By Alex Nicolson
Caitlyn has already touched on this, but I'll add some ideas of my own regarding characters and their particular dialogue.
Perhaps most interestingly, is Biff's name, which is short, harsh, and masculine. It is monosyllabic, and comes out of the mouth with a puff of air, and is onomatopoeia-like for a punching noise. It also rhymes with "if" which is perhaps a metaphor for Biff's character as a whole. His life, at least as Willy sees it, has been a giant wasted "if." What if Biff hadn't flunked math? What if he had gone to UVA? The Ifs roll on and on.
Happy on the other hand, always says things to make people happy. He uses the language of compromise, even telling half-truths and outright lies to keep the illusion of tranquility in the Loman household. Happy almost constantly asks questions, belying his insecurity and also giving his lines a higher, whinier pitch. By never making statements, he never asserts himself, always phrasing things in the less decisive form of a question, asking for the approval of those around him. However, he often uses superlatives, claiming Willy "has the finest eye for color in the business," for example. He constantly exaggerates so that he never speaks his mind plainly, but rather cloaks it all in a sugar coating to keep everyone happy.
In stark contrast to Happy, Linda rarely asks questions, and almost always makes statements and accusations. This gives her a much more decisive, confident sound, and reinforcing her as the stable foundation the family is built on. While she speaks far less than the other characters, when she does speak, it is always a poignant observation straight to the heart of the matter, with no frills or fluff.
Very true! Happy, of course, is living out the life that Willy wants him to live. Whether or not it truly makes him happy, he has to pretend that it does to please Willy.
The comments on the masculinity of Biff’s name make me think even more that he is the embodiment of what the Lomans are really suited for – the freedom outdoor work – instead of the life and death of a salesman.
I am interested in Linda’s name. It means “pretty”, but she does not really seem to stick to that wifely stereotype very well. As you say, she employs very little “frills or fluff”.
I also am interested in Linda’s name. True, the “frills or fluff” are rather lacking when we see Linda, rather, we see her pragmatic nature, and above all, her complete devotion to Willy. What I’m curious about is whether or not she knows about the other woman (women?) Willy’s had on the road. It may at first appear that she does not, but Linda tends to ignore the negative aspects of Willy on a whole. She constantly defends him, even though as Biff says, “Stop making excuses for him! He always, always wiped the floor with you. Never had an ounce of respect for you.” Willy takes out his frustrations on Linda in his dialogues with her, “I don’t want a change! I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?”, ect…
Linda sees the world one dimensionally. During the funeral, she asks why non of Willy’s contacts from up East came. Willy’s spun out tales of his own popularity and self-worth have certainly convinced Linda – she is unaware of people’s feeling otherwise towards him.
Perhaps Linda embodies Miller’s ideal of a mother. She is stable, kind, and soothing. In her sentences she is constantly referring to her family as “dear”, “sweetheart” or the like. Her protective nature comes out often, especially when the conversation turns to Willy. Almost all of her