Death of a Salesman - Dysfunctional Family

A Dysfunctional Family from Death of a Salesman “We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house.” This quote is said by Biff Loman himself. Willy Loman is the father of Biff and Happy Loman, and the husband of Linda. The Loman’s are an average working class American family. In the play, The Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, the Loman’s go through very difficult circumstances throughout the play. These circumstances are not exactly obvious but they are shown throughout the play. The Loman’s are a very dysfunctional family, they are not able to be honest with one another, and also it is very difficult for them to get along. Lastly, Biff and Happy’s father Willy Loman has his mind set on the American dream also known as “The perfect life”. He is completely delusional and is forcing his boys to fulfil the same dream. In the play The Death of a Salesman, we realise that the Loman family are not exactly a normal family, they have a difficult life. They are not able to keep an honest relationship with one another. Biff and Happy lied to their father about Biff's stealing Bill Oliver's pen; Biff also lies to his father about having a follow-up appointment with Oliver. Willy lies to his family about the hose he had hidden in the basement, years before; Biff had lied to his parents about why he had had no address for three months because he could not tell them he was in jail. Finally, the most traumatic experience in Biff's life was made worse by his father’s lies. When Biff found his father in the hotel room with one of his buyer's secretary, Willy told one lie after another to cover up the truth of his betrayal to Biff and Happy’s mother. Willy says that the woman was a buyer. She lives in the room down the hall. Her room was to be painted because she showed merchandise to customers in her room. Biff buys none of it, and this incident ruptures his and Willy's relationship permanently. It is the first time Biff realizes what a liar