In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, there are many characters who act in both the past and present through the reflections of Willy Loman , one of the main characters of the play. Because of this, the audience gains different perspectives on each character. This also brilliantly illustrates how all the characters influence each other in the stories. One of these characters emerges in the part of Bernard. Although this is a considerably minor role, Bernard has, or potentially has, a major influence on Willy's son Biff. In fact, it's almost the same role that Bernard's father Charley has on Willy. There is a common role in the real world as well as in plays and films. It is the part of the friend, almost imperceptible, who dedicates a part of his life for the good of the protagonist. Bernard's appearances come solely from Willy's materialized imaginations. Since Bernard is merely a supporting character, the audience has the opportunity to read into and between the known parts of his story. When he first emerges, he is a teenager who hangs out with Willy's sons, Biff and Happy. Young Bernard is a bit of a nerd. He studies hard and is quite intelligent, however, according to Biff, he is "pleasant, but not well-liked" (Miller). It can be assumed that Bernard is also not as famous as Biff. Young Bernard is “Biff's friend” and “Charley's son,” but he has not yet become himself. Biff, the high school football star, surpasses his friend effortlessly. However, he seems to be the only one to gain anything from the relationship. In Willy's present, the audience understands that Bernard has become a success as an adult, unlike Biff. Bernard is a graduate, a lawyer, and is in the middle of preparation... in the middle of the paper. It's not always easy to go against friends and supposed authorities in your life. When the circumstance involves one's morality, however, it is more important to defend what one believes is the honest thing to do. If Bernard had given in, they would probably both have been caught on the state exam. In that case, Biff might not have been the only one to miss graduation that year and the future Supreme Court case would not have had the same outcome. Lives are not always affected by the people in them, but rather by those who are no longer there. In Bernard's example, letting his acquaintance with Biff fade away was ultimately good for him. Works Cited Miller, Arthur. "Death of a Salesman." Literature: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing. By XJ Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Page no. Press.