Death of a Salesman
Hey E319 Students,
Describe the relationship between Loman and his children. Why is Loman depressed?
P.S. If you have any questions about the winter work email me at jmehta94@aol.com
(Jay Mehta Approved)
posted by Jay Mehta @ 12/22/2011
4 comments
4 Comments:
The relationship between Loman and his two sons, to say the least, is a rollercoaster. When Biff and Happy were younger and looked like they had bright futures, Loman was proud of them and they shared a great relationship. Another factor that contributed to this was the fact that Loman himself was much more stable mentally because he was not yet faced with the fiscal problems that presented themselves when he was not moving forward- but rather backwards- in his career. The pressure of constantly worrying about money and the future of his family and the realization that he would never make it big crushed Loman into a depression and caused a moody relationship with his children. When it seemed they were going nowhere with their careers and lives, Loman grew angry at them and had a negative relationship. However, when it seemed like they had a plan to make it big (for example score a deal with Oliver) Loman went back to his old mentality that his sons would be successful and make him proud, turning the relationship between them into a positive one.
- Marzena Socha, period 3
Loman's relationship with his children shows his biased favoritism which he focuses on Biff. Loman has always believed Biff would be successful due to his athleticism. All of the flashbacks he clings to are about the good times he had with Biff and shows he favors him over his other son Happy. It seemed as if Happy was always trying to get Loman's attention both in the flashbacks and in real life, yet Loman was so caught up in his admiration for Biff he never gave Happy the attention he wanted. Loman's depression therefor is not only about the economic hardships he faces but really a result of the guilt and shame he feels for having an affair with the other woman. When he was caught with her he was sent into a spiraling depression because he knew he had lost all of his credibility with Biff and knew things would never be the same between them. Since then he seeks to regain the awe and pride Biff had for him when he was younger yet he remains depressed because he realizes this will never happen.
~Ioanna Gryllaki Period 2
Willy Loman had a seemingly positive relationship with his sons when they were younger, but that is not to say that it would turn into a healthy relationship in later years. As kids, Biff and Happy looked to their father as a role model. Willy fed them with praises, and the family's financial problems and his job troubles were secrets well kept from the children. Willy gave them the false notion that their lives were perfect, and would continue to be perfect. He did this to keep his sons happy, but by doing this, he also builds an artificial world where nothing can go wrong. Willy starts to believe in this non-existent world himself, eventually ignoring his own real problems. After Biff and Happy grow up, they start to realize that not everything that Willy said was true, that life is not always filled with smiles. This hits Biff in the face when he discovers Willy with the woman in the hotel room, while Happy cares more about chasing girls than communicating properly with his father. This is when their relationship with Willy begins to plummet. Even though Willy always likes to think very positively of the future, the older Biff brings him back to the harsh reality that crushes Willy's idealistic hopes. This, along with Willy's repression of his own problems, is what builds up and forms into his depression.
Amanda Darmosaputro, Period 3
The relationship between Loman and his children is bizarre and strange, yet typical at the same time. The reason it is bizarre is because both Biff, and Happy know different things about their father that make them have certain feelings toward him. Also, both of the kids know how to deal with Loman on different levels and put up with what he does differently. They seem to have a love hate relationship because they want the best for their dad, but they just cannot seem to do so. Loman is depressed for various reasons, one main reason being that Biff, who was supposed to be his glory child, does not know what he wants to do with his life. He is also depressed because he lost his job, and money is still an issue.
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