

He admits his failure but is not afraid to look for other ways. In a sense, Biff is the only character who searches for answers. Only after his father’s death he can breathe freely and choose the life path he fancies. Everything Willy Loman told him lost its value.īiff has always felt trapped in the cage of Willy’s expectations for him. The foundation of trust collapsed when the young boy caught his father cheating. Willy thinks that his son fails him, whereas Biff pays him back in his coin. You can say that Biff is the more excellent representation of Willy’s nature.īiff’s relationship with his father is more than tense. Biff is not like his father and younger brother, Happy, who decide to keep living in a world of illusions. I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman! Death of a Salesman,īiff Loman is one of the somewhat different characters in Death of a Salesman. I put thirty-four years into this firm, Howard, and now I can’t pay my insurance! You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away-a man is not a piece of fruit! Death of a Salesman, A star like that, magnificent, can never really fade away! Death of a Salesman, Remember how he waved to me? Right up from the field, with the representatives of three colleges standing by? And the buyers I brought, and the cheers when he came out-Loman, Loman, Loman! God Almighty, he’ll be great yet. Everybody likes a kidder, but nobody lends him money. Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. That’s why I thank Almighty God you’re both built like Adonises. Some of Willy Loman’s quotes below can help you understand this tragic character better!īernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y’understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him. His decision to sacrifice his life for insurance money becomes the last act of goodwill towards his family. Linda and the sons truly love Willy as he is, which he, tragically, doesn’t recognize. He doesn’t learn from his mistakes and can’t realize that he is the one who keeps ruining the life of their family. From those visions, we learn that Willy puts too many expectations on his sons and keeps getting disappointed when they fail. The memories from his past become so realistic he can’t seem to understand they are just illusions. This philosophy eventually leads Willy to a mental breakdown. He sees the secret of success in being likable, not hard-working. Loman lies to his family about his work achievements, while in reality, he barely makes it.

However, Willy’s perception of it slightly shifted, and this mistake costs him that happy life he always dreams of.

Even though the reader never finds out what he sells, he seems to represent the American dream. Willy Loman, the main character in Death of a Salesman, has two grown-up sons with his wife, Linda. Below you’ll find a character map of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
