Death Of A Salesman And Fences Essay

He lost the respect he had in their home. Cory was tired of his father’s attitude so he finally stood up to his father. Cory had always feared Troy. He never stood up to him and let Troy walk over him and his dreams. Troy ruined his chances of getting recruited and he wasn’t going to put up with his father anymore.

The central theme of a father and son relationship is similar in both plays. William and Troy both have specific dreams for their sons. William wants his son Biff to be a football star he is interested in the money he can make instead of good grades. Troy on the other hand wants his son Cory to concentrate on his academics instead of pursuing his dream of being a football player. He is afraid Cory will not appreciate the ethics of hard work when money is thrown at him. He wants Cory to work at an A&P store, Willy Loman starts on a mission of self destruction and looks for pleasure in the arms of another woman the affair is similar to that of Troy Maxson in the play Fences where his affair produces a child. Willy Loman, the man who believes in honesty now is trying very hard to keep his affair a secret, when his son Biff found out about the affair he lost all respect for his father Troy Maxson also had an affair which produces a child. Both Children loose complete respect for their fathers

Growing up, most parents want what is best for their children with the hope that they will lead a better life than the one they had. On the surface, this does not seem to be the case in the relationship between Troy and Cory in August Wilson’s Fences. Troy was a hardworking man who did all he can to provide for his family. Cory worked equally as hard in his athletic career. Troy made a decision to end Cory’s football career out of protection but Cory viewed it as his father’s jealousy. Troy’s rough attitude and relationship towards Cory stems from multiple sources: Troy’s relationship with his own father, his jail time, the fact that he did not make the Major Leagues in baseball due to discrimination, and his reluctance to accept the idea that the times have changed. Each of these plays a distinct role in their relationship, ultimately cultivating in Troy losing Cory for good.

One of the differences that complicate their relationship is that they have grown up in completely different time periods. A great deal has happened between the times when Troy was growing to the time period that Cory is growing up in. This issue itself causes many other concerns. For instance, Cory is a very talented athlete. He would like to play football in college and would probably receive a scholarship

Troy is not willing to let Corey live the life he dreams of, causing a very tense relationship. Corey and Troy's relationship is very bitter and tense, caused primarily by the past experiences of Troy's life. Troy blames racism for crushing his dreams and He cannot seem to let go of the past. So, when Corey follows Troy's footsteps in sports, Troy is unwilling to let Corey do what he could not. It is easy to see that Troy is both jealous and protective of Corey, not wanting him to get let down that his race gets in the way

        Willy is also a very stubborn man.  He is like a little child who wants to do something his way even though he knows that another option would be the wiser choice.  Charley practically sets a potential job into Willy’s lap and Willy refuses it.  Willy was just fired and needs a job.  He then refuses one.  Willy is too stubborn to let go of his old job (which he no longer has) and take a new one.  He still believes that he is at the top of his profession.  When Willy does not get his way he acts just as a child would.  He has tantrums such as when he basically challenged Charley to a fight after Charley told him to grow up, “if you say that to me again I’ll rap you one” (Miller 97)!    Biff is also stubborn like his father.  He never gives up being a child.  He steals and lies. Biff cannot handle being ignored, so he steals a pen. “I don’t know what came over me, Hap...I took his fountain pen” (Miller 104).  Willy’s childlike stubbornness hampers him throughout his life.

Willy’s biggest issue with his son is that he let him down by not being any more successful than him. He feels like Biff is failing on purpose just to make him look bad. Although, he has no decent job and is single; Biff has become disoriented about life. Earlier in the play Biff tells Happy, “I tell ya Hap, I don't know what the future is. I don't know - what I'm supposed to want” (Miller266). Biff once looked up to his father as a role model, but lost all faith in him once finding out that he was having an affair. Ever since he has rejected Willy’s commitment of being a husband and also a father. To add to his ruins are Willy’s ideas of how Biff should get ahead in life. Willy taught Biff that popularity was the right way to get to the top, rather than hard-work and dedication. Trying to live by his dad’s standards caused Biff to fail high school and become unable to put forth the effort to become

Willy treated people poorly which in turn his children learnt to do. For instance, Willy was married to Linda but went ahead to have another woman. He had an affair with another woman because he was not satisfied with his marriage. His poor treatment of his wife misled his sons to see it as acceptable to be dishonest. They in turn, viewed women as inferior objects of use.

