Character Analysis-Biff
To truly understand anyone in this story, our Lit group believed that we needed to make clear a certain idea that Willy has. Willy believes in an American dream, a dream that is so pure and ideal – where everything is attractive and picture perfect. He believes in an American dream where “having a job, owning an apartment and car, and having girls” is to be successful.
Biff Loman is one of the main characters in Death of a Salesman. He is the son of Willy and Linda, brother to Happy, Best friend of Bernard, and also the central character who plays a pivotal role by having an affect on every main character in the story.
Characteristics of Biff
Starting the story at 34 years old, we see different ages of Biff all throughout the story. From the very beginning, we can see that Biff is physically attractive, built, and socially active. Built like “Adonis” and “Hercules.” In High School he was the top dog – “remember how they used to follow him around in high school? When he smiled at one of them their faces lit up.” Everyone seemed to love him and wanted to be with him or around him. He was very successful in High school and “got into three colleges with a scholarship.” Unfortunately his potential was wasted when he decided to not make up a failed math class. This makes Biff seem as if he wasted his own life, “Biff is lazy.” We, the readers, can infer that he had many dreams when he was younger from his conversation with his younger brother Happy. As we find out more about Biff and the deeper we go into the story, we see he was like a spark, bright and shining but only for the briefest of moments. After not even graduating from High School, he tried “twenty or thirty different kinds of jobs since he(I) left home before the war, and it always turned (turns) out the same.” At this point readers feel as if Biff truly tried to achieve what his father wanted for him; Biff tried to be a “Shipping clerk, salesman, business of one kind or another. “ for “six or seven years after high school.” But he was not happy with any of these jobs. He could not handle the fact that these jobs did not allow him to be outside and enjoy himself. He hated the competition and saw working as “suffering.” We first start to see Biff as an immature person who is not capable of putting work before his own personal wants. However, Biff still tries to make up for his mistakes and tries for another job. This shows another side of Biff as a person who is simply unmotivated. It seems as if there is something that is holding Biff back. In the end we find out that Biff is not fully responsible for his actions, but rather it is his reaction to his father’s actions. This twist in the story reveals that Biff always wanted to do well, and that in reality it was the person who had such high hopes and expectations for him, Willy, that was Biff’s undoing in the end. Biff realizes in the end that he is not going to “be magnificent” as his father wished for him, but rather a simple man who lives a life doing what he wants for his own happiness rather than money. Biff is a boy at first who does nothing but want the attention of his father, he steals and quits anything where he has to take orders from others because Willy trained him and made him believe that he was the greatest. Biff eventually realizes that this is not the case, and struggles to change, realizing that the “American dream” of being wealthy is not truly what he wants. Instead, he wants to live a simplistic, rustic life.
Initial Biff
Biff can be summed up as a confident athletic high schooler with a bright future who looks up to his father and listens to every word that his father says. However, when we flash forward 16 years into the future, to where we first see Biff, we find out that he is no longer a confident, successful man. Instead, we find out that he hasn’t found himself at age 34, in fact Willy states that “not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace” showing us that Willy seems to have a lot of resentment towards Biff. The main belief about Biff that is spoken by everyone in the first scene is that he is lost. Linda says “I think he’s still lost, Willy. I think he’s very lost.” Willy replies by stating that “Biff Loman is lost.” Through these statements and later a comment by Biff himself, “No, I’m mixed up very bad,” we can safely conclude that Biff, when introduced in the story is a lost soul who is looking for a meaning to his life. Biff, however, has been raised by his father to believe that the meaning to life is the “American Dream” – to be wealthy and a leader of men.
Now that we know that Biff is a lost soul who is looking for the “American Dream” that he believes he needs in order to be happy, we can analyze Biff as he grows and develops throughout the story. Biff, after finishing but not graduating high school, spends six or seven years trying to find the “American Dream” by taking up jobs such as a “Shipping clerk, salesman, business of one kind or another” in total he mentions he’s taken twenty or thirty different kinds of jobs and “it always turns out the same” He feels as if being out on the ranch is what makes him feel truly alive and well, yet when he thinks of the springtime (the same time that he graduated and caught his father in an indecent act), he “suddenly gets the feeling, my God, I’m not getting’ anywhere,” as if his realization was a reminder that he doesn’t want to end up like his father and no matter what he does, he will not be content.
