Death of a Salesman Group

Question:

anuczka
anuczka
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Why do Willy and his boys have such difficulty maintaining their manly pride in "Death of a Salesman"?

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Posted by anuczka on Sunday February 15, 2009 at 8:05 AM and tagged with biff, characters, death of a salesman, happy, willy.

Answers:

  1. mshurn
    mshurn Teacher
    College - Freshman

    All three of these men define self-respect, or pride, in terms of financial success. This view supports the idea that if a man is not successful in the business world, he amounts to nothing as a man. Neither Willy, Biff, nor Happy defines personal success or value in anything other than economic terms: the big salary and the most important job with the most power. When they do not achieve these markers of success, they lie--to each other and to themselves. It is only at the play's conclusion that Biff faces reality and tries to make his father and brother understand how wasted their lives have been. Even in this, however, Biff isn't questioning the idea that money equals success. He simply acknowledges the three Loman men as failures.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/death-salesman/character-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/death-salesman/summary-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/death-salesman/themes

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    Posted by mshurn on Sunday February 15, 2009 at 4:21 PM