“Willy!” is the first line shouted by Linda in the play. This is very significant in the play, as Willy Loman is the protagonist character in the play, and all focus is on him. Linda is very attentive and carrying towards Willy and this is clearly shown when she asks, “Why? What happened? Did something happen, Willy?” She is concerned about Willy and she shows this through the use of questions one after the other. She then goes onto ask, “Don’t you feel well?” this shows her motherly and wifely duty, as she is worried about Willy and wants to know if she can do anything to help him. From the start of the play, we as a reader see Linda’s supportiveness towards Willy, and her paternal qualities show evidently. Willy refers to her as “my foundation and my support.” She serves as the typical supportive wife , saying things like: “don’t you feel well...you look terrible...I got a new type of American cheese today-it’s whipped” and, “take aspirin, it will make you feel better.”
Linda attempts to help him by continuous support and encouragement. Although she knows he is distressed, she persuades him to believe he is successful and well-liked. “But you’re doing wonderful, dear” and “Willy, darling, you’re the handsomest man in the world -”. However, she conceals the truth in order to protect her husband. Linda is described as the personification of family. She holds the family together by encouraging her husband and shielding him from heartbreak. She supports Willy’s confidence and supports him against criticism. Linda will never admit to herself or anyone else that Willy is a failure. She allows him to believe he is more successful than he really is.
Linda is reserved, staying in her place, and never questioning out loud Willy’s objectives. Aware of his attempted suicides, she would not confront Willy about it, but took it upon herself to remove the rubber pipe that he placed on the gas pipe, only to replace it before he returned home. She is sympathetic, but refers to Willy as a “small man,” although she states “but he is a human being and a terrible thing is happening to him, so attention must be paid!” After his death Linda states “Willy dear, I can’t cry, why did you do it?” Linda has never been able to understand Willy; he will forever remain a mystery to her. Through Linda’s extreme support, her husband’s downfall resulted. Linda was aware of this, yet she did not say nor do anything to help him. She plays a significant role in the downfall of her husband.
Furthermore, Linda is the eternal wife and mother, and the fixed point of affection both given and received. She is also the woman who suffers and endures, and in many ways, the earth mother who embodies the play's ultimate moral value, love. But in the beautiful, ironic complication of her creation, she is also Willy's and their sons' destroyer. In her love Linda has accepted Willy's greatness and his dream, but while in her admiration for Willy her love is powerful and moving, in her admiration for his dreams, it is lethal. She encourages Willy's dream, yet she will not let him leave her for the New Continent, the only realm where the dream can be fulfilled. In act two, there is a conversation between Willy, Linda and Ben. Ben is asking Willy to go to Alaska for a once in a lifetime opportunity and earn a lot of money. However, Linda puts a stop to this and says, “Don’t say those things to him! Enough to be happy right here, right now… Why must everybody conquer the world? You’re well liked, and the boys love you…” She stopped Willy from being successful, and this could be the reason for Willy’s deterioration in his mental state. He may resent Linda for passing up on such an important opportunity, as this could have made him rich.
Also, Linda wants to reconcile father and son, but she attempts this in the context of Willy's false values. She Fails to understand what happens to Willy, and fails to fathom what has occurred between him and Biff, but still manages to retain a belief in the need to treat human beings properly. Linda is always happy when she sees her sons together, it brings her great joy, and in turn, she wants her sons, especially Biff to get along with Willy. For example, in act two, Linda is on the phone to Biff and she says, “…And be sweet to him tonight, dear. Be loving to him. Because he’s only a little boat looking for a harbour… Just put your arms around him when he comes into the restaurant.” She is anxious for her family to get along, and this can be seen as one of her characteristics. She is very keen on “family life”. She does not really have any friends, and so her life revolves around her family – and this is why it is important to her for them all to get along with one another. Also, looking back at act one; we are aware of the close relationship that Biff and Willy had. Linda says to Biff, “What happened to the love you had for him? You were such pals! How you used to talk to him on the phone every night! How lonely he was till he could come home to you!” This is what Linda is trying to regain – the love between her son, Biff, and her husband, Willy.
Lastly, Linda is a character driven by desperation and fear. Even though Willy is often rude to her and there is the possibility that Linda suspects Willy may have had an affair, she protects him at all costs. According to Linda, Willy is “only a little boat looking for a harbour.” She loves Willy, and more importantly, she accepts all of his shortcomings. She would rather play along with his fantasies of grandeur, or the simple ones like building a garden and growing fresh vegetables, than to face the possibility of losing him.