Question #3 (Death of a Salesman)

The three major characters in the play are Willy (the salesman and father) and Happy and Biff (Willy's two sons). The play is mainly about the struggle between Willy and his son Biff's relationship. This assumption makes Willy the protagonist and Biff the antagonist. The story outlines their rocky relationship from the very beginning when it was healthy, to its downfall (when Biff finds out about Willy's affair), and the way it has changed over the years because of this incident. The play also brings about an internal conflict within Willy and his business. Linda, Biff, and Happy are simply characters who are affected by this dramatic change in Willy due to his internal conflict. I believe Happy and Biff are foil characters. Biff was the macho older brother with a huge future ahead of him, while Happy was living in his brother's shadow following in his footsteps. As the two grow up, Biff struggles with knowing about his father's affair, while Happy has no idea as to why Biff and Willy don't get along.