Death Of A Salesman Characterization

Death of A Salesman is a screenplay that is written by Arthur Miller that is centered around Willy Loman, our main protagonist who has many issues within his character. The play itself is not narrated by a narrator, but we are given stage directions to envision the scene with the extremely well written details that Arthur Miller has provided for us. This in turn also the readers to come up with very vivid imagery of what the settings, themes, and environments are in the play, as well as getting to know the characters.

Willy is the main character in this storyline, heavily supported by his family who help shape and define his character, yet we soon find out that his social standing affects him as a whole. In Act One, Willy is described as a

Everything Willy does is a reaction to the other characters, who act in a response to Willy’s actions. Linda is the wife, she makes sure everything at home is running, like the fridge that broke, and handles the bills. Yet she also knows that Willy is more than irrational and suicidal, but she allows herself to play along Willy’s fantasies as a means to protect him from those who criticize him, like the other salesmen, even his own. Linda’s persona is driven the fear of losing her husband, accepting him and everything going on with him instead of getting him help like he needs, wanting to keep him around. In turn, Willy makes sure that Linda has the money to pay said bills with the sales he does on his job, which become increasingly more and more difficult. The sales become more difficult because no one takes Willy seriously, instead they mock and laugh at him, and it also doesn’t help that his mind wanders off at the worst of time, like when he is driving. That almost caused him to drive into a kid, causing Willy to fill bad. Then there is Biff, the eldest son. Unlike his younger brother Happy, Biff wants nothing to do with his father after learning about Willy’s affair in their trip to Boston. Although both sons are like Willy in deceiving reality to their favor, Biff accepts the life they’ve been living isn’t real, unlike Happy who thrives like his father in his younger years and uses women. Willy always wished to be a successful man in Biff’s and Happy’s eyes, reminiscing on the days where Biff was younger when he doesn’t want to face