Linda Loman In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

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Linda Loman in Arthur Miller’s piece, Death of a Salesman, has a complex character role as a wife and mother throughout the play. She is a loyal wife to her husband, Willy Loman, as she is devoted to a fault as she enables him as she pushed her sons, Biff and Happy, away. Embodying the mid-1900’s housewife, she is doting and submissive to Willy’s way of life. Loyal to a fault, Linda goes as far as to kick her sons out of the house to please her husband. Standing by Willy, Linda has been faced with disappointment since the beginning of their marriage. He could never reach the point of success that pleased him and this became Linda’s reality. She never seemed fazed by this, though, as she maintained the illusion of a family living the American dream to the best …show more content…

She, in fact, knows about the hose in the basement as she confesses to Biff and Happy about their father’s situation. (43) She refuses to confront Willy about his deception in order to not upset him. This perpetuates Willy’s diluted view of his life and also ends in Willy succeeding in ending his own life. Embodying the submissive mid-1900’s housewife, Linda walks on eggshells when communicating with Willy. She is a character driven by desperation and fear. She does whatever she can think of to do to protect Willy’s emotional state. The way the stage directions have her speak to Willy show her careful way of talking to Willy, “her voice subdued” (48), “timidly”(50), and “lightly” (52). She maintains devoted to her husband though he is cheating and lying to her. As a complex character in Death of a Salesman, Linda Loman an enigma, a doting wife, and force of reason, who is trying to what is best for her family and more specifically her husband. In the end, she is alone in her husband’s paid off home as a

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