sis of Willy. He has become successful in life, but not through personal attractiveness or from being well-liked. He has worked hard and not spent his life chasing after dreams. Charley disproves everything that Willy believes in, which is why they dont like each other. Willy cant even accept the job that he desperately needs when Charley offers it to him, because of his foolish beliefs. He thinks that men are able to become successful because they are well-liked; but Charley doesnt like Willy, so Willy cannot work for him. R. H. Gardner writes, Willys refusal, from the standpoint of dramatic significance, seems less a product of his insanity than of his lifelong feeling of competition with Charley. Acceptance would have been tantamount to admitting that Charleys philosophy had proved to be the right one, and Willy simply isnt big enough a man to make such an admission. (93)We see Bernard in Willys memories as a physically unattractive, spectacles wearing lad, Bernards chief claim to fame rests upon the fact that he is the boy who furnished Biff, the school hero, with the right answers at exam time. In exchange for thisBiff lets Bernard carry his shoulder pads into the locker room at game time and, in other small ways, bask in the glory which is all the glory Bernard can aspire to. Biff reports to Willy in Act One, Hes liked, but not well-liked. (Gardner, 91) Willy doesnt think that Bernard will ever be able to succeed, no matter how hard he works, because he isnt attractive or well-liked. However, it is on the very day that Biff and Willy are faced with the reality of failure, Bernard is on his way to argue a case for the supreme court and to stay with some friends who have a personal tennis court. It is incomprehensible to Willy that Bernard has become successful. He says to Charley, Linda is actually part of Willys problem. She loves him so much that she cant bear to force him to step out of his world of illusions and...
