On one hand, he is described as fat and unattractive, while on the other hand, he is 'persuasive and pleases people.' At times, he calls Biff a bum, while at others, he describes Biff as having greatness. To begin with, Willy is a walking contradiction.
One of the first comments critics have is on Willy Loman as a simple character versus a complex character. After this point in the play, Biff no longer tries to be 'successful' like his father.Īlthough these symbols relating to Willy are of great significance, Willy himself probably stands as the most significant symbol in Death of a Salesman. One of the most significant scenes in the play is when Willy has a flashback of the hotel scene where Biff catches his 'faithful' dad with another woman – this is what causes their father-son relationship to falter. The University of Virginia emblem on his shoes symbolizes his high ambitions that is, his ambitions before he and Willy drifted apart. In the beginning, Biff agrees with Willy that successfulness is everything. Because Willy favors Biff, he wants more than anything for Biff to succeed in life, and pushes him to do so. Although this may seem more of a good thing, it also plays a big part in fueling the conflict between the two.
Biff, who is more capable of genuine humanity, represents the kinder and more realistic Willy he favors Biff over Happy (CLC Vol. Happy, who often receives his consolation of unsuccessfulness through women, represents Willy’s more materialistic side. Happy and Biff, Willy’s two sons, represent two sides of Willy’s ever-conflicting personality. Miller uses symbolism to expand on the conflicts within the Loman family.
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