Biff constantly struggles, but he still tries to accomplish willy’s belief of the “American Dream,” yet when we read, we feel that Biff seems to have no respect for Willy or any desire to do what he says. It takes a very emotional argument amongst Biff, Linda, and Happy for Biff to try one last time to accomplish the “American dream.” Through his talks with Happy, he becomes more and more eager to take one last chance with becoming “successful.” He decides that maybe his father was right, and goes to see Bill Oliver, a previous employer who seemed to have much respect and affinity for Biff. Biff believes that he can combine the things that he loves to do along with work to accomplish his own version of the “American Dream.” When Willy hears of this, he gets ecstatic and believes that everything will be fine again. That Biff was just a “certain man that didn’t get started till later in life.”
These events lead Biff to become a very hopeful character once again, his old confidence seems to come back, yet this also leads Biff to realize that the “American Dream” is not as solid and pure as Willy makes it out to be.
Biff changed
Biff goes to Bill Oliver’s office, but ends up “waiting six hours” at the lobby not doing anything but simply wasting his time. When Bill Oliver finally does show up, he half heartedly listens to Biff’s proposition and leaves as quickly as he arrives. This upsets Biff and in retaliation, with a loss of what to do, Biff steals Oliver’s fountain pen and runs away. While running away from nothing, Biff reaches an epiphany: that he is not what his father believes him to be, rather he is a simple common man, who once had potential but not anymore. Biff realizes that he was not running away from Bill Oliver or anyone who wanted the pen back, but rather he was running away from the fact that no one would take him seriously – he was running away from the fact that the “American Dream” was not real. This leads Biff to change and become an angrier, solemn man. His first reality check seemed to be in High school when he flunked his math class, but he did not realize the truth about the “American Dream” until his second reality check.
At this point, Biff becomes calmer than usual and wants to go tell his father the truth that he has found out about the “American Dream,” unfortunately, Willy refuses to hear any of it and believes Biff “didn’t see him.” Biff at this point becomes very frustrated and changes from a sad somber man to an angry man.
Biff tries to tell everyone what he has realized but no one seems to want to hear what Biff has to say… “You’re practically full of it! We all are! And I’m through with it.” Biff concludes his change stating that his failure was due to his father’s impossible ideals. “I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody! That’s whose fault it is!”
The theme that Biff realizes in the end is that “I saw the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be?” Biff realizes that the “American Dream” is merely an ideal that in reality, is almost impossible to reach. He realizes that what he and many other Americans are. They are “a dime a dozen,” and are not “leaders of men.” Biff realizes that what his father taught him prior to his change was all wrong. Yet unlike his father, when he is faced with the truth, he decides to change. He wants to go back to the great outdoors and do physical labor, something that he loved doing because he was good at it. To sum it up, Biff’s realization at the end is this: He finds out that the “American Dream” is an impossible dream that he cannot reach, instead of becoming depressed and upset like his father, he goes back to doing something he originally loved – his “American Dream” is to do work that makes him happy while at the same time gives him money, even if it is not the best paying job.
Biff VS Other Characters
Biff Vs Linda: Biff seems to love his mother and seems to truly respect her. He does not want to hurt her but cannot help but get angry at the fact that she takes Willy’s side all the time
· “God Almighty, Mom, how long has he been doing this?”(DOAS p. 1408)
Biff asks his mother in a tone that shows he does respect her.
· “Shouldn’t we do anything?” (DOAS p.1408)
Biff is asking his mother, because he respects her and knows that she has knowledge of his father’s strange habits.
· “why didn’t you ever write me about this, Mom?” (DOAS p.1408)
Biff shows concern, not only about his father, but about his mother at the fact that she had to live with Willy being in his condition.
· “I was on the move. But you know I thought of you all the time. You know that, don’t you pal?” (DOAS p. 1408)
Biff explicitly states that he thinks of his mom all the time and even calls her “pal” indicating that he is trying to be friendly and loving towards her.
· “I’m not hateful, Mom” (DOAS p.1409)
Biff wants to show his mom that he is loving and defends himself when she accuses him of being so angry.
