Prior to the acknowledgement of Willy’s suicide, Miller provides Biff with a defensive but harsh persona in which he degrades Willy’s morals, and by doing so, Biff feels that he provides Linda – his mother and also role-model – further protection and admiration. This is illustrated as to when Biff suggests that Willy ‘[spews]..vomit from his mind’ and also as to when he is presented to be ‘[evasive]’. Biff’s unreasonable and ambiguous manner is significant as Miller induces dramatic irony towards the audience, along with catharsis: an emotional release for the audience, as Biff is the only character that knows of Willy’s affair. On the other hand, after being exposed to the true nature of Willy’s mind set, Biff is presented to show sympathy
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.
Willy's logical inconsistencies brings confusion towards the audience itself toward the start of the play; in any case, they soon turn into a characteristic of himself. Willy's conflicting conduct is the after effect of his powerlessness to acknowledge reality and his propensity to control or re-make the past trying to get away from the present. For instance, Willy can't leave himself to the way that Biff never again regards him on account of Willy's affair with another woman. As opposed to concede that their relationship is irreparable, Willy retreats to a past time when Biff appreciated and regarded him. As the play goes on, Willy disassociates himself more from the present as his issues turn out to be excessively too much, making them impossible to manage.
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.
However, Willy kept on denying the truth, while Happy and Linda were just trying to calm Willy down, and get him away from Biff. Despite Happy and Linda’s efforts, Biff continued to reveal his life experiences to Willy. Eventually, Willy came to realize Biff for who he really was, and the argument settled down. Now you may be wondering how the argument could possibly show any love for each other. The love was found in Biff’s persistent desire to be honest with Willy.
He sees one of his failures as not being able to raise his sons to be “perfect”, like when biff didn't becoming successful in business. He feels that biff is betraying him by not following out what he wanted, and it really takes a toll on Willy when Biff walks out on him after discovering Willy with another women. When this scene comes up in the movie, Willy feels like Biff betrayed him all based on that, while Biff feels betrayed because of the multiple times Willy lied to him and his
The potential for change to Biff Loman and The Lawyer lies in their experiences with the title characters of their respective pieces (Willy Loman and Bartleby), as well as changes in the environment in which they have grown accustom to. Willy inhibited Biff from being able to successfully change and become the person he wanted to be because Biff was guided by Willy’s impractical expectations. Though Biff does revere Willy’s values and ethics throughout his entire childhood, he catches his father having an affair, which causes him to realize he never desired nor was able to uphold Willy’s expectations. Only until Willy died was Biff truly free from his father’s expectations and able to pursue his passion. Unlike Biff, the Lawyer’s inhibitor of change was not a person, but rather his job and environment.
Although in a way one can understand him not taking the risk and going to Alaska. Finally, Willy is responsible for his own death. I see this as a tragedy because Willy felt that the only way for him to make up for the fact that his past actions contributed to Biff’s failure in life was to commit suicide. In order that Biff would get an inheritance that would allow him to achieve the “American
Daniel Han Tsuji AP Lit Period 5 March 6, 2015 Word Count: 300 The Crucible Micro-essay: Prompt #2 Prompt#2: Carefully read the passage from Act III in which Danforth explains his purpose, power, and education to Francis Nurse (page 94: “DANFORTH: No, old man, you have not hurt these people…I hope you will be one of those”). Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain the dramatic and verbal irony used. Through the use of Danforth’s criticism towards Francis and his portrayal of society, Arthur Miller conveys the corruption within the government by suggesting the hypocritical and the ironic aspects of the court.
The role of irony contributes to characterization by developing the characters personality and by keeping the audience engaged to feel emotion. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, he uses irony to convey emotion to get the audience intrigued. For example, Miller used dramatic irony when one of the characters, Elizabeth (a women who never lies), had lied to “save” her husband but she didn’t know that her husband already disclosed. After she lied, in tears Proctor cries “ Elizabeth, tell the truth…
In Death of a Salesman, Linda is Willy’s loyal and loving wife, who always unconditionally supports Willy’s unrealistic American Dream and defends Willy against the criticisms of their sons. She criticizes that Biff should not wander from place to place any more because she and Willy are getting older and will leave this world one day. Biff replies to Linda’s statements, but he doesn’t mention Willy at all. Biff’s behavior makes Linda upset and angry; Linda tells Biff that he either respects his father or leaves home. When Linda tells Biff that Willy often mumbles to himself, Biff is ashamed of Willy’s irrational behavior.
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
Biff, a consequence of Willy, attempts to bring Willy out of his fantasies and his see the realities of his life, but in the end fails to. The two are different in their ideas, demeanors and personas, yet have some akin characteristics. Willy and Biff’s physical traits are different. At what point, Willy tells his wife Linda, “I’m fat. I’m very foolish to look at, Linda.”
Another way in which Willy causes suffering for Biff is through the affair he has with a women on business trips. Biff finds out on his own by walking in on his dad and the women, who is wearing his mom’s stockings. This traumatizes Biff. He ends up not retaking a failed high school math class, “not graduating”(110;2), as Bernard warned, which wipes out his scholarships to college. Lastly, Willy Loman creates suffering for Biff by teaching him bad morals.
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.
During a monologue, a long speech by a character that is directed towards another character. Biff confesses to Happy that he is conflicted and confused about what he wants. He cannot hold a job until he finds some happiness working as farm laborer. This arises tension and conflict between Biff and Willy. So much that Linda convinces Biff to please Willy once again.