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Willy Loman And Biff Character Analysis

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Willy Loman, whom people say is the protagonist of the play, shares a very complex relationship with many different people in his life, specifically, his eldest son Biff. Critics suggest that Willy cannot be the protagonist because although he is present throughout the play, and we know lots about him, his son Biff is also noticed in the same way as Willy and is a strong character who seems to, at times, help Willy get through life. Throughout the play, a strong theme of realisation is displayed amongst the two characters, Willy and Biff. A major realisation is that of Biff no longer wanting to, or trying, to be the man his father seems to so desperately want him to be. Willy wants Biff to conform to ideas of the American dream, and for that, you need financial success in order to be proud and confident in who you are. This is one of Willy’s major flaws. He lives his life trying to control his sons, desperately trying to mould them into his idea of a what a successful man is. His main ‘target’ would be his …show more content…

He is filled with emotions, mainly disappointment, and he comes to a self-realisation that he cannot live trying to please his father with fake American values. Biff shouts that “[he is] a dime a dozen, and so [is Willy]” (Act 2, p. 105). He is trying to force his father to realise that he is doing the right thing by becoming his own person and by not conforming to the false values of society, which his father desperately clings ono. Willy responds that “[he is] not a dime a dozen, [he is] Willy Loman, and [he] is Biff” (Act 2, p. 105). This shows us the extent of Willy’s desire to reach his dream of American financial success. It is ironic because the surname ‘Loman’ means ordinary. In Willy’s attempt to conform to the ideals of society, he acts in certain manners in an attempt to be viewed as someone better and more successful, yet he is not, and his surname can imply this subtly to the viewers

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As someone grows up, sometimes people grow up to act like their parents. A good example of this is found in the novel called Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller. In the book, there is a character named Willy and his son named Biff. They both hate each other because they see themselves in each other. There are three traits that they don’t like, the fact that they are both bums, they hate the city and they what a farm, but they can’t.

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How Arthur Miller Portrays Flaws In Humanity Through Willy Loman Sometimes in the world, people can have good intentions, even if it may not seem like it. One can want the best for someone, but not understand what the “best” looks like for another individual. Everyone has their own idea of what “success” is, everyone has different expectations of what success looks like. Further, these expectations of others come from what we are told and often society.

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Therefore, he put all his effort and belief into Biff while he feels disappointment in his self. Willy feels like that Biff will be the one to store his hopes and dreams again. After Willy hears that Biff is flunking math, Willy tells Bernard, “You’ll give him the answers!” He is willing to have Biff make a false accomplishment for his chances on making his dreams come true. After the Boston incident, Biff feels like he can not live to his father’s expectations.

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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 failing math and not going to summer school may have been instigated by Willy encouraging him to blow off his studies and Biff discovering that Willy was having an affair. One cannot lay the blame totally on Willy because while he may have been the catalyst Biff made that decision not to study or go to summer school. Willy is kind of responsible for his family not being wealthy. He turned down an opportunity to go to Alaska with his brother a decision that would eventually cost him. Had he gone with Ben he could have been rich from finding a diamond mine in Africa.

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Furthermore another character that lives in a world of illusions in Willy’s son Biff. Biff is thirty-four years old without out a stable job and still living at home with his mom and dad. He was a high school football star, he had a charming personality, and lots of friends. Willy thought this is all his son would ever need. But since he failed math and did not have enough credits to graduate his life started going downhill.

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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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The combination of these things eventually drives Willy to his death, and Biff to his growth and transcendence. Willy Loman is a salesman; he is someone who thinks that success should come to those who are popular and attractive. This ideology shows when he is talking to Linda about Biff, “Biff Loman is lost. […] a young man with such—personal attractiveness gets lost.” (Miller 16).

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Willy’s method of achieving success is questionable, using good looks and charm as opposed to the dedication and hard work. This most likely is one of the reasons why Biff is in the position he is today. Biff is mocked by Willy for making a measly 40 dollars a week and cannot maintain a stable paying job. Despite this Biff found happiness in simplicity and was content with his life. Working on the farm Biff finds “ nothing more inspiring than the birth of a new mare or colt.”

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His mood swings cause him to constantly change his opinion, so nothing can ever be good enough for Willy. He could be perfectly content with life one moment then despising it the next. There is no way for Willy to ever be perfectly happy. Linda loves Willy more than anything, yet he has an affair anyway. Biff comes home after finally finding work that he enjoys out west, but Willy still bashes his son for not being the all-American football star like his father wanted him to be.

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He states how Biff is such a disgrace for not finding a better paying job at his current age, thirty-four. In addition to earlier in the conversation he states how he was okay with Biff working on the farm at an earlier age because it was a good for Biff to try different kinds of jobs, however for Biff to have grown in that particular job and not make enough money in it, definitely made Willy

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Willy beliefs Biff should also become a salesman, Willy tries to escape reality by recalling his memories leaning on others for support and doing things he shouldn’t. “Ill take a walk, but in your slippers?” After biff and his brother Happy leave his father at a restaurant his mother Linda gets involved. “Don’t you care whether he lives or dies”? The more fighting in sues, they eventually reconcile.

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From an outsider perspective, Willy Loman lives a normal life. He is a traveling salesman with two grown up sons, and a beautiful marriage. But is that really the life he has? No, it is not. One of the first disappointments Willy experiences is with his son.

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