Biff Loman
English Lit: AQA A Level Death of a Salesman, topic 11.1.3
Quotations About Biff Loman
Here are a few key quotations about Biff Loman's character:
"Worn air"
- Biff is a brooding presence in the play, described as having a "worn air".
- He knows he must make a decision about his future soon but his complex relationship with his father makes this decision all the harder.
"Lost"
"Probably congratulate"
- “Coach’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative”.
- Although Willy tells the younger Biff not to steal, he undermines this message by applauding his daring:
- Biff’s propensity for stealing, overlooked by Willy, will eventually lead to the two mishaps with Bill Oliver and his three months in a Kansas prison.
“Phoney little fake”
- At the core of Biff and Willy's damaged relationship is Biff’s discovery of Willy’s affair in Boston.
“His life is in your hands
- Biff must carry Willy’s fate on his shoulders. Linda says this to Biff about Willy.
Inner conflict
- “Makin’ my fortune... the things that I love in this world”.
- Biff, like his father, has had to wrestle with the conflicting urges inside him: working in the city vs working in the great outdoors.
"I know who I am"
- Biff, unlike his father, gains self-knowledge.
- He develops throughout the play, gradually coming to the realisation once and for all that he does not need to live up to Willy’s idealised image of him.
Test yourself on Biff Loman
Which word is used to describe Biff?
What does Biff call Willy after finding out about his affair?
What line shows Biff reaches self-realisation at the end of the play?