must believe me that it is just for your own good. You really don’t want to end up like me
after graduation.
I actually never graduated, since I flunked Math. I can still remember that as if it
happened yesterday. My dad taught me that all you need to get far in life is by being well
liked, as he always liked to say it. I believed him and I became one of the most popular
guys in high school. It didn’t help me much with my grades though, it only got me many
friends. After their graduation not one of them kept contact with me. It was then when I
realized that it wasn’t the bookworms that were the losers it was guys like me.
I tried to get a job and I actually had quite a few jobs but I always messed up. I
could never pull myself together and I couldn’t take any orders from anyone not even
from my own father after leaving school. I got fired out of every good job I had and I
even landed in prison for a few months for stealing a suit from someone. That way I
ruined the best years of my life. I should have done it like my brother Happy. He didn’t
like his job, but he was successful and earned a lot. I had the stupidest idea of borrowing
money from Bill Oliver, a very rich guy who I used to work for. I’m not sure if it was my
dad, Happy or I that made me think that I was a salesman for him, even though I was
only a shipping clerk. Bill Oliver didn’t even recognize me when I met him. That was the
time when I realized that I lived in a world of illusions and that I needed to start
something and pull it through to end up with a descent life.
George, I never told you what happened to you’re grandfather but I think that you
are ready now to find out why he died. Willy Loman lived in a world of lies and illusions,
when I was still in school I believed in those lies and so did everybody else. Willy always
pictured himself as the best salesman and that led to his own downfall. He never
respected anyone except for his rich and dead brother Ben. Willy always had daydreams
and imagined himself talking to Ben in situations when he had a lot of stress. Willy
believed his daydreams so much that after our big fight, where I tried to tell Willy the
truth about our family and I, he was talking with Ben. He thought that he would make us
all happy and free by giving us his life insurance. So he drove off with his car and killed
himself thinking that the every salesman he knew would go to his burial but no one came.
He believed in his own lies of him being successful and that lead to his hallucinations and
to his death.
So, what I’ve been trying to say in this letter is that you should do well now when
you still have the chance and not waste you’re entire life on dreams on speculations. Life
is built on work and not on dreams. I own this ranch only because I worked hard for it
and all you need is a good start in life to make you’re life easier when you are older.
I also wanted to wish you luck on you’re exams and send my regards to mom and
you’re younger sister for me will ya?
See ya,
Biff Loman
