How are Biff and Happy Similar? How are they different?
Throughout Act one of Death of a Salesman Biff and Happy are compared and contrasted by that family and themselves. Some differences that are clearly seen here are that Biff is valued above Happy and that Biff is given support and confidence of the parents while Happy there is little hope he will do anything. As Willy Loman states; “A young man with such- personal attractiveness, get lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff- he’s not lazy.” (16) Willy shows the reader how he believes in Biff and that Biff will be successful and that he is a talented and hardworking young man. But, Willy never compliments or shows confidence towards Happy in Act one. In addition, Biff …show more content…
What does each of them want that they do not have? How has each of them responded to their frustrations?
Biff and Happy are both unable to live up to their father's expectations of them, as he is unable to live up to the expectations he has for himself. They both want to live the American Dream just like their father did and now since they cannot achieve his amount of success they are getting frustrated. As for Happy, Happy has tried, as the second son, to gain attention any time the focus is on Biff. He raises the issues that he has lost weight, or is getting married, monopolise his parents' attention. it does not work. As a result Happy takes what is not his in the form of other men's' girlfriends. Biff never really recovered from finding that his father was unfaithful whilst on the road, and he struggled to make a future for himself without a hero to look up to. Thier responses to their frustrations are just dreaming and for Happy his content with his job and Biff he drifts from one low paying job from another. These frustration are seen as stated by Biff; “Well, I spent six or seven years after high school trying to work myself up. Shipping clerk, salesman, business of one kind or another. And it’s a measly manner of existence.” (11) Biff describes how trying to fit in and make some money become very difficult and frustrating for him and how is trying to be just like his father becoming a successful businessman
Throughout Act one of Death of a Salesman Biff and Happy are compared and contrasted by that family and themselves. Some differences that are clearly seen here are that Biff is valued above Happy and that Biff is given support and confidence of the parents while Happy there is little hope he will do anything. As Willy Loman states; “A young man with such- personal attractiveness, get lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff- he’s not lazy.” (16) Willy shows the reader how he believes in Biff and that Biff will be successful and that he is a talented and hardworking young man. But, Willy never compliments or shows confidence towards Happy in Act one. In addition, Biff …show more content…
What does each of them want that they do not have? How has each of them responded to their frustrations?
Biff and Happy are both unable to live up to their father's expectations of them, as he is unable to live up to the expectations he has for himself. They both want to live the American Dream just like their father did and now since they cannot achieve his amount of success they are getting frustrated. As for Happy, Happy has tried, as the second son, to gain attention any time the focus is on Biff. He raises the issues that he has lost weight, or is getting married, monopolise his parents' attention. it does not work. As a result Happy takes what is not his in the form of other men's' girlfriends. Biff never really recovered from finding that his father was unfaithful whilst on the road, and he struggled to make a future for himself without a hero to look up to. Thier responses to their frustrations are just dreaming and for Happy his content with his job and Biff he drifts from one low paying job from another. These frustration are seen as stated by Biff; “Well, I spent six or seven years after high school trying to work myself up. Shipping clerk, salesman, business of one kind or another. And it’s a measly manner of existence.” (11) Biff describes how trying to fit in and make some money become very difficult and frustrating for him and how is trying to be just like his father becoming a successful businessman