Thursday, 19 January 2012

First impressions of Biff and Happy

The stage directions found on page 14, just before the scene depicting a conversation between Biff and Happy provides the audience with a general idea of the characters of Biff and Happy. Within these stage directions, the brothers are compared and contrasted, mainly regarding their current predicaments, i.e. they are both 'lost'. However, the stage directions also explain that Happy's position of being 'lost id "different" to Biff's, in that he has never "turned his face toward defeat". This suggests that Biff has seen "defeat". Defeat which is likely tied with the fact that "he has succeeded less", and why his "dreams", despite being "stronger" than Happy's, have not been realised.
       In the first few lines of dialogue, Happy is shown in a positive light, as the fact that he is "getting nervous" about Willy, suggesting he cares for his father. It appears however, based on Happy's question, "you're not still sour on Dad, are you Biff?", that Biff is tired of his father. This may be due to Biff acting selfishly as he feels his father's issues are taking precedence over his own, or he may just feel his father doesnt deserve the attention as he is just feeling sorry for himself.
       As the conversation progresses, it becomes apparent that Happy is actually more arrogant than caring, for example when describing a woman as "a pig". It also seems he is not particularly genuine, particularly when describing how he "controls" his "bashful" nature, and does so by putting on a 'front'.      
       Biff's lack of "self-assurance" is seen within the conversation as well as the stage diresctions, when he says to Happy, "I dont know what im supposed to want". This realisation seperates Biff from Happy as assembles him as an honest character, much unlike Happy's deceitful nature.

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