Happy And Biff's Death Of A Salesman

Another idea of success that Happy and Biff embodied from Willy was materialism, the urge to claim as many material things as they can. During Happy and Biffs childhood they observed how Willy got in dues and stole many material things just so he could feel successful. It came to the point in which he had his sons steal for him just so he can feel more empowered over things, and since Happy and Biff were growing around that idea they started to embody it. For instance, as happy got older he was just like his dad, had all the material things he wanted, even the women, but still felt empty. And its not until Biff asks Happy why he's not content with his life since he has all the material things he wanted, and Happy responds to Biff by saying " it’s what I always wanted. My own apartment, a car, plenty of women, and still, goddamnit, I’m lonely. (Act 1)". In other words, this shows how even though he had all the material things he ever wanted, he still didn’t feel happy and successful, because he wanted more.

In addition, author Jon Dietrick whose article, “The Jungle Is Dark and Full of Diamonds”: Natural Value and the Logic of Naturalism in Death of a Salesman" appeared in the ebook Death of a Salesman states, " The stolen or freely given object is not reduced to money, not drained of its individual and irreplaceable qualities. Seen in this light, Biff’s frequent stealing (of basketballs [18, 82], a football [20], lumber [36], and finally a pen [76]) represents an attempt to escape the alienating world of economic exchange and thus assuage his anxiety concerning reality and appearances, hard value and soft money". This critics by Dietrick is reinstating how Willy's idea of materialism really influence Biff in his early childhood,