From the beginning of the play, the strain on the relationship between Willy Loman and his eldest son, Biff, is painfully obvious. At first, the reader believes this is just one of those dysfunctional families; Biff is just one of those children who refuse to get along with their parents. Whereas his mother, Linda, and younger brother, Happy, spit out little white lies to console Willy, Biff is more than brutally honest. As the story progresses though, it becomes obvious that Biff is not being honest to just his father, he's the only one being honest with himself. In the Loman's house, the American Dream was drilled

So what has happened between the end of high school and now that has made Biff so disillusioned? The answer comes nearly at the end of the book, during one of Willy's many flashbacks. The setting is suddenly a hotel room in Boston, where Willy is with a woman in just a slip. After failing math, and being unable to graduate, Biff runs to his father for support and help. It is shown that Biff used to be confident in his father. However, when the woman is discovered and the affair is obvious, it destroys Biff's idol. Willy was always encouraging, Biff was carried on a high pedestal, now that Biff's image of his father is destroyed, his pedestal is shattered, too. Suddenly, much more of the play makes sense. It us understood why Biff is often harsh and unattached to his father, while the other family members seem to fawn over Willy.

into the children's heads. Willy has taught his family that it is possible for their family to move up into a higher social echelon, that in years to come they would no longer be the lowly working class. The

Some common words found in the essay are:
Willy Moreover, Willy Loman, Boston Willy, American Dream, Willy Biff, Linda Happy, Death Salesman, willy loman, willy's flashbacks, final pages, willy's life, affair obvious, huge role,
Approximate Word count = 709
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)