Later in a flashback, Willy and Biff are on their way to Ebbets Field for a football game when Charley appears and beings a conversation with Willy. Merely joking around, Charley makes a few comments which Willy takes great offense too and beings insulting Charley and telling him to put his hands up as if to fight. Willy's arrogance shows it's face once again when Willy is talking to Biff about his meeting with Oliver. Completly ignoring what Biff is saying, Willy goes on about how good of a kid Biff is and how impressive he is. Though not directly insulting, Willy ignores what his son has to say and goes off on his own tangents, losing the respect of the reader. Willy then ends up in another flashback in the bathroom of the restauraunt where he met Happy and Biff for dinner. The most disgusting part of Willy is revealed here. Biff walks in on Willy and his woman friend whom hes had a secret relationship with. Willy attempts to cover it up and when that doesnt work he orders Biff around and shows how bad of a person he can be.

This is what Willy has been trying to emulate his entire life. Willy's need to feel well-liked is so strong that he often makes up lies about his popularity and success. At times, Willy even believes these lies himself. At one point in the play, Willy tells his family of how well-liked he is in all of his towns and how vital he is to New England. Later, however, he tells Linda that no one remembers him and that the people laugh at him behind his back. As this demonstrates, Willy's need to feel well-liked also causes him to become intensely paranoid. When his son, Biff, for example, is trying to explain why he cannot become successful, Willy believes that Biff is just trying to spite him. Unfortunately, Willy never realizes that his values are flawed. As Biff points out at the end of the play, "he had the wrong dreams."

The abandonment by Willy’s father causes him wanting to be liked through his job, making Willy become unstable. When Willy was fired he felt unsuccessful and he looked for love and likeability through his affair and Biff’s football game which caused Willy to struggle throughout his life. Willy imagines the people at his funeral, but is disappointed when Biff says that he need to give up on his american dream but Willy won’t give up on his dream. You shouldn’t be stuck in a cycle of wanting to please yourself always and acting on a decision in order to satisfy yourself. Sometimes you have to accept the outcomes of life no matter how big or how small that they really

In Charlene Fix’s article, The Lost Father in Death of a Salesman she describes how Willy has “two sides”. Since both Biff and Happy grew up idolizing their father, it was difficult for them to conceive of their father being a fake and a liar; especially for Happy who even after discovering his real father in action he refuses to think that is actually him. Fix says, “Happy, the second son, continues to emulate the false Willy, and that accounts for why, at a critical moment in the restaurant scene, he must deny Willy, saying, “That’s not my father”, his own striving being predicted on the inauthentic Willy” (Fix 4). Happy has invariably tried being like his father, he has constantly looked up to him and continues after his death; to Happy,

To be or not to be a good parent? That is the question. A father-son relationship is vital for the development of a proper childhood. Without a father figure in someone's life, they are hopelessly lost in the attempt to reaching true adulthood. A father provides his son with the essential tools to live a successful life. Arthur Miller's portrayal of male role models in Death of a Salesman sets up the entire family for failure, since Willy, Biff, and Happy were affected greatly by the absence of a paternal force. Willy lost his sense of reality by getting stuck on to the falsified American Dream, therefore taking away Biff and Hap’s paternal influence. Willy tried to support Biff, but ignores Hap. He instills the same values and ideas of success into Biff that he believes, setting him up for the same failures that he had encountered. The lack of a paternal influence in Death of a Salesman reveals Willy’s failures as a father and a salesman; it has a negative impact on Biff and Hap’s journey to find their purpose in life.

Even though he was not successful, Willy wants to “plant seeds” in an attempt to motivate his children to pursue success and truly be triumphant. In an analysis of the play, Eric Sterling states that “Although at times some individuals wish it were not so, the phrase “Like father, like son” also is truly apropos as the young tend to take their cues from their first role models, their parents.” This is evident in the play because although Biff does not want to follow in his father's footsteps, he still resembles his father. Willy seems to regret not “planting seeds” sooner, which indicates that he is unable to determine value in his son's accomplishments.

    By this time, Willy has had several flashbacks to the past, including the time when Biff was in high school and he admits to Willy that he stole a football. Biff promises Willy a touchdown during the game. In the same reverie, he remembers the time Bernard(Charley’s son and they live next-door) informs Willy that Biff is failing math and the teacher is going to flunk him. This means that Biff will not graduate unless his scores improve. Willy listens but