Biff, feeling like a failure, goes all the way to Boston to see Willy in his hotel room, who is there for work. This shattering discovery comes directly after Biff finds out that he has failed math for the term and does not have enough credits to graduate. Miller later incorporates a bombshell that Willy is unfaithful to wife, Linda, which marks a turning point in Biff’s life that truly begins his path towards losing himself. Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll deliver the highest-quality essay! Order now Ultimately, Willy’s parenting is the beginning of Biff’s downfall which will lead to a future life changing epiphany. Willy’s bragging makes him seem so well off that it makes sense Biff believes what Willy says. Willy claims that he is so well liked he never has to wait in line to see a buyer (21). Biff’s strong admiration for his father as a child is also why he struggles, anything his father says he believes and listens to, he strongly idolizes Willy because of how he describes himself. Because his father’s message is essentially telling him that to be successful, being liked rather than working hard is more important, as Biff grows older his mindset will be that he never needs to work hard to get where he wants, when in reality hard work is crucial. This message so early on is one huge factor that leads to Biff’s lack of direction and identity. This leads to one of Willy’s talks about how popularity is more important than working for things, saying, “Bernard can have the best marks in school,” but, “when he gets out into the business world,” Biff will be, “five times ahead of him.” The main message is Biff must, “be liked” and consequently he “will never want,” for anything (21). In fact, when close neighbor Bernard warns that Biff may fail math, it is not enough to affect Biff or Willy, as after they were informed of this, Willy begins asking about Bernards social status.

As a child, though a relatively popular star football player, Biff never seems to take much interest in his academics. An ideology that is Willy intensively pushes upon him is that he must be liked, and being well liked will get him all the opportunities he wants. After a long struggle with his identity and the truth, Biff experiences a life changing epiphany, making him a dynamic character.īiff Loman’s struggles begin in his childhood. Biff is a 34 year old, faced with the pressures of both his family and society to settle down and find himself. Growing up Willy instilled a lot of ideologies he thought would benefit his sons in life, which really did the opposite, especially for eldest son Biff. Each family member goes through their own internal struggles, from lying to cheating to stealing. Arthur Miller’s tragic play, “Death of a Salesman,” tells the story of the Loman family, comprised of parents, Linda and Willy, and their two sons Biff and Happy.

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