The roles played in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller can be considered stereotypical at best. Characters have this problem of just looking at how their life should be or how they've ruined it. Their outlook on life is entirely based on society's definition of a good life. Women were expected to simply be housewives and stick by their husbands no matter what, while husbands were the primary money generators. At the beginning of "Death of a Salesman" we have this idea that a man's only goal in life is to find a job and provide for his family, and if that doesn't happen, he is a failure in the eyes of society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Traditional gender roles are visible throughout the play. The first time we see this is at the beginning of the play, when Willy returns home from work to his wife and children. Willy “the father” goes to work every day to provide for his family while Linda stays home to take care of the family and the house. Linda “the mother” has no thoughts of her own. His main role is to accept whatever his good will wanted to do. When the two boys were born, she raised them according to her husband's wishes. Both sons growing up were subject to the societal norms of a man. That was the way of life at that time. The first example of the female gender role is when Linda offers to make Willy a sandwich when he gets home from work. Throughout the play, Linda strives to rekindle the bond between her husband and sons, selflessly giving up her emotions or ideas to help them solve their problems. This is also seen in the arguments that arise between Willy and Linda. This is evident when they talk to each other about cheese. Willy says, “Why are you becoming American when I like Swiss?” Miller. Throughout the play, Biff is shown particularly distraught and overwhelmed by the fact that he is unable to find a stable, well-paying job. He believes his only goal is to settle down, find a wife, provide for her, and start a family. I think most of that pressure comes from his father. At the time this play was set, that was the only goal in life for a man his age. The masculine gender role that Biff assumes is what stresses him out and worries him about his future. Biff was very different from his brother. Even if Happy was able to keep his job, he wasn't happy with it. Biff couldn't keep his job. So far, he has not been successful in all his business activities. Willy followed in his father's footsteps and entered the business world, but he is not happy. Willy stays in business despite this feeling because he thinks it's the right thing to do, too. He says, "I have to show some of those pompous, smug executives out there that Hap Loman can hit the 'Miller' 1268 rating." We can see that his blind desire to succeed leads him down the same path of destruction as his father. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay While all the main characters have their positive attributes, it is the position they allow themselves to stay in that causes most of the problems throughout this play. The gender roles throughout the play are evident. Men were to be seen as the dictators of the house. Women were to be seen but not heard. The man was the breadwinner of the family. He had to win..