Willy runs into Bernard, one of Biff’s friends when he was younger who used to live in his shadow. During their encounter, Willy learns Bernard is now a successful lawyer who is about to present an argument in front of the Supreme Court. I think Willy is extremely surprised at how well off Bernard turned out, and he deeply wishes that his sons, Biff and Happy, could've been more like him.
The two talk about Biff, and Bernard expresses his feelings for him. Bernard gives Willy wise advice about how life can be really hard sometimes, and expresses his belief that Biff's life changed course due to Willy's visit to him in Boston after he failed math. This deeply upsets Willy. We haven't found out why yet, but I suspect we will soon.
At dinner, Willy acts sort of mentally insane, and says things with suicidal undertones. He experiences a flashback of the night Biff came to visit him in Boston, where Biff walked in on his father cheating on his mother. That was the life-changing event that Bernard was telling Willy about, as at that moment, Biff lost all respect and hope. The man that he had looked up to throughout his childhood was nothing but a cheating coward. Biff had come to tell his father that he had let him down and failed math. He thought so highly of him and only wanted to make him proud, but once he learned the truth I think he just didn’t have the motivation to finish high school and go to college.
At dinner, Willy acts sort of mentally insane, and says things with suicidal undertones. He experiences a flashback of the night Biff came to visit him in Boston, where Biff walked in on his father cheating on his mother. That was the life-changing event that Bernard was telling Willy about, as at that moment, Biff lost all respect and hope. The man that he had looked up to throughout his childhood was nothing but a cheating coward. Biff had come to tell his father that he had let him down and failed math. He thought so highly of him and only wanted to make him proud, but once he learned the truth I think he just didn’t have the motivation to finish high school and go to college.
I don’t think Biff was right to completely give up on his life just because Willy let him down. He could've finished school and made a better living than his father had ever provided for him. At the end of dinner, Biff and Happy rush off with two women, leaving their father all alone at the restaurant. Willy gives all the money he is carrying with him to the bar tender. I think that foreshadows his death.
No comments:
Post a Comment