Biff Loman
English Lit: AQA A Level Death of a Salesman, topic 5.2.1
Biff Loman
Biff, Willy and Linda’s oldest son, is now 34 years-old but he is still “lost”.
Biff's character
- Biff is a troubled young man, unable to live up to the hopes and dreams of the past and is, instead, drifting through life.
- 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.
Biff's early life
- We can piece together Biff’s ‘career’ from what we learn at different stages of the play.
- A star quarterback as a schoolboy, Biff look set to take up a scholarship at the University of Virginia.
Biff's career
- However, Biff fails academically and instead works as a shipping clerk for Bill Oliver before leaving and taking up ranch-work out West.
- We know Biff’s last employment was on a ranch in Texas and later learn that he has spent three months in prison after stealing a suit in Kansas City.
Biff's Theft
Biff's meeting with Bill Oliver in Act Two illuminates the full extent of Biff's fraudulent behaviour and delusions but is also what triggers his self-awareness.
Meeting Bill Oliver
- In Act 2, the final day of Willy’s life, Biff is to meet with Bill Oliver, his old employer, and ask for a ten-thousand dollar loan to start up the Loman Brothers business venture.
- However, the meeting is a disaster.
Biff's theft
- Biff is uncomfortable about an incident during his previous employment with Oliver in which a carton of basketballs has been stolen (it is strongly suggested Biff stole them).
Biff's delusions
- Biff is also ‘thrown’ by his realisation that he was never a salesman for Bill Oliver as he and his father had convinced themselves, but was merely a clerk.
- Flummoxed, Biff leaves Oliver’s office with his gold fountain pen and cannot bring himself to return there.
Willy's parenting
- Through Biff’s petty thefts we see the influence of Willy’s parenting.
- Although Willy tells the younger Biff not to steal, he undermines this message by applauding his daring: “Coach’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative”.
- 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.
Test yourself on Biff Loman
How old is Biff Loman?
How much does Biff ask to borrow from Bill Oliver to start up the Loman Brothers business venture?
What does Biff steal from Bill Oliver's office?