How Does Willy Loman Define Happiness

Although, as Aristotle believes, everything we do in our life leads to some good, he makes it clear that some goods are subordinate to others, and that the greatest good is happiness. He believes that the knowledge of this good carries weight for our way of life, and makes us better able, like archers who have a target to aim at, to hit the right mark (Aristotle 2). To possess the ability to achieve this ultimate end; however, we must first have some sort of understanding as to what happiness is. The definition of happiness typically varies from person to person, some think it’s pleasure or something found in someone you love, others believe it lies in wealth and success, but Aristotle defines it as

While Biff is in some ways desperate to impress his father, he is also conscious about the fact that Willy has failed his attempt to be successful in his career. He considers his dad’s dreams materialistic and unreachable. As a matter of fact, in the Requiem, even after his father’s death, Biff says: “He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong.” Unlike Happy and Willy, Biff is self-aware and values facts; Willy never was a successful salesman and he never wanted to face the truth. On the other hand, Biff is conscious about his failures and the weaknesses of his personality. During an argument with his father, Biff admits that his dad made him “so arrogant as a boy” that now he just can’t handle taking

The relationship between Willy and Biff is complicated. Actually, Biff is everything for Willy. He doesn’t do well as a salesman anymore, so this situation makes him depressed but at least there is Biff. So Willy believes that Biff will reach the success and his dreams will become true. That makes him want Biff to take some responsibility, in other words this is a big pressure on Biff. “How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it’s good for him to tramp around, take a lot of different jobs. But it’s more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week!” says Willy and then Linda says “He is finding himself Willy.” Then Willy answers again “Not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace!” This shows how Willy mad at him because he thinks they couldn’t reach their dreams because of Biff. Willy says “Sure. Certain men just don’t get started till later in life. Like Thomas Edison, I think. Or B.F. Goodrich. One of them was deaf. I’ll put my money

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

To make a change in his life, Biff decides he will ask his old employer Bill Oliver for money to start a ranch. The boys then suddenly hear willy downstairs talking to himself, and attempt to sleep. Next the lights on the stage move to Willy, who is sitting in the kitchen lost in memory. Willy remembers when biff and happy were young boys and helped him wash their car. He goes on and tells the boys that when he travels he is well liked, and that soon he will open a successful business. Next the neighbors son Bernard enters wondering why Biff has not come over to study with him. After Bernard leaves Willy tells Biff that he can't be successful without being well liked. Soon a younger version of Linda appears. She asks Willy about how much money he made on his trip, at first he says he made $1,200, then drops it to $200, but then admits to it only being 70 dollars. As Willy continues talking to Linda, a laughter appears over hers. Soon, the scene shifts and Willy flirts with The Woman, a secretary for a buyer. He gives her stockings and she thanks him for

Willy’s unreasonable expectations of Biff creates a hostile relationship between Biff and Willy. Ever since Biff was in highschool, Willy always expected Biff to be very successful without instilling the tools

            In addition to ruining Biff, Willy manages to manifest himself in his other son. Happy wasn't a huge football star; his charm was always overshadowed by that of his older brother. So, Happy tries desperately to get his father's attention. When Biff is the star athlete, Happy tries to draw attention to the fact that he's losing weight. When Biff is jobless, Happy points out that he is an assistant buyer. When Biff is unable to help the family, Happy claims that he will help out mom and dad. However, Willy either ignores Happy or scoffs at him. Even when visiting Willy's grave, Happy's attempts to appear successful, to appear likeable, go unnoticed. Happy is thus destined to continue in his quest for likeability, the very quest that drove his father crazy. The reason for this once again rests on Willy's shoulders; the anger the reader feels over this incident is once again transferred to Willy.

