Death of a Salesman - The Woman

The character is merely a foil to illustrate the destruction of Biff's belief in his father's integrity. It is after Biff sees her in Willy's hotel room that he loses his faith in his father, and in himself. The woman is used to illustrate Willy's inability to think about consequences or plan ahead. He is left with the crippling guilt of the brief affair and chooses to block out the memory of its huge impact on Biff. She is therefore a flat character designed to give the audience a greater perspective on the characters of Biff and Willy.