Cheating In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

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Recommended: Environmental factors that influence child development

One of the biggest effect a parent can have on a child are the expectations that they set upon them. They can either change their child’s life for worse or for better. If they have the right impact their child could be the most successful person in the world. If the have the wrong impact that kids life could go terribly wrong. Parents should realize that what they do and what they say can have such a huge impact on their children. In a sense, the direction of their kids life is in their hands. It is up to the parents to decide how to handle that. In Death of a Salesman, Willy and Linda Loman try to teach there kids the right lessons in life but things do not end up going exactly as planned. When Willy Loman’s children, Biff and Happy Loman, …show more content…

One ideology that Willy seems to have is that cheating and stealing are two ways that will obtain the goal of success. He seems to think that his family is above the rules and encourages them to cheat and steal. When Willy finds out that Biff stole the football from school he says “Sure he’s gotta practice with a regulation ball doesn't he? Coach will probably congratulate you on you initiative!” (Miller 30). It is here that Willy shows that stealing will help provide an easier road to success. Willy advocated cheating as well as stealing. When Biff fails the Regent tests and does not have the necessary amount of credits to graduate and is not able to go to college, Willy is outraged. But he does not blame his son for failing. He instead blames Bernard, “You mean to say that Bernard wouldn’t give you the answers?” (Miller 118). This exemplifies Willy as an advocator of cheating as a way to obtain success. If Willy did not teach Biff these thing he probably wouldn’t have started stealing in the first place. When Biff first took the football and Willy didn’t freak out, Biff probably used that to justify his stealing. It is Biff’s stealing that ultimately ends him up in jail. Even after that Biff still hasn't learned to

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