Michael- “I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been”-Biff Loman
This is Biff’s turning point in the novel, this is when Biff finally comes to terms with who he truly is. He realizes that his father’s expectations of him are simply just expectations and nothing more. Biff finally realizes that he has spent his whole life living up to standards of himself that were never truly real.
Joshua- “Every day I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But when he comes home, I put it back where it was. How can I insult him that way?… It sounds old-fashioned and silly, but I tell you [Willy] put his whole life into you and you’ve turned your backs on him… Biff, his life is in your hands!” -Linda (60)
Here, Linda is trying to communicate to her sons that Willy needs help and she can’t be the only one to be involved. Linda wants to take action but is hesitant on how she should go about it so she calls to her sons for help. Luckily, with the boys aware of a problem, they will try to resolve it and in doing so will help Willy recover.
WILLY: Like a young god. Hercules—something like that. And the sun, the sun all around him. Remember how he waved to me? Right up from the field with the representatives of three colleges standing by? And the buyers I brought, and the cheers when he came out—Loman, Loman, Loman! God Almighty, he’ll be great yet. A star like that, magnificent, can never really fade away. (68)
Willy is still holding onto memories of Biff’s glamorous past and is using those memories to pave the way for the future. When Biff and Happy brought up the idea to sell sporting goods, Willy couldn’t have been any happier. Willy’s dream of his sons, especially Happy, being successful is finally coming true. Through their idea, Willy is able to slowly piece together a successful future for Biff, like the one he almost had.
“Charley: Why must everyone like you? Who liked J.P. Morgan? Was he impressive? In a Turkish bath he’d look like a butcher. But with his pockets on he was very well liked. Now listen, I know you don’t like me very well, and nobody can say I’m in love with you, but I’ll give you a job because- just for the hell of it, put it that way. Now what do you say?”
Willy is being hard headed and won’t accept a job from Charley. He already asks him every week for money and he just lost his job, yet he won’t get this job because of his pride. He can work close by and with decent pay. He can be accomplished in supporting his family, his wife, his dreams, yet he succumbs to jealousy and pride.
Geraldine- “Pop, get this now, will you? Everytime I’ve left it’s been a fight that sent me out of here. Today I realized something about myself and I tried to explain it to you and I - I think i’m just not that smart enough to make any sense out of it for you. To hell with whose fault it is or anything like that.” -Biff page 128
This quote exemplifies how fed up and done Biff is with trying to get through to his father. Like any dad, Willy wanted nothing but the best for his child. He constantly worried about Biff and his future, as first seen in the beginning of the play. So when Biff attempts to land a meeting with Bill Oliver, Willy raises his expectations very high. But unfortunately, Biff came back with bad news- news that his father wouldn't understand or accept. With Willy's old age, stubbornness, and troublesome episodes, Biff knew it was going to be impossible to get Wily to try to understand what he loves to do, and that's being out in an open field. This quote embodies Biff’s clash with the ideas of his own plans for the future with those of his fathers.
