Death Of Salesman Conflict Analysis

Death of Sales is about a family in pursuit of the American dream. The characters Willy, Linda, and both of their sons, Happy and Biff try to accomplish this goal, and they come across struggles. The course of action the characters take to handle their internal and external conflict aid to reveal their personality.
Willy Loman is very concern for the achievements of his family. He wishes for his family to live the American dream but struggles to achieve it, for example, Biff to become a successful salesman and Biff to get married. Willy responds by being close-minded and by over reacting when his family does not attain these goals. According to his wife, Linda, “You make mountains out of molehills” (1005N), Willy overreacts to situations because …show more content…
Willy is closed-minded and cares more about having a well-known reputation and living the American dream than allowing his son to do what he loves. Willy wishes for his family to do economically better. Willy wants for his other son Happy to get married; this is ironic because Willy has a mistress. Willy gives two boxes of new stockings to his mistress while his wife is mending his stockings and struggles with money. As he calculates the amount of money needed for the bills, he realizes that his appliances break down before he can pay them off. He struggles to make ends meet and does not have enough money to pay bills. Willy encounters this conflict by relying on other and borrowing money. Willy lies and pretends that it is the money from his commission. Willy’s main internal conflict is with his mind; he has lost a sense of reality, and he realizes that his thoughts are strange. Mr. Loman says “Biff is lost” (1003N), it is ironic that Willy describes his son with the word “lost” when in reality, Willy 's lost in his mind. For example, when Mr. Loman drives off the road …show more content…
Linda’s external conflict revolves around her husband; she is worried about her husband and the outlook of her husband to his sons. She says “The way they obey him!” (1015N) Reveals that it comforts her to see her children obey and respect her husband. She realizes that her husband has been acting strange and tries to hide it from her sons until they find out on their own. She doesn’t want her sons to know because she does not want to change the way they view their father. Linda doesn’t know what is causing her husband’s external actions but takes the blames out on Biff. She says “the closer you seem to come, the more shaky he gets” (1027) explains that Willy is stable until Biff decides to go home. Linda blames Biff as a response to the actions of her husband. Linda is determined for her sons to show her husband the respect that he deserves; she begins to justify his actions when she says “why shouldn’t he talk to himself?” (1029), because himself and sons are unsuccessful and all he wants is to achieve the American dream. Linda’s conflicts revolve around Willy; she is very aware of what her husband hides from her. For example, he is borrowing money every week and pretends that it is his commission. She is also mindful of the fact that her husband has been trying to commit suicide multiple times, with a rubber pipe, and driving the car off the