What does Willy say about Biff

Suddenly happy, Willy mutters that Biff must like him because he cried, and his own delusions of his son’s success are restored in light of this meager proof. Linda and Happy tell him that Biff has always loved him, and even Happy seems genuinely moved by the encounter.

What Does Willy think about Biff?

Overall, Willy loves Biff, yet he resents him for not becoming a successful salesman and believes he has failed out of spite. Biff appears to be a failure, yet he is not. Willy loves Biff; in fact, he has attempted, as many parents, to live vicariously through Biff.

What are Willys expectations for Biff?

He thinks that he is slacking off working as a farmhand; he had high expectations for Biff: he’d make it big in business (based on Biff’s popularity in high school), and now that he hasn’t, Willy is disappointed in him and dissatisfied with everything he does.

What does Willy object to about Biff?

Willy believes that the insurance money from his death will put Biff “ahead of Bernard again.” Willy still unnecessarily sees Biff and Bernard as competing for success. Willy’s jealousy of Bernard’s success fuels his desire to see Biff surpass Bernard.

Why does Willy exaggerate about Biff?

Biff is Willy’s favorite child not only because he is the first-born, but because since early in his childhood he demonstrates great abilities in football. For this reason, Willy basically banks on Biff as his successful heir and truly believes that his triumphs in football will take him very far.

Why does Biff steal things does Biff use Willy's behavior as an excuse for his own waywardness?

Does Biff use Willy’s behavior as an excuse for his own waywardness? … Biff uses Willy’s behavior as an excuse to steal things and become a failure in the family. Biff stays away so he doesn’t have to worry about it.

Why can't he believe in his father?

Why can’t he believe in his father? Biff went to Boston to catch up with his beloved father before his college visit. When he finds his father with another woman, he realizes that Willy is truly a fake, and does not have the great qualities which Biff had formerly believed his father held.

Why does Biff steal the suit?

Biff steals things because it is his passive-aggressive way of getting back at people he feels have unfairly done better in life than he has, but also because stealing gives him an excuse to quit whatever dead-end job he happens to be in at the moment.

What is Biff's Dream in Death of a Salesman?

Biff reminds us that the American Dream is not every man’s dream. Rather than seeking money and success, Biff wants a more basic life. He wants to be seen and loved for who he is. He wants his dad to stop being such a deluded twerp.

Why is Biff so angry with his father?

Biff is betrayed by his father’s emptiness and selfishness, and he can no longer idolize Willy or believe in his version of the American Dream. This spirals into a life of failure and drifting, which reflects Willy’s own failures in business, and the tragedy of his never achieving the American Dream.

Article first time published on

Why does Biff steal Olivers pen?

Biff knew that his father would question whether he had actually gone to see Bill Oliver to ask for a loan. His impulse to take the expensive pen may have been motivated consciously or unconsciously by a desire to have tangible proof that he was in Oliver’s private office.

What is Biff Loman's tragic flaw?

In Death of a Salesman, Biff’s tragic flaw is his inability to develop a traditional career for himself. Biff cannot create a life for himself in methods that are common, or normal. That’s not the kind of person he is and that’s perfectly acceptable.

Why did Biff go to jail?

Biff states that he has stolen himself out of every job since high school and that during the three-month period when he was completely out of touch with his family he was, in fact, in prison for stealing a suit.