Willy Bums Quotes

Although Willy was never able to see Biff's perspective since he continued to push him to work as a businessman, if he had listened to Linda to understand Biff's point of view, their relationship would have mended, but rather they continued to quarrel. Taking part in a relationship implies striving to understand another's perspective through listening and communicating with them. As expressed in Fences and Death of a Salesman, these are important to ensure a healthy

Biff does not have the sufficient control of his father’s life to stop his father from committing suicide. Per contra, Biff trying to pull his father from his delusional word as well as giving his father hope helps elongates Willy’s grasp on life. Linda may assume that Biff will be able to save Willy through the two men’s relationship due to Willy’s self worth defined by Biff; however Biff while being able to help his father, has no substantial control or access to his father’s mind, being then unable to force his father away from his dangerous false reality driving Willy to suicide.

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.

It appears that the main individuals who want to help Willy, are the individuals who he minimum listens to. Actually the two best impacts on Willy originate from the same crew. Bernard grew up with Biff and Cheerful however picked an entirely different way. At a key time in Biff's life, Bernard cautions " If he doesn't buckle down he'll flunk"(40). In this scene Bernard is attempting to tell Willy that he is imparting the wrong values in his children who are bound for disappointment.

“The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (33). In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller uses foil characters to elucidate Willy’s flaws that ultimately prevent him and his family from succeeding. The contrast between Charley and Willy and Bernard and Biff serves to highlight how Willy’s obsession with achieving his version of the American Dream impacts both his life and his children’s. His poor values are passed on to his children producing even more failures. ¬¬¬¬Both Charley and Willy work as salesmen, however Charley represents what Willy desired to become – successful.

In order for Willy to be a successful father, he needs to feel that his kids are respected and accomplished. However this shows that Willy is such an outsider, because Biff is quite the opposite, as the Bill Oliver that is references has no idea who Biff is. Another example that shows how Willy’s goals and dreams turn him into a misfit is when he asks for a promotion “ Well, tell you the truth, Howard. I’ve come to the decision that I’d rather not travel anymore.” ( Miller 59).

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.

While Linda enabled him, Willy could not help himself too keep ruining the good opportunities he had and turning them into some factious reality. At Willy`s funeral Biff comes to the realization that his father had all the wrong dreams and visions of success. Willy`s only dream was the fake “American Dream” that people believe will happen overnight. Willy`s failed attempts and happiness bonded into one and played a part into him creating this false reality and persona that he was the best salesman and that he was well loved by everyone around him.

Willy attempts to excuse his behavior by telling Biff, “She’s nothing to me, Biff. I was lonely, I was terribly lonely,” (Miller

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.

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.

He wants to become as successful as his brother Ben and be accepted person. Also, he wants to talk about his successful sons, as a salesman like him, about his profitable sells and this would give him pleasure and self-esteem, but Billy and Happy doesn’t make it. Unlike his father, Happy has not going far in business and immersed himself in the company of women. Biff understands that he could not be a salesman because he is not a business-oriented person. He sees himself as failure headed the same road as his father.

“Biff, after he has discovered his identity, is able to speak forcibly and in simple language which round like everyday speech, though it is of course, full of the devices of rhetoric. It is interesting moving speech, his emotion is dumb, and so is Willy’s response. “Happy and Howard need only a superficial language because they are using speech as a sort of provocative shell. Charley also is keeping emotion at arm’s length, but he expresses himself with a crisp, wise-cracking force. ‘Can’t we do something about the walls?’

On the other hand, Willy in his flashbacks is a loving father and husband, the difference is ultimately obvious because he cannot live with the realization that he has failed, therefore in his last chance he decide to commit a suicide to leave his life insurance money to Biff to begin a new life. Many critics have asserted that Willy is a modern tragic hero and his tragedy lies in his belief in the American dream, Willy Loman is represented everyone, most people see themselves in Willy, the situation in which he stood and to which he was reacting, Willy Loman is represented the modern psycho character who carry contradicting feelings and emotions together, but the most effective one is his anger which turn his life to hell (Murphy 86). Biff

From Father to Tragic Hero A tragic hero is someone who experiences successes and failures that eventually lead to their downfall. In Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”, Miller uses Willy Loman as a depressed and confused main character. He also leaves the question of whether or not Willy Loman a tragic hero up in the air. Miller uses the hopes and dreams of Willy Loman and turns them into failures to portray him as a tragic hero.