Death of a Salesman: Analysis of Major Characters
"Death of a Salesman" is a poignant play that examines the complexities of family dynamics and the pursuit of the American Dream through the lens of its major characters. The central figure, Willy Loman, is a 63-year-old traveling salesman who grapples with his failures and clings to memories of the past, embodying the struggle between aspiration and reality. His desire for success for his sons, especially Biff, leads to tragic choices, including his ultimate act of suicide, intended to provide financial support through life insurance.
Biff Loman, Willy's 34-year-old son, is portrayed as a man in search of identity, frustrated by his lack of direction despite his athletic potential. His relationship with his father is marked by love and resentment, especially after a pivotal moment in their past that shatters their bond. Happy Loman, Biff's younger brother, represents a more superficial success but is ultimately dissatisfied, seeking validation through fleeting pleasures.
Supporting characters like Linda Loman, Willy's devoted wife, and Charley, Willy's pragmatic friend, highlight contrasting responses to adversity. Linda embodies a steadfast love despite Willy's failures, while Charley represents a more grounded approach to life. Additionally, Uncle Ben's success serves as a painful reminder of Willy's unfulfilled dreams. Overall, the play invites reflection on the nature of success, the weight of expectations, and the intricate ties of family.
Death of a Salesman: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Arthur Miller
First published: 1949
Genre: Play
Locale: New York and Boston
Plot: Tragedy
Time: Mid-twentieth century
Willy Loman, a sixty-three-year-old traveling salesman who has begun to dwell on the past and not to know where he is. In the last two days of his life, his past rolls before him. He is a father who loves his sons and wants them to have worldly success, although he does not know how to help them achieve it. His last gesture for his son Biff is to commit suicide so that the son can have the insurance money.
Biff Loman, Willy's thirty-four-year-old son, who is still trying to find himself. A high-school athlete, he gets nowhere after graduation. When he is refused a loan to start a business, he steals a cheap fountain pen. Angry and defeated, he curses his father as a fool and a dreamer, though he loves the man.
Happy Loman, Willy's younger son, modestly successful in life as a clerk in a store. He is a woman chaser and a seeker after pleasure.
Charley, Willy Loman's friend and neighbor. He lends Willy money and offers him a job.
Bernard, Charley's son, a successful lawyer whose own success is an accusation to Willy's sons.
Linda Loman, Willy's wife, a fearful but patient woman who loves her husband despite his failures.
Howard Wagner, the son of Willy's boss. He lets Willy know that he is finished as a salesman.
Uncle Ben, Willy's brother. He goes out into the jungle and in a few years returns from the diamond mines a rich man. His success is an accusation to Willy.
The woman, an unnamed character whom Biff, as a teenager, finds in a hotel room with his father.