Death of a Salesman Blog 7

Blog – Were Willy’s final actions noble, or were they a sign of weakness?

Near the end of the book both Willy and Biff struggle with their emotions and their inability to reconcile. Biff realizes that he has been reinventing facts just like Willy. His realization is significant because once he verbalizes it to Willy, Linda, and Happy he separates himself from them. Biff refuses to participate in the charade any longer. He chooses to accept himself on his own terms, not the way Willy imagines or desires him to be. Biff is able to see beyond their shortsightedness because he realizes that denying reality is more dangerous and costly in the long run. This is exactly the trap Willy is caught in.
In the last scene Willy finally achieves a sense of peace and order because he knows Biff loves him. This is because in the previous scene Biff breaks down and cries while he and Willy are talking. Willy has finally received the attention and respect that he had desired for throughout the entire book. However, Willy still tries to manipulate reality. Biff’s reaction compels Willy to create an even more desirable future. He believes that he can make Biff love him more by leaving the insurance money to him. This is when Ben convinces Willy to commit suicide. This is when Willy drives away and the book ends. To me, Willy’s final actions are another sign of weakness because even though he received what he wanted throughout the book he still wanted to manipulate reality. He thinks that committing suicide is the right thing to do, but he has thought that about all of his other previous actions. That is why his final actions were a sign of weakness.