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  • Death of a Salesman - Biff character profile

    Written by: jixton

    Biff is one of the main characters in the play "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. Biff is Willy's and Linda's son. He was the star of the football team and had scholarships to 3 college's, but he flunked math and couldn't graduate, so he tried to work at many different jobs, and failed at each. Finally, he decided to head out west, and work on farms.

    Biff came back home this spring, because he didn't know what he was doing with his life. Willy has mood swings and sometimes thinks very highly of Biff sometimes but other times he hates him. The day he came home Willy yelled at him, and because Biff admires his dad, he was depressed. He later reveals to Happy, after their double date, that all he wants is to work on a farm, without a shirt, doing manual labor. He wants Happy to come out west with him, to open a ranch, but Happy won't. To make his father happy, he says he will open a sporting goods store.

    Biff is an interesting character. He seems to adore his father, but he really doesn't. He finds out that his father has an affaire, and he looses all respect for him. He ends up forgetting everything Willy said, and steals something from every job that makes him loose it. He wants to change his father, and will do this by shockingly awakening him to the reality that something is wrong with him, and Biff tries to get his father to stop trying to kill himself. He wants his father to love him like he loves his father, but he will not, because of his mood swings, and the fact that sometimes he just hates Biff.

    Biff is a no nonsense kind of guy. He gets straight to the point, and doesn't beat around the bush. He cuts straight through it, and isn't afraid that the subject might be touchy or hurt people's feelings. When Biff wasn't seen by Oliver, Happy wanted to make Willy happy, so he just told him that Biff got it, but Biff didn't want that. He told Willy that he didn't get the deal, but Willy refused to listen, so Biff just kept trying. He didn't care that it would hurt willy.

    When he confronted Willy in he end, he just yelled at him and brought him to the realization that he wasn't special, and that he was a dime a dozen. Willy eventually realizes this, and that is why he crashes the car and kills himself.

    Biff should be portrayed as a guy that doesn't take any nonsense. He should be firm with what he says, and shouldn't be influenced by others opinions. He has strong opinions himself, and should stick to them. He claims to know who he is, but he really doesn't. Biff should be kind of strong, and athletic, because he works on a farm.

    Bif does love Willy, deep down. He doesn't show it that much, because he insults him sometimes, but he does show lots of care for Willy, and didn't want him to kill himself, even though it seems as if he was driving Willy to it with all of the insults.

    Biff really loves his mother, and it really hurt him when she kicked him out of the house. He hates it when Willy yells at her to shut up, because he loves her. He doesn't want his mom to worried about Willy, because he knows of Willy's affair.

    Biff has a odd relationship with Happy. They had a good relationship when they were young, but now, Biff doesn't seem to have too much respect for Happy. Happy doesn't seem to take too much care of Willy, and Biff doesn't respect him because of this.

    Biff is an interesting character. He thinks he knows who he is, but he doesn't. he steals everything, but doesn't know why. He keeps thinking that e is wasting his life out west on farms, but keeps going back. He acts like he hates his father because of the affair, but he really loves him Biff is a mixed up character.


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    User Comments

    AUT0CRAT
    2001-01-01 05:00AM
    2 out of 5
    See spot run...
     
    thomy
    2001-04-22 07:00AM
    2 out of 5
    This essays lacks depth of discussion. There is too much simple explanation of Biff's life, and what little detailed comments are made, seed to be repeated too often throughout the essay. Do you not think that it is Biff that in the end is the only one who knows who he really is? Willy has spent his life chasing after the American Dream, but has never come to the self-realisation that this is not the dream for him. He refuses to believe the truth about himself. Happy also shows that he is stuck in this way of thinking by saying that he is going to "beat this racket" in the requiem. Biff is the only one who comes to the self-realisation that he has made nothing of his life. Happy, and in some respects Willy are in the same positions, but have not come to the self-realisation. Frequent spelling and grammatical errors have let you down in this essay. I think some proof reading is needed. It is important to explain the examples you give, what effect they have on characters and the outcome of the play.
     
    FiPhillips
    2001-06-12 07:00AM
    3 out of 5
    Good basic information. smile
    I have this idea about Death of a Salesman. I was thinking...Biff and Happy represent the two halfs of Willy. Happy is the dream and Biff is the skill. Willy has always been good with his hands, such as when he put up the swing, and he built the front step. Biff is also good with his hands such as the "simonizing" job he did on the car and when he was the star football player in HS. I think Willy sees in Biff what he could have been if he only gave up his dream. But Willy will not give up his dream and continues to urge his son, Biff, to amount to something. Happy believes in this dream, though we know little of Happy's skills. He seems to be a little clumsy, but the nevertheless he isn't a successful buisnessman either. He is all words, and always talking about girls and how he's gonna get married.

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