· “I don’t know why. I mean to change. I’m tryin’, Mom, you understand?”
“I don’t know. I want to look around, see what’s doin.”
“I just can’t take hold, Mom. I can’t take hold of some kind of a life” (DOAS p 1409)
Biff tries to reason with his mother, from the syntax we find the tone as soft, reassuring yet at the same time trying to explain oneself. Biff shows that he loves his mother and has a soft spot for her, and tries to explain himself to her so she doesn’t get angry.
· “Your hair… your hair got so gray. Dye it again, will ya? I don’t want my pal looking old”(DOAS p 1409)
Biff shows his concern for his mother, he has an image of her in his mind, an image of a young, beautiful, strong woman.
· “sure I can, Mom” (DOAS p 1409)
Biff says that he can have feeling for his mother but not his father, he wants her to know that he respects and loves her.
· “Never had an ounce of respect for you.”(DOAS p 1409)
Biff is angry that his loving mother has to be treated by his father. He goes on to say that there are “people worse off than Willy Loman,” so he doesn’t approve of his father’s treatment towards his mother.
· “All right, Mom. I’ll live here in my room, and I’ll get a job.”
“I hate this city and I’ll stay here.” (DOAS p 1410 1411)
Biff agrees to work and stay for his mother’s sake. Biff does this only because of Linda.
· “What woman? Nothing. Go ahead. Nothing, I just said what woman?” (DOAS p 1411)
Biff doesn’t want to hurt his mother and will even hide the fact that his father cheated on Linda so she’ll still have a right state of mind.
· “Don’t yell at her, Pop, will ya?” I don’t like you yelling at her all the time, and I’m tellin’ you, that’s all.” “stop yelling at her!” (DOAS p 1414 1415)
Biff defends his mother fiercely even yelling at his father.
· “I gotta talk to the boss, Mom. Where is he?” (DOAS p 1446)
This is the first time that Biff acts like this to Linda, showing that he truly is infuriated. Biff however, in the end, still holds his composure and holds his anger although his mother really pushes his buttons.
· “How about it, Mom. Better get some rest, heh? They’ll be closing the gate soon. Come along mom. Let’s go Mom.” (DOAS p 1454)
Biff is gentle with his mother. With the death of his father, he seems to almost take Willy’s place as he takes Linda away.
Biff Vs Happy: Biff always seemed to hold Happy in a loving manner. He changes from treating Happy as a younger brother to an equal. He also talks to Happy as if he was talking to another side of himself. As if Happy is him but a version who makes different decisions and sees things in a different way. Everything he says to Happy, seems to be himself either rebuilding his confidence, or venting to talk about his failures. It seems that Happy is named “Happy” because it is the “happy” version of Biff, the one who became a slight success, the one who naively and happily believes in Willy and the “American Dream.”
· “yeah lotta dreams and plans.” (DOAS p 1390)
Biff talks about the past with Happy, agreeing with him, but from the context, we can tell that Biff believed in something before, but now he’s different as he sounds more mature and yet, a little nostalgic. He speaks to Happy as an equal here.
· “Remember that Betsy something – what the hell was her name – over on Bushwick Avenue?” (DOAS p 1390)
Biff reminisces about the past, the name he mentions is not important but the way he talks to Happy about this is. He talks as if he was once superior to Happy – “that’s the one. I got you in there, remember?”
· “I bet you forgot how bashful you used to be. Especially with girls.” (DOAS p 1391)
Biff shows that he was once truly an older brother, but now he sees Happy as someone who is more successful than he is in a certain subject.
· “I tell ya Hap, I don’t know what the future is. I don’t know – what I’m supposed to want” (DOAS p. 1391)
Biff lets happy know how he truly feels about the “American Dream.” Biff is not sure what to think of it even now. He seems to be talking to himself rather than to happy.
· “Well I spent six or seven years…that’s how you build a future” (DOSA p.1391)
Biff talks about his work on the farm. He’s content, but he’s not at the same time because he believes that to be successful in life, you must accomplish the “American Dream” that Willy has pounded into his head.
