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The character of Linda Loman is a very complex woman that is the glue and conscious of the family. Though she is the moral compass much of the time in the play, she also has a strong sense of naivety or she chooses to turn a blind eye to her husband and sons. There are secrets that are consistently place during the play that makes the reader believe that Linda has some knowledge of situation, even if she does not speak of it. It is possible that she realizes that her family is deluded, but always supports their dreams in order to love her family. This aging woman is the foundation of the family and her kind and cooperative nature enables the men in her life to continue living not matter how big their failures truly are. Linda is good natured and cheerful, perhaps this is to even out Willy’s temper or attempt to avoid it all together. When Willy erupts about Biff’s lack of success, she is quick to put a positive spin on the situation, “He’s finding himself, Willy” (Miller, 2330). She is virtuous in her attempts to play peacemaker, even if that leads her make tough decision, “Get out of here, both of you, and don’t come back! I don’t want you tormenting him any more. Go on now, and get your things together!” (Miller, 2384). Despite the heartbreak of asking her children to leave, Linda is a fervently loyal to Willy and defends what is morally right. This interaction between Linda and her children is also a strong indication of how she shows her love for her husband. “He’s the dearest man in the world to me, and I won’t have anyone making him feel unwanted and low and blue” (Miller, 2350). She is the first person that comes to her husband’s defense and even makes excuses for his strange behavior, “He drives seven hundred miles,... ... middle of paper ... ...to him is powerfully demeaning and is symptomatic of the new business culture. Finally, when Mr. Wagner fires Willy, it is almost out of pure spite. Mr. Loman has become upset by the lack of respect he has been given for his service and is trying to sell himself to his boss. Howard’s view of Willy is he washed up and has no use to him, and in the modern American business, you “cut the fat” and let him go. This is devastating for Willy since he was just explaining that his family is struggling. In that moment, Howard show the cynical nature of the modern American business, “Sit down, take five minutes, and pull yourself together, and then go home, will ya? I need the office. Oh, yeah. Whenever you can this week, stop and drop off the samples” (Miller, 2364). The coldness and lack of compassion within the statement is pointedly clear; money matters, not people.

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