Topic > A Topic of Stealing in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, portrays Biff as the main character of the play who tried to do many different jobs and failed at each of them they due to the fact that he stole. Biff steals because from a young age Biff was not taught the difference between right and wrong or illusion versus reality. They have been taught that stealing is okay as long as success comes from stealing. Biff also feels like the world owes him something, so when the people around him don't give him his due, he steals from them to passive-aggressively punish them. Even though Biff stole when he was a teenager and wasn't old enough to know any better, he can't find an excuse for stealing a suit in Kansas City as an adult. The items stolen by Biff represent the fact that Willy Loman never thought that his son Biff stealing was wrong and that being well-liked was no excuse for stealing. Whenever something goes wrong, Biff now thinks stealing is a way out. As a result, Biff's tendency to steal now constantly hinders his path to a job. Throughout the book Biff steals a suit, a soccer ball, and a pen because it is his passive-aggressive way of getting revenge on people he feels have unfairly done better than him in life, but also because stealing gives him an excuse to abandon any bad thing. job that is at that moment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While many would say he wasn't old enough to know better when he stole as a teenager, not even Biff can come up with an excuse for stealing a suit in Kansas City as an adult. Surprisingly, his family was unaware of this incident, but Biff clarifies his parents when he explains: “Do you know why I had no address for three months? ...I was in prison. I've stolen every good job since high school! And I never got anywhere because you filled me with so much hot air that I couldn't stand taking orders from anyone! I was supposed to be the big boss in two weeks, and I'm done." In this case Biff's excuse is that he had to steal because it was a completely reasonable way to meet his father's high expectations. Biff broke the law, which is not a good way to deal with personal problems or stress. As a matter of fact, Biff is mainly responsible for his inability to live a good and rich life, unlike Bernard. Some may think that Willy put a lot of pressure on Biff, but Happy had the exact same pressure growing up and managed to avoid legal trouble, unlike Biff. Biff stealing the suit symbolizes Biff's lack of stability in his life combined with the need to keep up appearances. The ball that Biff stole is a reminder of youth, strength, and leadership. The ball itself is often touched by the quarterback. However, as far as stealing the ball goes in terms of the game, this would suggest an interception where the game now shifts 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Biff's life follows this pattern as it is independent of Willy's views on the direction his son should take. Willy was proud of Biff when he stole the ball instead of being angry that he stated, 'Of course, he has to practice with a regulation ball, right? The coach will probably congratulate you on the initiative.' Since he was never properly disciplined at this time, this type of kleptomaniac attitude followed him into his adulthood, where he finds himself in a similar situation. The ball symbolizes deception and lies and during the.