· “Hap, I’ve had twenty or thirty….I know that all I’ve done is to waste my life” (DOSA 1391-1392)
Biff continues on about how he’s had previous jobs before but he never enjoyed them, He couldn’t take them yet when quits, he feels even less satisfied, he feels as if he’s wasted his life and is truly unhappy.
· “No, I’m mixed up very bad…. Are you content Hap? You’re a success aren’t you? Are you content?” (DOSA p 1392)
This is where we first see a possible reason as to why Biff treats Happy as an equal. Biff sees that Happy is more successful than he is. Happy is however, also unsure if the “American Dream” that he is following is the right road as well. He seems to be very confused and unhappy as well.
· “Listen, why don’t you come out west with me? Sure, we’d be known all over the countries. I’m tellin’ you kid if you were with me I’d be happy out there.” (DOSA p. 1392)
Biff shows that he wants to go out West with his brother, and that if he had a family member out there, he’d truly be happy. Biff is more than ready to let go of the “American Dream,” but we see Happy seemingly thinking that that would be only a wonderful fantasy. Happy has the “American Dream” engraved into his head so much that he believes that he wants to be like those rich bosses who walk into a room and see the “waves part in front of him.” This is key because this shows two very similar men that have the “American Dream” installed into their heads, choose two different pathways.
· “I just got one idea that I think I’m going to try.” (DOSA p. 1393)
This shows that Biff is still willing to try one more time for the “American Dream” this is crucial because if he had not tried this idea then he would not have found the truth to the “American Dream”
· “No, with a ranch I could do the work I like and still be something” (DOSA p. 1393)
This is the biggest thing that Biff decides to do with his life AFTER he realizes the truth about the “American Dream.” Although he only says it in the beginning, he realizes that that is truly what he wants in the end.
· “I was the only one he’d let lock up the place.” (DOSA p 1393)
This statement shows that people still believed and like Biff even after High school, this lets readers conclude that there must have been something for Biff to truly not want to follow the “American Dream.”
· “Well, don’t you run off? You take off sometimes, don’t you? On a nice summer day?” (DOSA p 1412)
Biff gets into an argument with Happy and talks about how he runs off and that was why he got fired. But this is a key component of why Biff realizes that the “American Dream” is not what makes people happy.
· “I don’t care what they think! They’ve laughed at Dad for years, and you know why? Because we don’t belong in this nut-house of a city! We should be mixing cement on some open plain, or – or carpenters. A carpenter is allowed to whistle!” (DOSA p 1412)
Biff states the theme in a simple phrase, he believes that the “American Dream” is only for certain people and it’s not always what is right. What’s right is to do work that makes one happy.
· “yeah, that’s… I’ll see oliver tomorrow. Hap, if we could work that out… no, I’ll… gee, I don’t know – “(DOSA p 1414)
The Author portrays Biff as being nervous and unsure of what to do about himself, showing his confusion and questions about pursuing the “American Dream.”
· “You know, with ten thousand bucks, boy!” (DOSA p. 1415)
Biff gets convinced and shows readers how easily people can get infected with the “American Dream” although he hated the fact that he had to do work he disliked, he found a way to combine both the “American Dream” and his ideals. He becomes confident once more, but soon he will fall and his quick rise and even faster fall is what makes him realize that the “American Dream” is wrong.
· “I saw him all right. Now look, I want to tell Dad a couple of things and I want you to help me.” (DOSA p 1434)
Biff at this point, realizes that the American Dream is not the right path for him and wants to confront Willy to let him know what the truth is. Biff wants Happy who seems to be another part to him to go and help him. Happy is the half of him that seems to only want to keep pursuing the American Dream but Biff’s realization is what separates him and Happy.
· “He had the wrong dreams. All, all, wrong” (DOSA p 1453)
Biff tells Happy what he thinks of the American Dream. It seems as if Happy is another extension of Biff and Biff is not trying to convince Happy, but another part of him who believes in still following the “American Dream”
· “why don’t you come with me, Happy?” (DOSA p 1453)
Biff wants to ask Happy to come with him not only because he knows if a family member comes with him out West, he’ll be happy, but it’s also as if he’s trying to convince the part of him that still believes in the “American Dream” to leave the foolish city and its ideals. He wants to completely quench the idea of the “American Dream”
· “I know who I am, kid” (DOSA p 1453)
Biff tells Happy that he KNOWS who he is now, that the “American Dream” is truly only for foolish naïve people or the truly rich and successful. He gives Happy a “hopeless glance” and this is where it seems that Biff and Happy separate. Happy won’t be Happy which is ironic, but Biff will be when he’s leaving the “Happy” part of him behind.
