Briefly discuss the relationship between Willy Loman and his sons.

Answer

Briefly discuss the relationship between Willy Loman and his sons. [2020, 2018] 

Arthur Miller (1915–2005), in his famous play “Death of a Salesman” (1949), presents a painful family relationship between Willy Loman and his two sons, Biff and Happy. Their bond is full of love, misunderstanding, and disappointment. Willy dreams that his sons will achieve the success he never had. But his false ideas and illusions destroy this bond. Miller shows how wrong values, pride, and the American Dream break the natural love between a father and his sons.

Father’s Dream for His Sons: Willy loves his sons deeply and dreams of their success. He wants them to be rich and popular. He says proudly, 

“Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world, a young man with such—personal attractiveness, gets lost.” 

He believes his sons’ charm will make them great. But he never teaches them honesty or hard work. His false dream blinds him. He pushes his sons to follow his ideas, not their own wishes. This creates distance instead of understanding in the family.

Biff’s Love and Disappointment: Biff once loved his father more than anyone. As a boy, he thought Willy was a hero. But everything changes after Biff finds Willy with another woman in Boston. He shouts, 

“You fake! You phony little fake!” 

From that moment, Biff loses faith in him. He realizes his father’s life is based on lies. Still, deep inside, Biff loves Willy and wants him to accept the truth. Their love turns into pain because Biff wants honesty while Willy wants illusion. Their broken trust becomes the play’s greatest tragedy.

Happy’s Blind Admiration: Happy, the younger son, blindly follows his father’s false dream. He wants to make Willy proud by becoming rich and “well liked.” He says, 

“It’d be the family again. There’d be the old honor and comradeship.” 

But his life is full