Fantasy Vs Reality Death Of A Salesman

In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, in a scene towards the end of act one, the roles of the members of the Loman family in the play are demonstrated in their interactions with each other. Willy and Biff are arguing again while Happy and Linda look on. Highlighting the major theme in the play of conflict between fantasy and reality, this scene shows Willy as a mentally unstable person who shuts out reality, particularly when it concerns Biff, who pushes back against his father’s unrealistic expectations and dreams. It also displays Linda’s submissiveness and devotion towards Willy, as well as Happy’s attempts to please both his father and brother.

In this scene, Willy demonstrates his singular desire for good news over reality, his long

She, unlike Willy, accepts reality. As Happy’s idea and Biff’s plan to meet with Oliver get laid out, Linda joins the conversation with little bits of happiness and encouragement. She calls Happy’s idea “marvelous” (47) and tells Biff “[Oliver] loved you!” (47). However, each time she tries to join in, Willy yells at her to “stop interrupting” (47). He discards her and she just takes it, never standing up for herself. In a flashback scene, Linda tries to tell Willy her worries about Biff, and he loses his temper, refusing to accept what he doesn’t want to hear. The stage directions describe her as being “almost in tears” (27). Instead of yelling back at him, Linda just quietly leaves as she silently takes his anger, demonstrating both her submissiveness and her inner strength. She knows the reality of Willy’s unpredictable temper, and how his mind is filled with delusions. She chooses not to defend herself when he’s in a rage at her, instead accepting the fact that he will sometimes just have these explosions. Linda also shows her deep devotion to Willy. When Biff demands that Willy stop yelling at Linda, Willy becomes angry and they resume their conflict. After Willy exits upstairs, Linda turns to Biff and asks him “What’d you have to start that for? … You see how sweet he was as soon as you talked hopefully?”(48). She is defending her husband even after he was so rude to her. Her devotion towards Willy is so strong that she prioritizes his happiness over her own. Linda accepts the reality of the strength of her love towards Willy. She knows that she will stand by him, despite his temper, because of her strong love and loyalty towards