· “He’s all right , I guess.” (DOAS p. 1390)
Biff doesn’t want to reveal his feelings about Willy to Happy, but at the same time sounds exactly like a small child who reluctantly agrees to something.
· “What’s he say about me?” “there’s one or two other things depressing him, Happy.” (DOAS p. 1391)
Biff wants to know if Willy talks badly about him because Biff seems to know something bad about Willy. If he finds out that Willy is smack talking, he would lose more respect for him. This conversation is key because it is the first time we hear Biff or anyone hint about Willy as a bad person.
· “How’s that. Pop, professional?” “what is it Dad? Tell me, what’d you buy?” “Oh Pop!” “Did you see the new football I got?” “Oh, he keeps congratulating y initiative all the time Pop” “Where’d you go this time, Dad? Gee we were lonesome for you” “Missed you every minute” “Gee, I’d love to go with you sometime Dad.” “not if you’re gonna be there.” “This Saturday, Pop, this Saturday – just for you I’m going to break through for a touchdown.” “I’m takin’ one play for Pop. You watch me, Pop, and when I take off my helmet, that means I’m breakin’ out. Then you watch me crash through that line!” “Oh, Pop, you didn’t see my sneakers!” “Did you knock them dead, pop?” “Ah, when Pop comes home they can wait!” (DOAS p. 1395-1398)
The reason why we put so many quotes together is to emphasize certain aspects of Biff when he was a younger child. These quotes stretch on for quite a long time. In fact, the longest conversation in the story is between Biff in high school and Willy. Originally, we can tell that Biff loved his father. In everything he says, he seems to want approval, attention, praise, to show that he is doing everything for his father. This goes on for four pages, showing that there seemed to be no limit to Biff’s love and need to be the best for his father. This is a huge component of the story, because it shows the extremity of Biff’s change. At this point, Biff feels like society is perfect, and that his father’s “American Dream” is only a stone’s throw away. He has everything he could ever want, the “people following him like dogs,” the “three scholarships,” and the perfect dad.
· “What is he doing out there?” “what the hell is the matter with him?” (DOAS p. 1408) here Biff first finds out that his father has some problems, and realizes his absence has meant more than just a missing presence. The more he sees his father acting strange, the less faith he gets in society, in his father, in the “American Dream.”
· “He’s got no character” “He threw me out of this house, remember that” “Because I know he’s a fake and he doesn’t like anybody around who knows!” (DOSA p. 1410- 1411)
This is Biff’s current feelings of Willy. As anyone with an ounce of common sense can tell, the change is drastic. The readers automatically know that something had had to have happened between the two for a change such as this to happen. When Biff states that Willy is a fake, it is also as if he is calling the “American Dream” fake – something he will realize later on in the story.
· “ What woman?” (DOSA p. 1411) this is Biff’s intial hint as to what went wrong between him and Willy.
· “All right, Pop. All right!” “He always said he’d stake me. I’d like to go into business, so maybe I can take him up on it.” (DOSA p. 1413)
Biff at this point tries to change because of his conversations with his mother and tries one last time to appease his father, and attempts for the “American Dream” one last time. He isn’t too confident however, because he has already had some realization as to the fact that the American Dream is not what he thinks it to be.
· “Well, All I said was I’m gonna see him, that’s all!” “Oh Jesus, I’m going to sleep!” “Since when did you get so clean!” (DOSA p 1413)
Biff is angry and tries to tell Willy that he is only going to go see Bill Oliver to see if he can actually get something done, but he doesn’t want to make promises. He hates the fact that Willy assumes the best of him right away. Right away, when Willy angers him, Biff is on the offensive and attacks Willy revealing more and more that Willy is not the pure salesman everyone sees him as.
