Death of Salesman Ruth Letter

Dear Mom,

It has been a week since I left home to stay with your sister’s family. I am continually surprised at how much I actually miss you. I know you haven’t seen your sister, or her family for that matter, for a very long time. I just want to try and describe her family so you have a better picture of them.

The hardest working man of the family is Uncle Willy. He works day and night to earn enough money to cope with his overwhelming financial struggles; for the first five days of my visit he was away at work. He has recently returned, but you can realize that the hours of work he logs has an effect on his mental health. He is a traveling salesman which makes it easy to lose ones temper and concentration, which separates him from his difficult reality. Memories fill his everyday activity which seems to make it hard for Uncle Willy to separate his past, and all its regrets, from his daily life. He is also very stubborn, which can make it frustrating for me to relate to him or even get that feeling of a growing relationship. He can come across as a very suspicious man and often appears weakened by his own temper and distant presence. One good thing he has got going for him is his will and determination to achieve his ambitions of success.

Uncle Willy’s wife Aunt Linda is truly one of a kind. She is very patient and loyal to him as she keeps track of everything such as accounts, bills, house cleaning, etc. She is a very cooperative and supportive woman and in contrast to Uncle Willy she is aware of the reality of the family’s situation. This makes me scared however. As I am worried about the outcome and the effect it may have on the relationships with one another.

Their older son Biff Loman is quite the character. He is very dishonest and is a poor student. He doesn’t have confidence in himself and it seems as if he’s lost most of his hope. But one good thing is that he recognizes his poor attitude and truly wants to change it.

Their youngest son is Happy Loman. He’s the most ignored member in the family, it seems that he is very detached from the family and does not really interact all that much. He is a character of low morale, constantly with another woman, trying to find his way in life but he’s confident that he’s right on track. He is very ambitious and determined but he wants to improve himself through his own effort and won’t use resources at hand. He’s a very proud and highly aggressive person and does not like changes.

The relationship between Uncle Willy and Aunt Linda appears to be almost contradictory. He depends on her greatly and loves her with all his heart but seems to keep a certain distance between the two of them. He doesn’t go to bed with her and never asks how she’s feeling. He also seems to be impatient and hasty with her, and for some reason doesn’t want her to participate in the rare moments of happiness with his sons.

Uncle Willy’s feelings towards Biff are very strong. He praises him to the maximum or condemns him completely. For example, he calls him magnificent and other times he calls him lazy.

Uncle Willy’s Attitude towards Happy Loman is simple. He acts like he does not exist or is not a part of the family. He rarely talks to him and seems to never have time for him.

Aunt Linda loves Uncle Willy like a mother. She protects him from unpleasant realities; she’s worried for him and says things to make him feel good. She wants