The Wonder of Life

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a play about an American family in the late nineteen forties. The protagonist is Willy Loman, a traveling salesman, who has lost his excellent car sales skills. Willy has the misfortune of losing his salary which results in him only being paid in commission and no longer receiving a base salary. Willy has two sons named Biff and Happy, and a devoted wife named Linda. Their family dynamics differed when Biff and Happy were young because they worshipped the ground that Willy walked on. Willy was always away selling cars and making a competitive salary, and the family was significantly happy. Biff was the captain of the football team and was offered a scholarship to Syracuse University for his athletics. Unfortunately, Biff’s math mark was suffering since he was always outside practicing football instead of studying. Happy is the classic younger child who is always overlooked for his older brother who is much stronger, bigger, and more athletic. Happy is always in Biff’s shadow.