Death Of A Salesman

Death of a Salesman

In this play-write, it shows that Biff is the protagonist. This is because unlike Willy, Hap, and Linda, Biff goes through a great change and is transformed by the action of the play. At the very end of the play, at Willy's funeral, Biff announces that he's leaving New York City. This is because he is ready to move on in his life, whereas Hap is holding onto the past, like Willy had, and decides to stay put.

Willy, strong in his belief of the "American Dream", never changes. He is stubborn and shallow in that he treats everything as a commodity. He thinks that if you want to succeed in life, you have to be attractive and well-liked. He alienates himself and becomes very lonely and disconnected.

Hap is doomed to follow in his father's footsteps, and will die a "salesman's death". He tries so hard to reach for Willy's attention, that he really has no identity. Hap shares the same materialistic dreams as his father, so he will never find himself and will never truly be happy.

Linda also has no real identity, because she is on of Willy's commodities. She has an obscured illusion that they have the perfect "white picket-fence" family, and that there is no real problem. Linda is used as a prop to fill the place of the loyal and obedient housewife in Willy's "American Dream".

The protagonist in Death of a Salesman can be none other than Biff, because he is the only character in the play that changes over the course of the actions. Biff is the only character who has learned through the experiences portrayed in the play, and he wishes to move on with his life and leave New York City.