Essay, Research Paper
Death of a Salesman vs. The Simpsons
Each of the characters in “death of a Salesman” can be compared in some way to a character in the Simpsons.
Linda Loman has a lot in common with Marge Simpson. Both love their families very much and are always the first to defend their husband’s actions. Each wife is unappreciated and and does not receive much respect from her family. They try to instill good values onto their children: Marge reprimands Bart for stealing, and Linda tells Willy not to encourage the boys to steal. They attempt to steer the boys away from their fathers’ influence, since Willy and Homer are not always the best role models. An example is when homer tells Marge “don’t discourage the boy! Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals! Except the weasel.”
Biff (before he find’s himself) is a lot like Bart. The two are always getting into some kind of trouble; Biff for stealing, while Bart is constantly wreaking havoc in the school. Biff is unable to hold down a job, and Bart cannot be productive at school. Both lie and cheat their way through life.
Charley can be compared to Lenny as both are friends of the protagonist and care about his welfare. Charley aids Willy with his financial needs, giving him money and offering him a job.
Lenny helps Homer in the nuclear plant, always covering for him and giving advice.
Although he is not an evil monster, Howard’s character resembles that of Monty Burns. They are both business men, more concerned about money than people. Howard does not care about Willy; he fires him after he had worked for the company for so long. Mr. Burns does not even know who homer is even though they’ve often had a chance to interact.
Bernard, Biff’s brainy friend, is similar to Milhouse, Bart’s geeky friend. Each one is teased about their appearance; Bernard is called an anemic by Willy, and Milhouse is called a geek by pretty much everyone. Bernard used to idolize Biff, he was proud to be carrying his elbow pads. Milhouse is also a sidekick to Bart. He knows his job is to stay hidden while Bart wows everybody with his talents.
Willy Loman shares many characteristics with Grandpa Simpson. Both are old and not really needed. Willy is not needed in the business world, while Grandpa is abandoned by his family and sent to a retirement home. They both constantly relive past moments, talking about the good old days (often to themselves) and they tend to exaggerate those moments such as when Willy claimed he averaged $150 a week or whenever Grandpa talks about his days as a war hero. They are afraid of modern life and don’t know how to deal with today’s society. Willy complains of being “boxed in” by all the new houses. Grandpa says that [he] used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what [he's] with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary.