Why Linda is Weak in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

I believe that Linda is weak for several reasons. Looking into perspective, I realize that a woman in this era would have to deal with the fact that their husband is cheating on her in order to keep the support that he provides for the entire family. During this time period, divorced women were looked down on because they had left their home and were considered failures. Linda continued to ignore the reality that Willy was cheating; she would not admit it to herself. This led to her pretending that everything was fine.

Linda’s biggest struggle is that she believes everything her husband says and does not think twice about it. She is optimistic and thinks that the future will be better, even though she is aware of Willy’s suicide attempts but does not confront him. Throughout the play, she conveys how she wants Biff and Happy to show a little more respect to Willy so that they could have perfect family.

If I was in Linda’s position, I would question Willy the minute I had any suspicions. And if it was confirmed that he was cheating on me? I would leave him right away. There is no point in staying with someone who doesn’t love you, because if he really did love Linda, he wouldn’t have even thought about cheating on her. Someone who cheats is a liar, and no matter how many times you forgive them, they will somehow find a way to do it again. I have not only lost respect for people who cheat, but also for people who stay with their cheating partner.

I know that it is easier said than done, but I hope to be stronger than Linda was. She claimed that she loved Willy, but she knew about his suicide attempts and did nothing. It does not matter if you hate someone or love them. If you know that someone is suicidal, how can you just sit there and do nothing. It is your fault just as much as it is theirs. You might as well put a bullet to their head and do it yourself.

Overall, I strongly support my opinion that Linda is weak. Not only is she weak, she is also naive. She actually thinks that she is helping Willy by believing his lies, but in reality, she is the one killing him.