In Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman", Willy Loman is an individual striving to achieve the "American Dream" in the 1940s. This era was characterized by America's emergence from the Great Depression as well as its recognition as a world superpower following World War II. A now prosperous nation full of opportunity, the “American Dream” of this decade was commonly defined by economic success, a healthy family and land ownership. However, Willy Loman struggles to acquire this national ethos due to his misconception of himself as someone greater than he really is. His success as a salesman is limited and his relationship with his family is strained, especially with Biff in particular. Biff realizes that the aimless direction his life is taking is partly due to the inflation of his pride caused by Willy's false beliefs, which emphasized the importance of being "well-liked". However, when he is at his deepest point of feeling lost with himself, Biff finally realizes and comes to terms with who he is. In contrast to Willy, who remains in denial until his tragic passing, Biff's honest and raw introspection regarding his personal purpose evolves as the show progresses, until Biff finally completes his journey of self-discovery . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Initially, Biff projects an aura of uncertainty surrounding him. At the age of thirty-four his life has not yet taken a clear path and he is unable to secure a stable career. In the conversation with Happy in his room, he expresses his concern, stating, “I'm like a boy. I'm not married, I have no business, I'm just like a guy (23).” Biff is also described as "looking tired" and seemingly "less confident" (19). When Happy and Biff discuss girls, Happy even asks Biff, "Where's the old humor, the old confidence?" Furthermore, successful American ideals contribute to Biff's ambiguity. Biff would rather live a simple life on a ranch raising cattle, rather than devote “his whole life to keeping stock, making phone calls, selling or buying.” Contentment is a success for Biff, and it is obvious that he associates the two with each other when he asks Happy, “Are you happy, Hap? You're successful, right? Are you happy?" However, in a society where success is measured in dollars and materials, Biff remains uncertain about what he "should want." While he enjoys being outdoors on a farm, it doesn't generate enough capital, and is left with the realization, “What the hell am I doing, playing with horses, twenty-eight dollars a week!” (22) As a result, Biff is involuntarily drawn into the world of achieving economic success, even if it means risking his own contentment! . Thus, as Willy argues, "Biff Loman is lost." In his essay "Focus on Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: The Wrong Dreams," literary critic Chester Eisinger argues that the work "is about competing dreams and crises of identity", one of which schema is the “urban dream of entrepreneurial success” and the other is the “rural agrarian dream of open spaces”. Willy suffers from his identity and Eisinger states that he “does not know who he is”. In terms of “business success,” Willy relies on the approval of others, and being “well-liked” is used as a measuring tool for his career success. When explaining to Howard how there was "personality" in being a salesman, Willy evoked his memory of Dave Singleman, a popular and successful salesman. Willy claims toto have “died a salesman's death…-when he died, there were hundreds of sellers and buyers at his funeral” (81). As a result, Singleman represents what Willy wants to become and his idea of ​​success. Willy also constantly exaggerates about his accomplishments and his identity. In a flashback to their childhood, Willy tells Biff and Happy that "good, honest people... know me inside and out." New England... when I get you here, boys, it'll be a sesame for all of us ... I can park my car on any street in New England, and the cops will protect it like theirs." This indicates that Willy lives in a fragile world of self-delusion, where instead of focusing on reality, he convinces himself that he is well-liked and success by lying. This fills Biff with arrogance and makes him explode "so full of hot air" that he "could never bear to take orders from anyone". negatively about Biff. For example, Willy condones Biff's theft of the football rules, praising the fact that "The coach will probably congratulate you on your initiative!" (30). Biff “stamped the University of Virginia on his sneakers doesn't mean they have to graduate from him,” Willy considers Bernard to be a “parasite” and an “anemic” to his children. Willy even tells Biff to "get some sand" from a nearby apartment building, and praises Biff's "iron nerves" as he steals it. As Eisinger explains, Willy “denigrates the need to learn in the name of a greater good, personality.” He appreciates more the emphasis on being "well-liked" rather than teaching Happy and Biff practical morals that would prove beneficial to them in the long run. As a result, Biff ends up stealing from work, which, in addition to his refusal to accept orders from authority, ultimately contributes to his lack of success. However, what is most damaging to Biff's character is when he comes across Willy's infidelity with The Woman. As Biff walks out of the hotel room in tears, “Willy is left on the floor on his knees” (121). This ultimately symbolizes Willy's "fall" into downward decline. Willy's belittling position before Biff also represents Biff's loss of respect for him, as he no longer idolizes him as he did when he was a boy. Biff is so distraught that he lets go of his once promising and bright future, giving life to Willy's empty dream that he wished Biff would one day realize. Therefore, this further puts pressure and causes tension in the relationship between Willy and Biff. The discovery of his father's adultery is a major turning point in Biff's life. Devastated, he spends his life as an underachiever suffering from an identity crisis. However, the beginning of Biff's self-discovery comes when he steals a pen from Bill Oliver's office. He has an epiphany in which he remembers that “he stopped in the middle of that building and saw the sky. I saw the things I love in this world. Work, food and time to sit and smoke (132).” Biff accepts that he doesn't belong in business and even asks himself, "Why am I trying to become what I don't want to be?" Fittingly, literary critic Fred Ribkoff implies that “Biff visits Oliver in a futile attempt to fit his circular self into a 'corner world' – a world about to crush both son and father, far more capable men in using your hands rather than using a pen. His impulsive theft of Oliver's pen proves that Biff will never reach the standard of the “American Dream” and be content at the same time. His meeting with Oliver also allows Biff to realize, “I even thought I would.”