Death of a Salesman

“Death of a Salesman” is an old but a nice movie that presents the difference between success and failure within the mind. There are no heroes, no villains; just true, human characters struggling to survive.

Willy is the dreamy salesman whose imagination is much larger than his sales ability, while Linda is Willy's wife who stands by her husband even in his absence of realism. She berates her sons for not helping Willy more, and supports Willy lovingly, despite the fact that Willy sometimes ignores her opinion over that of others.

Biff, Willy's elder son, was a football star with lots of potential in high school but he failed in math and didn't take summer school because of what he saw in Boston on a visit to Willy. He tries to fulfill Willy's dream by trying to become a businessman but he see his happiness in farmland. There is clear conflict between what he desires and the desires his father has for him.  Happy, Willy's other son, is not as pressured as Biff by Willy. He is a womanizer and dreams of success but shows no real ambition. Although Biff and Happy are in their thirties, they frequently act much younger and are treated by their parents as if they are younger.

Charley, Willy's neighbor, pities Willy and frequently lends him money and comes over to play cards with Willy, although Willy often treats him badly. Willy is jealous of him because his son is more successful than Willy's. Charley offers Willy a job many times during visits to his office, yet Willy declines every time, even after he loses his job as a salesman. Bernard, Charley's son, was a nerd but became a very successful lawyer.

Ben is dead but Willy frequently speaks to him in his hallucinations. He went into the jungle when he was 17 and returned at 21 as a rich person. He is Willy's role model and represents Willy's idea of the success story.