· “He walked away. I saw him for one minute. I got so mad I could’ve tornt eh walls down! How the hell did I ever get the idea I was a salesman there? I even believed myself that I’d been a salesman for him! And then he gave me one look and – I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been! We’ve been talking in a dream for fifteen years. I was a shipping clerk.” (DOSA p. 1435)
Biff tells Happy what he’s going to tell his father because Biff believes that “he’s got to understand that I’m (biff) not the man somebody lends that kind of money to. He thinks I’ve (biff) been spiting him all these years and it’s eating him up!” This is where Biff fully comes to his conclusion that he is no longer going to follow the “American Dream.” His only problem now is to tell Willy that he has failed and is now going to pursue his own dreams. He has a really rough time as he asks “Who ever said I was a salesman with Oliver? Dad I was a shipping clerk.” This shows his relationship between him and his father as a relationship where his father would feed him exaggerations to inflate his confidence way more than it needed to be.
· “Dad, I’ll make good, I’ll make good. I am Dad, I’ll find something else, you understand? Now don’t worry about anything!” (DOSA p 1438)
Here Biff feels as if he committed a crime and it seems as if time has gone back to when Biff wanted to make his father proud, yet this is where he reaches his breaking point with his father as well. “I’m no good, can’t you see what I am?”
After trying desperately to convince himself and his father that he would go and do something else, find another job he realizes once more that he truly is not fit for the American Dream. Realizing this, he knows he must notify his father, but to do so would be to break his mind and heart.
· “You’ve just seen a prince walk by, A fine, trouble prince. A hard working, unappreciated prince. A pal you understand? A good companion, Always for his boys” (DOSA p. 1440)
Biff after realizing that he must tell his father and realizes why his father has become the way he is, treats Willy in a softer tone and light. He realizes that his father had just spent too much time working and just like Linda says, only needs a bit of a rest. He respects and acknowledges his father as a hard worker and remembers all the times that Willy was there for his sons.
· “ Dad I let you down….I’m sure he’ll change it for you!” (DOSA p. 1442)
Biff in his high school graduation comes up to Boston to tell his father that he failed him. This shows that Biff truly respected his father to the point that he would disappear for a “month” just to reach Willy and beg his forgiveness and also to convince his teacher to give him the four extra points needed to pass the class. This is the time right before he finds out his dad’s sin and right before the time he changes his whole attitude towards his father.
· “He wouldn’t listen to you… you gave her Momma’s stockings!” (DOSA p. 1443)
Biff changes and calls his father a “phony, and a liar” afterwards, realizing that his father is having an affair with a woman unknown to Biff. Frustrated at wIlly, this part is key to the entire story because this is where Biff loses faith in not only Willy, but society as a whole and the “American Dream” He loses faith in society because he sees not just his dad but someone from society and also because his teacher who is a part of society are both factors that are stopping him from becoming a famous and wealthy man.
· “Dad you’re never going to see what I am… it’s goddamn time you heard that! I had to be boss big shot in two weeks and I’m through with it!” (DOSA p. 1448-1449) Biff wants his father to face the truth now, he refuses to let his father run away and makes him face the truth in the next lines.
· “no! nobody’s hanging himself willy!I ran down eleven flights with a pen in my hand today. And suddenly I stopped, you hear me? And in the middle of that office building do you hear this? I stopped in the middle of that building and I saw – the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office making a contemptuous begging foo of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am! Why can’t I say that, Willy?” “Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you!” (DOSA p. 1450)
Biff wants his father to realize what he just stated. The theme is revealed at this point: the American dream is not always achievable, and the author criticizes its falseness, instead the author wants us to know that although we are a “dime a dozen,” we are capable of doing things we love to work. While we may not become super successful, we will end up being happy.
Another quote that goes by as the theme is “I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them! I’m one dollar an hour, Willy! I’m not bringing home any prizes anymore and you’re going to stop waiting for me to bring them home!” “I’m nothing pop! Can’t you understand that? There’s no spite in it anymore. I’m just what I am, that’s all!”
Biff desperately wants Willy to know that he holds no grudge against him and only wants Willy to know that he’s a hard worker, but that’s all they’ll ever get done because they won’t be able to become leaders and become rich and famous.
