Biff And Happy Character Analysis

Biff begins to have hatred for his father. He feels like his father ruin his expectation of being a great man, so he is now lost. Willy tells Linda that, “Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such—personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff—he’s not lazy.” As a young Biff, Willy and Biff are really close together and their relationship is very well going. During Biff’s high school career, Willy was not

The character that I have chosen to analyze is Brother. At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to brother as a fun-loving kid who just wants a playmate. When his brother, Doodle, is born though he becomes selfish and ashamed of his brother. Brother is selfish when he says, “was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk, so I set out to teach him.” The only reason a Brother taught Doodle how to walk was for his own personal gain. Brother is ashamed of Doodle because of his disability and [Doodle] walked only because [Brother] was ashamed of having a crippled brother. It is incredibly selfish to put your personal gain over someone else’s illness, especially if it's your own baby brother.

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. 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

“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.

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.

His desire to control Biff’s life caused so many problems between them. His insecurity came out when he states “I’m like a boy, i’m not married, I’m not in business”. He felt like he wasn’t living life to his father's expectations. Biff:”Well, i spent six or seven years after high school trying to work myself up shipping clerk, salesman, business of one kind or another. And it’s a measly manner of existence. To get on that subway on the hot mornings in summer. To devote your whole life to keeping stock, or making phone calls, or selling or buying. To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off. And always to have to get ahead of the next fella. And still-- that’s how you build a future”(Miller,10). Biff sounded fed up with the way he was living and the pressure that his father had on him turned him to who he was and how he was

All of Willy Loman’s family suffers because of him. This is an example of how one person affects the whole family. Willy Loman believes success in life is having nice things, having money, and being known by people. Unfortunately, Mr. Loman never realises that success is much more than having material things. Hopefully Biff and Happy learn from their dad’s mistakes, and reach the real American

Unlike his father and brother Biff ends up changing by the end of the story. He was always the apple of his father’s eye being the sport star of the family. But, after failing high school and finding out about his father’s infidelities his went downhill. His actions of not going back to finish school and disregard for authority showed his immaturity. Although he started out as immature by the end of the story he had stood up to his father and decided to take charge of his life. This showed that he was beginning to blossom into a man. A quote that showcases this change starting within Biff is “I know who I am! Why can’t I say that”

Moreover, I ran up and down every court after every loose ball and never let it go. I could not believe that I had forgotten the pleasure that I had with this ball.” Without you, I can’t survive,“ I said calmly while I fall asleep with embraced the ball with both hands. Since then, I had determined my dream that no matter what, I will be in the NBA player and prove Mr. Jonathan that I can be better, more athletic, and eligible to be a part of the greatest basketball league.

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.

“I moved my wrist slowly. It still hurt. That Danny Saunders was a smart one, and I hated him. I wondered what he was thinking now. Probably gloating and bragging about the ball game to his friends.”

    As the other team starts with the ball Lexi and I give each other a look and at the top of her lungs Lexi screams ‘GOOO” and sprints down the field rushing to the ball. She kicks it away from the defenders and dribbles it down the field. I’m in the middle of the field watching Lexi on the side dribble her way down. As I pass the other opponents I scream “Lexi, I’m open, pass it.”

This is where his reputation meant so much to him, because he wanted to be remembered. He had the mindset that he could achieve this and provide for his family and give them everything they want. As he gets older, having flashbacks and almost seeming crazy, his obsession with achieving the american dream is what leads to driving him to lose sight between his real life and his dream. Another thing he felt was abandonment after his father left him and ben when they were very young, and when biff didn’t live up to what his father expected him to be. This sense of abandonment also comes around with each of his failures. 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

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman takes place in the post-World War II era. Miller does a phenomenal job of incorporating the elements of social commentary and realism. Social commentary and realism involves portraying current and realistic social issues. These issues give characters real world problems and makes it easier for the audience to relate to them. In this case, Miller successfully uses the social ideals of 1949 to develop his character’s motives. In 1949, society’s high value of material success brought on financial anxieties and insecurities for many families. It is these societal pressures that influence the characters and work ethics of the Loman family.

Bartleby, from Bartleby the Scrivener, and Willy Loman, from Death of a Salesman, are in many ways opposites. Bartleby is an extreme individualist; only doing what he wants to, no matter the personal or professional cost. On the other hand, Willy Loman is a conformist; he does what he is told, lives an average life, and pursues the “American Dream” like most Americans do. Bartleby and Willy also share similarities: both are physiologically broken and their respective individuality and conformity lead them to their deaths, albeit in different ways. The stories themselves are also similar in that they both critique American society. Bartleby and Willy are like two sides of the same coin, no matter which side faces up the coin still falls.