Biff Loman: Tragic Hero
16 October 2013
Writing Assignment 3
Biff Loman: Son, brother, tragic hero. Biff Loman can be considered to be Arthur Miller’s best candidate for a tragic hero in the play Death of a Salesman. He fits the criteria more than his father Willy and his brother Hap. Biff starts off in a rut, but by the end of the story he evolves. He not only realizes who he is, he becomes at peace with it. Things that make Biff a tragic hero are that he is noble, possess a flaw, and he experiences a realization of why he is suffering. Biff, though not perfect, can very much be considered noble. As a young man, he was full of potential. He was a star football captain whom everyone loved. An example of that is when happy says, “There’s a crowd of girls behind him everytime the classes change” (Miller 20). Biff was meant for greatness, and no one knew this more than his father Willy. When told that a teacher might flunk Biff, he couldn’t believe it. He angrily asks Bernard, “what’re you talking about? With scholarships to three universities they’re gonna flunk him” (Miller 21). It was also very easy to see how much Biff adored his father when he was younger. When his father asked him if he was nervous about the upcoming game he replied, “Not if you’re gonna be there” (Miller 20). Biff had a bright future ahead of him. It wasn’t until after that very football game did his life start to change for the worse. After flunking math and finding out his father was unfaithful to his mother, he was never the same. According to Willy, Biff’s flaw is that he has no goals or drive. Biff does not seem to have the desire to become a salesman like his father. When talking to Linda, Willy explains, “The trouble is he’s lazy, goddammit” (Miller 8). Biff’s mother Linda, on the other hand, has a different opinion about her son. As stated by Linda, “I think he’s still lost, Willy. I think he’s very lost” (Miller 8). Though his parents seem to dwell on his flaws, his brother Hap tries to be the
Writing Assignment 3
Biff Loman: Son, brother, tragic hero. Biff Loman can be considered to be Arthur Miller’s best candidate for a tragic hero in the play Death of a Salesman. He fits the criteria more than his father Willy and his brother Hap. Biff starts off in a rut, but by the end of the story he evolves. He not only realizes who he is, he becomes at peace with it. Things that make Biff a tragic hero are that he is noble, possess a flaw, and he experiences a realization of why he is suffering. Biff, though not perfect, can very much be considered noble. As a young man, he was full of potential. He was a star football captain whom everyone loved. An example of that is when happy says, “There’s a crowd of girls behind him everytime the classes change” (Miller 20). Biff was meant for greatness, and no one knew this more than his father Willy. When told that a teacher might flunk Biff, he couldn’t believe it. He angrily asks Bernard, “what’re you talking about? With scholarships to three universities they’re gonna flunk him” (Miller 21). It was also very easy to see how much Biff adored his father when he was younger. When his father asked him if he was nervous about the upcoming game he replied, “Not if you’re gonna be there” (Miller 20). Biff had a bright future ahead of him. It wasn’t until after that very football game did his life start to change for the worse. After flunking math and finding out his father was unfaithful to his mother, he was never the same. According to Willy, Biff’s flaw is that he has no goals or drive. Biff does not seem to have the desire to become a salesman like his father. When talking to Linda, Willy explains, “The trouble is he’s lazy, goddammit” (Miller 8). Biff’s mother Linda, on the other hand, has a different opinion about her son. As stated by Linda, “I think he’s still lost, Willy. I think he’s very lost” (Miller 8). Though his parents seem to dwell on his flaws, his brother Hap tries to be the
Cited: Miller, Arthur Death of a Salesman New York: Penguin Books, 1986. http://www.free-ebooks.net/ebook/Death-of-a-salesman/html#read (Online EBook)