There are two different parts to this play one is subtler than the other. Every now and again Willy takes us into the past back to his “Great American family. ” But it primarily depicts the events that occur a long time after that perfect family idea has flown out the window. Even still Willy from time to time relives that life he once had with the boys who could have done anything been anything, especially Biff who was the apple of Willy’s eye. Even Happy gets caught up in the past and how great things once were. Biff and his Mother Linda are the only ones that actually always live in reality.
Linda knows what Willy does and how he has flashbacks but she allows it because she knows it’s what fuels him and keeps him going and without it there would be no Willy. Biff knows that this goes on but he can’t comprehend his why she lets him do it. He thinks his father is crazy and is embarrassed by his actions. So it is like a small battle between father and son. Happy has no real relevance to this part of the story he is an accessory to this whole situation. What is keeping this family together? Linda is, she took the job of holding this family together at all costs.
She is the peacemaker and tries to see both sides and understand. She does this with no credit what so ever she has always been over looked by her entire family especially Willythroughout the play she seems like this boring little role that is of no importance. But think about it logically. What if anytime during the play something happens to Linda. There are two possible out comes one would occur before this “Great American Family” had been demolished. What if she was killed by some freak accident like a car hit her when she was walking to the store.
Would it have broken up this family even sooner than it originally would have. No, It would have brought them together. They wouldn’t have all this animosity towards each other. Even though this event would have at first seemed like the unthinkable. These boys who were becoming men would look and see really how precious everything really is. And how important everyday is with each other because you may not be there the next. Linda had lived her whole life that way. She did not want to disturb what they had even if it meant sacrificing her feelings.
Now what if she had died after Biff had returned from working on a farm? Would they have left each other to be alone with no one or would this event of tragic proportions bring them together. See according to what we know about Biff’s personality he would be angry with his father and blame him. He feels that he now sees reality that he isn’t living up on that cloud like his father and occasionally his brother were on. They would have it out like they did originally and I think it would have the same outcome. Because with the fight between Willy and Biff.
Linda wasn’t a real part of itsure she was there but it was between Biff and his father I think that the same events would have taken place and almost the same words would have been used between them. and yes I think Would have killed himself so that Biff and Happy could have received the insurance. But they both didn’t want that. so the only way to really keep that family of Willy and his two boys together. Would be to have Linda the most innocent of all the Loman’s die some how during the time that everything was going well.