Self-Realization

What drives Willy Loman and sons? Seeing the world through the protagonist’s eyes
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This discussion will be done in week 15.
Seeing the world through the protagonist’s eyes.
In the final act of Death of a Salesman, while standing at the graveside of his father, Biff tells his brother, Happy, that Biff knows who he is. But does he? Does Happy? By claiming that, finally, Biff knows who he is, Biff sets himself apart from his dead father, Willy Loman, declaring that Willy “never knew who he was.”
If you were to argue whether or not one of Willy’s sons has come to a better understanding of himself through Willy’s death, what line from the play would you use to illustrate and support your argument? Why?
Think about how a character’s self-knowledge, or lack thereof, reflects a larger issue or theme revealed in the play. Think about how a character’s motivation is revealed by the dialogue or actions of that character within the play. Finally, think about the world of the play and how a theme is revealed by the motivation and actions of the play’s characters.
Start by reviewing the primary posts of your peers and the reply posts of your other classmates.
In a primary post of at least 250 words, analyze the dialogue taking place in the Requiem for Death of a Salesman, discussing specifically Biff’s statement about his father, Willy Loman, that Willy “had the wrong dreams” and/or “didn’t know who he was.”
• Reflecting back on Willy’s actions and dialogue in the play, do you agree or disagree with Biff’s declaring that his dad “never knew who he was ”? Why? What quote from Willy Loman in the previous two (2) acts supports your position?
• How does Willy’s dilemma in the play relate to his sons?
• How does Willy’s dilemma in the play, and Willy’s relationship with his sons, particularly with Biff, relate to a larger theme in the play?
• Why is the idea of self-knowledge so important to the play’s conclusion?