a joke and that it’s not a real dream that one could have. This is backed up by the fact that he uses examples of carpenters and cowboys to show he believes the professions of the west are of much lower status than that of a New York businessman. However, Willy’s last phrase, “enjoy yourself” (Miller 45), is the match that really lights the fire as it indicates the enjoying a job is not something that Willy

To begin with, Biff says, “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.... There’s a lot more of him in that front stoop theen in all the sales he ever made” (Miller 110). This shows that Biff values Willy putting the hard work in to support his family, then the amount of money he ever made as a salesman. This is the direct opposite that values of obtaining wealth without putting in the hard work that Willy so valiantly stood by and shows the immense rift that has been formed between Biff and his father. On top of that, Biff then outright says, “ He had the wrong dreams. All, all, wrong” (Miller 111). This solidifies the rift between Willy and Biff and how far they have drifted in their: goals, aspirations and general ideas on