The protagonist, Willy Loman, is a common man who is an epitome of an uncommon tragic hero. Willy, unlike the Greek archetypes of tragic hero’s, has no high position to fall from. He is no king, or hero, in fact, Willy is only a travelling salesman and not a very good one at that as he is unable to grasp the concept that “ the only thing you got in this world is what you can sell” (97). He is also an idealist, a lifelong believer of the American Dream, so much so that he becomes highly delusional, as he rejects any truths that do not fit in his ideal world.
Willy Loman’s caring and loyal wife, Linda is also intrigued by the American Dream. However, she values different aspects of it than Willy. Linda views success as the ability to buy material goods and freedom as being free and clear from debt. She is a practical woman who, despite being occasionally drawn into Willy’s grandiose business plans, acts as the voice of reason. Linda also plays a role as Willy’s supporter, protector, and confidant. She is the only one who is truly privy to Willy’s dreams and insecurities, as a result, Linda is able to sense and foreshadow Willy’s moods very accurately. It is she who warns the boys of their father’s darkening moods and of his longing for an escape.
Biff, is introduced as a “lost” young man, who at the age of 34 still has not found himself. He has stole himself out of every good job he has and got himself in jail because Willy “blew [him] so full of hot air [he] could never stand taking orders from anybody” (131). Through the flashbacks it is obvious that Willy never criticized Biff for anything, not even his failing grades or his tendency to steal. From a young age, Biff is deluded into Willy’s ways of thinking, that nothing matters as long as he has “personal attractiveness” and the idea that happiness comes only from business success. Due to this early indoctrination, Biff is unable to be who he really wants to be due to his desire to please his dad.
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The youngest of the Loman family, Happy is the neglected younger son, always shadowed by Biff’s achievements. Willy never focused too much on Happy because he was never had as much “personal attractiveness” as Biff. Due to a neglect in his father’s affections as a youth, Happy has an overdeveloped sense of competition and an overwhelming desire to please his father through his business ventures. He is, despite his steady job, even more lost than Biff. He is deeply unhappy but he does not know why, after all he has the women, the job, the car and the apartment.
