This puts her in a lot of emotional pain, as she frugally tries to protect Willy from himself and others. For example, Linda spends her every day married to a crazy man who she constantly fears will take his own life. Some might say that other members of the family were hurt more by Willy. Neither is successful as a man, because both are persons of low character. Willy projects his own poor character onto Biff, only caring that Biff protect Willy’s image. This dialogue is so disturbing because Willy has absolutely no qualms about dishonesty– in fact, he even encourages it. In a flashback to high school, Bernard says to Willy, “Where is he? If he doesn’t study!” and Willy replies, “You’ll give him the answers!”. In addition, Biff is poorly educated because Willy encourages him to cheat during high school. Biff is practically a kleptomaniac, because his father never taught him otherwise. Sadly, he cannot even hold down a simple, low-paying job, because his character, conscientiousness, and work ethic are so low as a result of his father’s poor example and absenteeism. After witnessing his father’s affair, Biff moves away to the country. In addition to the immediate emotional and psychological shock, it is obvious that Willy makes a hugely negative impact on Biff’s future when he selfishly cheated on Biff’s mother. This leaves Biff with no higher education, ambition, or purpose in life, and no one to imitate. It crushes him so badly, in fact, that he cannot complete summer school, and therefore cannot attend college. Biff had idolized his father, and seeing his father’s adultery crushes him. Biff cries out at his father in anger, “Don’t touch me you– liar!” (95). The result of Willy forcing Biff to be someone he is not as a child is a lost and empty adult who can never meet expectations.Īt the end of his senior year in high school, Biff walks in on his father with another woman who isn’t his mother. ‘False Biff’ was their identity, but ‘False Biff’ accomplishes nothing after high school.
The two had been one, and when they let go of that, they both shrank into nothing. Both Willy and Biff have expended their entire lives and imaginations upon this false “magnificent” Biff, who doesn’t really exist. Unfortunately, Biff spends his whole life doing what his father wants him to do, and after letting go of Willy, he has no identity, no great goal, no dream, and seemingly no future. Biff likewise no longer admires his father. However, when Biff grows up, Willy no longer sees him as living up to his potential. Willy evidently thought the world of Biff when Biff was an accomplished highschooler, and Biff even reciprocated these feelings at that age. A star like that, magnificent, can never really fade away” (51).
Remember how he waved to me? Right up from the field with the representatives of three colleges standing by? And the buyers I brought, and the cheers when he came out– Loman, Loman, Loman! God Almighty, he’ll be great yet. Willy speaks about a memory of Biff saying: “Like a young god. Eventually, Willy so appropriates Biff that Biff’s accomplishments are, in a way, his own. Willy lives vicariously through Biff’s accomplishments, wishing they were his own. Willy in effect steals Biff’s identity by forcing Biff to be the person he himself wants to be. Beyond all the other characters of the play, Willy hurts Biff the most because Willy attacks Biff’s fundamental identity.
Additionally, Willy ruins Biff’s future and character. As a result, he falls into a despair he cannot understand the genesis of. Biff is forced to be someone he is not for so long that he loses his true self altogether. This is certainly the case for poor Biff Loman in “Death of a Salesman,” because Biff’s father Willy simply cannot accept him. Without these, one feels inadequate and lost. What would it be like to have no personal identity? Human nature is fundamentally oriented toward self-acceptatance and self-understanding. The stories are unchanged from the previous edition but the cover notes have been updated to support adults in sharing the story with the child.Biff’s Identity and Essence in Death of a Salesman The popular characters and familiar settings are brought to life by Roderick Hunt and Alex Brychta. The Level 3 Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories provide humorous storylines to engage and motivate children. Oxford Reading Tree - Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories Level 3 (Mixed Pack of 6)
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