Death of a Salesman Character Analysis of Willy - 882 Words

Death of a Salesman As a mentally unstable man, Willy has a very complex relationship with the people around him, which come a great deal from his own guilt and insecurity. His relationship with three of the characters strongly stands out from the others. These characters are his oldest son Biff, his only friend and neighbor Charley, and Biff’s childhood friend and Charley’s son Bernard. His relationship with Biff is tainted by the fact that Biff could never live up to his father’s expectations, which they both feel guilty for. Charley and Biff have problems because Willy is jealous and extremely stubborn, and refuses to take his generous help. And lastly, Willy has a bitter relationship towards Bernard because he is jealous that Biff†¦show more content†¦This shows how Willy’s sense of what is right is distorted and he even tries to blame Bernard for his son’s failures, saying â€Å"Why didn’t you let him cheat off you?†(71). Willy believed that the big football game was much more important then his son’s studying, but if Biff had studied more he wouldn’t have failed math in the first place. If high school is a microcosm where Biff was thriving, in the macrocosm of adult life Bernard is the one who is in victorious now. The problematic relationships that Willy has established with all the people around him seem to all be tarnished because of his own flaws and insecurities. This includes his son who never lived up to his high expectorations, his only friend Charley who only wants to help, or Bernard, who became everything he wanted his son to be and he doesn’t understand how. Willy’s guilt and other issues make it impossible for these people to have a healthy relationship with him or help him fix his ownShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of Willy Loman In Death Of A Salesman838 Words   |  4 PagesWilly Loman from â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller is a tragic hero. 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