Firstly, I cannot help but to pity Biff. His father has set these impossible standards, and refuses to lower them. Biff has done everything to try and get his father to lower those standards, but yet his father has kept them. Willy holding his golden boy up on a pedestal over all these years has caused Biff to fall hard. In the scene right before this outtake, as he declares himself basically worthless and cries to his father, you can see the damage the expectations have caused. Nearly anything Biff did would make him feel inadequate due to the opinions of his father. Not to mention that, while expecting such unattainable perfection of his son, Willy has inflicted emotional damage on his son by cheating on Linda. Biff is damaged beyond the point of being able to achieve greatness, let alone the perfection that even up until his father’s death is expected of him. On the opposite side of the discussion, there is Happy. Right after this, Happy insists that his life is heading in a positive direction, that he is getting married. His father pays no attention to his claims. Prior to this, Happy also had proven himself to be at least moderately successful with a stable job and apartment. Nevertheless, this outtake continues to show that Willy just does not care. One of my least favorite traits of Willy’s is his lack of concern for his youngest son. Up until the end, he only hopes for Biff, only thinks about Biff, and only sees greatness for Biff. Previously, on page 115, Biff said that Happy did not “Give a good goddamn” about Willy. Although I disagree with Biff’s statement, if such were true it would be perfectly understandable. Happy has, throughout the flashbacks of the play, longed for his father to notice him, and always been pushed to the backburner. Up until the end, his father does not care. His father sees no hope for him because he is not Biff. It’s extremely aggravating, and I feel so sad

The definition of happiness has long been disputed. According to Aristotle, happiness is the highest good and the ultimate end goal—for it is self-reliant. This idea contradicted other common beliefs and philosophical theories. Aristotle opens his work by describing the various theories, neutrally examines each idea, and discloses how he thinks the theory is wrong and why his idea of happiness is more accurate.

For instance, in this world Willy crosses over, reliving joyous moments he and his teenage boys celebrated, to point out popularity, charm, and good looks. Meanwhile, in an imaginary conversation with Ben, while Willy is absent from reality, he is reminiscing a moment when Biff and Happy, as young boys, helped him wash the car, demonstrating in this scene that he favors Biff over Happy. Additionally, Willy constantly reminds Biff how well liked he is, and praises his dishonesty instead of correcting him. Willy suggests that his

Aristotle begins his exploration into the most outstanding life by attempting to figure what the highest possible good achievable is for human beings. He comes to the conclusion that most people will agree that happiness is the most sought after good. Happiness is self-sufficient and is the complete end of things pursued. However, they cannot seem to agree how to achieve happiness and what happiness is. In order to figure out what happiness is, Aristotle must evaluate the true function of human beings. This true function, as seen by Aristotle, is the key to achieving happiness. Aristotle describes happiness by saying:

Willy’s relationship with Biff and Happy also becomes strained throughout their lives. Since Biff was the older son and football star he made his father proud, and Happy was left without the praise that he needed and deserved, as he was always second best. Biff also was the one who caught his father having an affair with a woman in Boston, causing friction between himself and Willy. More importantly, Biff is extremely disturbed by his father's later behavior, including participating in imaginary conversations and reacting to his memories as though they were happening in the present. Willy's job also falls apart from the beginning of the play towards the end. Willy had been making enough money to support his family, but his unwillingness to learn new sales techniques or utilize modern technology resulted in lackluster sales and the loss of his job. Willy’s house had a mortgage until his death, implying that the family was not even secure in their own home. Finally, the family car, a symbol of pride within the Loman household, was destroyed when Willy committed suicide. This was the last example of Willy's destruction of all that was once important to him. Willy Loman, in this regard, follows Aristotle's suggestion that the tragic hero has "...a change of fortune... from prosperity to misfortune...." (Aristotle,1303)

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” -- Denis Waitley

Biff believes that he can make something of himself but his father's life forces Biff to only recognize the failures in his own life. Biff adores Willy, prior to the Boston visit, and believes everything Willy told him. Biff never questions Willy. He always goes along with Willy even if he knew what Willy was doing was going against certain rules. In doing so Biff grows up believing he too wasn't bound by any social rules or expectations. This leads to Biff becoming a thief, even if it were stealing ‘little’ things. Willy fails as a father by encouraging Biff’s “little thefts” rather than disciplining him. Biff is never able to keep a steady job and falls with his father into the pit of failure.

Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers of all time created an idea that happiness is the ultimate end goal. This world renowned philosopher argues that exercising a fulfilling life will lead to happiness. Likewise, happiness is said to be the ultimate end goal of all activities in life. Basically, Aristotle portrays every activity as a subordinate to becoming happy. He argues that being self sufficient, and leading a fulfilling life will create happiness through virtue. A virtuous person is noble and possess the ability to rationalize. In order to be noble one must posses the ability to create equilibrium of the soul. That is, staying within the mean. Similar to the mean, Aristotle depicts