Antagonists: Death of a Salesman

Biff: "Screw the business world!...I don't care what they think! They've laughed at Dad for years, and you know why?" (1579).

Even though Willy's pride caused his downfall, society was also involved. The expectations of society, specifically the business world, and the American dream weighed heavily on the family, especially Biff and Willy. Regardless of how hard Willy works or how much he wants to succeed, he cannot seem to get ahead in his career. The world is cutthroat, moving on when Biff and Willy could not keep up. Both Willy and Biff's lack of success causes them much strain, although they deal with the stress in different ways. The play can be considered a social commentary, reflecting on how people can work themselves to death, but sometimes that is not enough. The American dream is a tough ideal to realize, and people spend their whole lives just out of reach. The whole play was really depressing and full of unfulfilled dreams, leaving the characters struggling to cope. This tore the family apart and contributed to Willy's death.