Self-Preservation In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

Death of Salesman Critical Essay

Discuss the idea(s) developed by Arthur Miller, in the text Death of a Salesman about the role that self-preservation plays when individuals respond to competing demands. In our lives, we have had to learn how to handle people’s expectations of what we should be. Learning how to put yourself and your own well-being before other people’s demands. Often we are unable to meet the demands that people have set for us, which often creates the feeling of hopelessness because we could not do what they’ve wanted. This begins the downfall of our emotions, creating feelings that we aren’t good enough for the world anymore. Our bodies are set to put our self-preservation before trying to meet people’s demands, but their demands often are what affects our self-preservation. In “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, we get examples of this when it comes to one of the main characters, Willy Loman. Throughout the book, we watch and learn about how Willy doesn’t care about his self-preservation because he believes that there isn't anything positive in his life anymore and he doesn’t feel like he should be there. Why does Willy decide to give up? Well as the story goes on, all the pieces begin to come together. From the very beginning, we can see that Willy is unable to keep up with the competitive demands. This leads to him feeling hopeless because he is unable to support his family, which could possibly lead to them being in debt. As the story goes

Will has put into his son’s minds that being “well-liked” means that you will do well and go further in life that anyone else. This is proven when Willy is talking to the boys in a flashback when the boys were younger and were waxing their father's car after he had returned from a trip. Willy had told the boys that he would open a bigger, more successful business than his Uncle Charley because he is more