Death Of A Salesman Biff Character Analysis

In Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman the character Biff, the son of Willy and Linda Loman, and the character Bernard, the child of the Loman’s neighbors Charley and his wife, are considered to be foil characters to each other. Biff, the golden boy of the Loman family, and the one that had everything in high school, grows up to be a failure and a disappointment to his family. Bernard, the nerd friend of the Loman boys, and the one who dreamed he had what Biff had in high school, grows up to be a successful lawyer and makes his family proud.

Biff grows up the complete opposite of what his family, mainly his father, wanted. He was the golden boy of his family that was never told no. He was taught to live his life by the principal that “’the man who makes an

appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead.’” By his father (Miller 1464). Biff’s father, Willy would constantly lie to him about his job so that he would believe that this was how his father became successful. Biff ends up trying to live by this advice but ends up traveling from job to job trying to make money. One of the reasons why Biff could not hold down a job was because he did not know how follow orders. Throughout his childhood, Biff was given everything he wanted and was never told what to do, and this way of life transferred into his adult life cost him his work experience. Finally, Biff ends up going back to his parent’s house because he has nowhere to go. While he is home he figures out the truth about his father’s job situation and realizes that he has been living his life the wrong way. While in a heated argument with his father Biff finally blames his father for his terrible adulthood “’because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody! That’s whose fault it is!’” (1524). This argument was the final reason for Biff to see the wrong doing of his dad. Biff decides to finally take his life into his own hands by perusing a job on a pipeline in Alaska. It is now Biff’s turn to make his own future.
Whereas Biff was raised on lies and false principles, his neighbor and childhood friend Bernard was raised a different way.

Bernard was never popular as a kid and did not possess the social skills that Biff had, but this did not affect him and he grew up to be a successful lawyer. His success can also be recognized because of how his dad raised him. His dad, Charley, believed that if a person works hard enough then they will become successful in life. Bernard realized that was true at an early age. One day in their childhood, Bernard was trying to get Biff to study for a math test they had at school. Willy refused to let Biff go study because he did not think it was important enough for Biff to waste his time. Bernard responded to this by saying “’Just because he printed University of Virginia on his sneakers doesn’t mean they’ve got to graduate him. Uncle Willy!’” (Miller 1463). This was a direct foreshadow to how Biff would end up after high school. This ultimately led to the success of Bernard and the downfall of Biff. Bernard worked hard in school and in life to become a great successful lawyer. His will to work hard and his determination to never give up is the thing that Biff could never

do.
The main difference between the two is the how their fathers prepared them for life. Biff was told that his image would determine his life and the job he will have. Biff left his home never wanting to take orders from anyone because he believed that he was better than them and this kind of attitude led to his downfall. Bernard was raised on the principal that hard work leads to success. He worked hard in school and followed his dream. These things allowed him to excel in life and become a successful lawyer. In the end it falls on the ideals of how these men were raised during their childhood that determined their futures. The word of the family is a powerful thing that can influence anyone.