Death of a Salesman

Chart for all the characters concerned Willy The father; the salesman The collapse of the characters’ dreams Biff The son Aspects of Willy Happy The son Aspects of Willy Ben Willy’s big brother Closer to real life and the image of Willy’s father Charley The friend Successful businessman Bernard Charley’s son; Biff’s friend Accomplished son Linda The mother; Willy’s Wife Desperate housewife, suffered

Like father, like sons: Two Aspects of Willy BiffHappy Willy’s spiritual needsWilly’s materialism and sexuality To be successfulTo be happy Young Biff: GrandYoung Happy: Proud of him Lying to comfort WillyLying to make believe “Willy had the wrong dreams.”“He had a good dream.” Cf. Concern for Willy: “Help him!” Irony: “that’s not my father.” Defeated; facing the musicStubborn; inherit the dreams

Willy/Biff vs. Charley/Bernard Unsuccessful Athletic More friendly, gregarious, and well-liked (according to Willy) Believe personality is important to success Successful Less athletic, more clumsy More serious, lack of personality, and not well-liked (according to Willy) Believe more concrete factors are more important

Willy/Biff vs. Charley/Bernard Talk more; better skilled in talking Always talk about past experiences Do not always follow rules Clumsy in words More practical and live for the future Law abiding More helpful and loyal to Willy and Biff More thoughtful

Roles of Charley & Bernard Represents success that Willy can’t achieve Represents reality and tries to bring Willy to reality Despite anger, still helps Willy for he is Willy’s only friend Represents what Willy wants Biff to become Knows the turning point of Willy/Biff relationship Shows that Willy’s way of educating Biff is not successful

Bernard and Biff

Biff Loman (1) was a star football player in high school, and there were 3 major universities would offer him scholarships. He failed math in his senior year and was not allowed to graduate. caught Willy being unfaithful to Linda So → changed Biff's view of his father and everything that Biff believed in.

Biff Loman (2) finally sees the truth and realizes that he is just a "dime a dozen" but not a “ great leader of men.” He tells this to Willy who is outraged. Willy shouts, "I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman!" Biff realizes the illusions that Willy lived on. Biff is destined to no greatness, but he no longer has to struggle to understand what he wants to do with his life.

Bernard Bernard is Charlie's son who was a childhood friends of Biff. Bernard always studied very hard and eventually became a successful lawyer. He always admires Biff.

Willy and Biff have different explanations for Biff’s failure to succeed in the business world. How are their explanations different?

Willy’s character (1) to see himself very high "Willy:... Someday I’ll have my own business, and I’ll never have to leave home any more. Happy: Like Uncle Charley, heh? Willy: Bigger than Uncle Charley! Because Charley is not---liked. He's liked, but he's not---well liked"

Willy’s character (2) Good at woodworking  “Willy: A man who can’t handle tools is not a man.” Don’t good at selling  Charley thinks Willy doesn’t suit to be a salesman

Willy’s character (3) to keep up appearance  Willy rejected Charley’s offer or even looked down it as a goddam job  He has a job but without salary Willy doesn’t want to work but he want to have money

Willy’s character (4) “Charley: Willy, when are you going to grow up?”  Willy doesn’t want to change He is pessimistic  “…and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.”

Charley’s character (1) Don’t care of anything  "ignorant" person in Willy's mind [about the vitamins  more realistic  “My salvation is that I never took any interest in anything.”  “… things don’t mean anything…”

Charley’s character (2) Love shooting casino Don’t want to be a loser (Proud)  “Knock a homer, Biff, knock a homer!”  “Knock’em dead, Bernard!”

Willy vs. Charley Characters affect their work/business a lot Willy doesn’t suit to be a salesman/ businessman Care more ≠ success

Linda (the housewife) and the mistress

Linda Loman (1) – the heart and soul of the Loman household  trying to share in Willy’s ideals  loyal and supportive  suffering and enduring  Willy’s link to reality

Linda Loman (2)  struggling to come to terms with the city, her husband, and her sons  a peace-maker in the family  a role of observing  inability

The woman – Willy’s mistress of Boston  making Will feel as though he were the salesman  separating Willy from his family life  Will’s concern for Linda is genuine but his need for success overcomes his feelings of loyalty

BY/ Amal Al-Shehri Hanan Al-Gamdi Rehab al-Zahrani Dalal Khithamy Rania Al-Asmari

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