Biff Loman's Tragic Flaw
Biff Loman is the thirty year old son of Willy Loman. He is liked by others and, due to his father’s teachings as a child, has an appealing personality. During his senior year, he was set to go to the University of Virginia on a football scholarship, but never made up his flunked math course after witnessing his father having an affair. After high school, Biff spent many years hopping from one low income job to another; he even spent some time in jail. Although Biff adored his dad as a child, he doesn’t have a good relationship with his father, or with any member of his family. He tends to steal things and is in denial of his thievery; this has also got him fired from some of his jobs. Like his father, Biff doesn’t know exactly who he is, but
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He expresses a tragic flaw, undergoes a fall due to his flaw, and then endures suffering after he recognizes his flaw. His tragic flaw, like his father’s, can be best identified as a lack of self-knowledge. He does realize that he doesn’t want to be like his father, but has trouble telling him this due to Willy’s flaws. He moves the plot along by agreeing to meet with Bill Oliver. As previously stated, the meeting is a complete failure and leads to a huge fight between Biff and his father, that leads to his father’s death. This combined with his many years of thievery and job hopping contribute to his character’s downfall. Despite his errors, he does gain self-knowledge by the end of the play. In his self-recognition, he realizes that he was not his father, he isn’t a salesman, and that he had spent years trying to be something that does not reflect his dreams or wants. He also develops a new understanding of his father’s lack of self-knowledge and how it led to his death. After his self-recognition, Biff endures suffering; He doesn’t have a stable job, his brother and mother are unhappy, and his father is dead. He gained a better understanding of himself, but at a high cost. Biff’s character expresses the main theme of the play, which is self-knowledge. His continued attempts to both please and argue with his father are the base for the
He expresses a tragic flaw, undergoes a fall due to his flaw, and then endures suffering after he recognizes his flaw. His tragic flaw, like his father’s, can be best identified as a lack of self-knowledge. He does realize that he doesn’t want to be like his father, but has trouble telling him this due to Willy’s flaws. He moves the plot along by agreeing to meet with Bill Oliver. As previously stated, the meeting is a complete failure and leads to a huge fight between Biff and his father, that leads to his father’s death. This combined with his many years of thievery and job hopping contribute to his character’s downfall. Despite his errors, he does gain self-knowledge by the end of the play. In his self-recognition, he realizes that he was not his father, he isn’t a salesman, and that he had spent years trying to be something that does not reflect his dreams or wants. He also develops a new understanding of his father’s lack of self-knowledge and how it led to his death. After his self-recognition, Biff endures suffering; He doesn’t have a stable job, his brother and mother are unhappy, and his father is dead. He gained a better understanding of himself, but at a high cost. Biff’s character expresses the main theme of the play, which is self-knowledge. His continued attempts to both please and argue with his father are the base for the