Analysis of "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller

What Willy Loman teaches his children: Willy Loman essentially instills in his children--Biff and Happy--the importance of outside appearance, of "personality winning the day." In one of Loman's flashback memories, when he is talking to his kids Biff and Happy, he says: "That's just what I mean. Bernard can get the best mark in school, y'understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y'understand, you are going to be five times ahead of …

…grew up, he became ultra-competitive and restless. He competed with people at work, and slept around with work executives' wives. Essentially, Happy is immature; even though he has the quintessential adulthood profession, Happy still acts like an immature teenager--one that is competitive. His competition in childhood, in which he lost to Biff, resurfaces itself in Happy's adult life. We see this in Happy's attempt to be the man his father wants--a well-liked, successful business man.