Student Question
What are Biff and Happy's attitudes towards women in Death of a Salesman? Why do they respect only Linda?
Quick answer:
Biff and Happy Loman exhibit immature attitudes toward women, reflecting their lack of commitment and maturity in life. They engage in womanizing behaviors but are not inherently chauvinistic, as they do not display disrespect or abuse toward their mother, Linda. They respect Linda because she represents stability and care in their lives, contrasting their superficial relationships with other women. Their immaturity and dependence on their parents hinder their ability to form meaningful relationships.
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To answer the main question, Biff and Happy are womanizers, but not so much because they are are chauvinists. They are womanizers, however, simply because they are immature and have not had a chance to commit to anything in life, which is mainly why even something as normal as a human relationship is hard for them to achieve. Now, if they were true chauvinists, they would also be demanding and abusive of their mothers which, clearly, they are not. Notice how in the restaurant scene on Act 2, as they waited for Willy, Happy sent the waiter to give a glass of champagne to a woman who we can infer was an escort that was at the restaurant. He mentions to Biff how women like that are what prevent him from getting settled down.
In sum, imagine these two who are so codependent of the company of their parents while in their 30's creating a detachment and having to take care of a family unit on their own? It is very hard to fathom, and it is not really because they are bad, just "not ready".
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