1990. Choose a novel or play
that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or
daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and
explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot
summary.
In Death of a Salesman by Arthur
Miller, you see a large conflict between Willy, a father, and Biff, his son.
The fights and conflict between these two men creates the whole play. The plot
revolves around these two characters and their fights and how they interact.
The main cause of the conflict is Willy's need to be successful. Because he spends his whole life trying to become successful and never does, he puts his life dream onto Biff. Biff cannot carry out this dream because he knows that he is not meant to be a salesman. Biff took his trip west, to opportunity and freedom, and he realized that he should be building things. And after coming across this discovery, Biff realizes this is also supposed to be Willy's life.
Willy never takes the trip to find out who he
is. He is unable to see the reason of his failures and so since all he does is
fail, and cannot support his family, he decides to take his own life. Instead of
realizing what he is meant to do, he puts his life tasks onto Biff. Willy needs
someone to be successful for him even when he’s dead and Happy is just a
complete nobody. Willy knows Happy won’t be any good after he is dead, so he
tells Biff what he should do. Biff was always the star, and now that he is not,
Willy cannot cope with it and wants Biff to be the successful man everyone
envies.
Another cause you see is when Biff finds Willy cheating on Linda, Willy's wife. Biff is devastated and calls Willy a liar and a fake. He cannot believe that something like this would happen. Willy tries to cover it up, but he knows there's nothing he can do to change what Biff saw. Because Biff finds out about this affair, he is unable to go to summer school to pass high school. Willy blames himself for Biff's failure. And in return, Willy feels the need to make Biff's life better.
Willy's unsuccessfulness is put onto Biff. Biff feels like he has to carry out
his father's dream for him. But no matter what Biff does, Willy disapproves. So
finally, Biff is fed up with all of the lies. He notices the dysfunction that
his fights with Willy have caused the family. He tells Willy that he knows he
is a failure but that he is done with all the lies. Willy is frustrated and
angry. But Biff then tells Willy he loves him, and everything changes. Willy
and Biff no longer fight and Biff carries out his own dream.Arthur Miller wants to show what success can
do. While the fame and fortune may be fun,
it ruins your life, and your family’s. Willy is the representation of
those people who are power hungry and get caught up in these modernistic
values. Biff is the representation of those people who can see past the fame
and fortune, how Miller believes the world should operate. He is shaming
American societies for getting caught up in things that just aren’t that
important. Miller wants people to see that all that money can cause problems;
it’s not always a good thing.
