“ The greatest sacrifice is when you sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of someone else”( unknown). In the play the Death of a Salesman, the main character Willy Loman makes a plethora of sacrifices for his own family. Willy is the proud father of two boys, Happy and Biff. He is married to a extremely devoted woman named Linda. Willy spends almost all of his time away from home and the people he loves in attempt to make enough money to pay the bills. Throughout the play Willy sacrifices his job, family, and in the end his life. Willy Loman worked for thirty-five years as a traveling salesman throughout New England. Continuously driving from New York to Boston, he sacrificed time away from his family. Spending days away …show more content…
When Biff found out about the affair it ruined his relationship with Willy. When Biff discovered the affair he turned towards his father and said “ You fake! You phony little fake! You fake!” (Miller pg 121). Many conflicts in the story where all due to the affair. The readers learn that the affair is the reason why Biff and Willy do not get along, but Willy did not view what he did as wrong. Willy’s affair was also the reason that Biff gave up on his life. Biff flunked math and had to return to summer school to graduate, but after the discovery of the affair they exchanged the words as followed, “Willy: He certainly will listen to me. You need those points for the U.of Virginia,”(Miller pg 120); “Biff: I’m not going there” (Miller pg 120).He believed it was helping his family. When he spent time away he felt deserted and in order to keep the schedule he had Willy believed he needed someone there for him. Willy wanted what was best for his family, but what he believed was best actually hurt the family …show more content…
He grasped the fact that if he died,the family would receive his life insurance. He had a conversation with his brother Ben about a life policy of twenty thousand dollars for his family. The conversation is as followed “Willy: It’s twenty thousand on the barrelhead. Guaranteed, gilt-edged, you understand?” (Miller pg 126); “Ben: That’s a point, William. And twenty thousand- that is something one can feel with the hand, it is there” (Miller pg 126). He sacrificed his own life on behalf of his family. Willy thought that Biff would be delighted if he was dead. Willy accepted that he had hit the bottom, and he did not want to displease his family anymore. In the play Willy says “Loves me. Always loved me. Isn’t it a remarkable thing? Ben, he’ll worship me for it” (Miller pg 135). Countless readers also speculated that reason Willy took his life was for Linda.Willy comprehended that in the future Linda would uncover the truth about the affair. He may have believed if he was dead it would save her the pain. Willy believed he was worth more dead than