Death of a Salesman

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Death of a Salesman

In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy is both sympathized with and looked down upon throughout the story. Willy is a very complex character with problems and faults that gain both sympathy and also turn the reader off to him. Willy Loman is both the protagonist and the antagonist, gaining sympathy from the reader only to lose it moments later.

The play begins with Willy as the antagonist, fighting with his wife Linda and a generally mean person. He insults his sons and scolds Linda for buying the wrong cheese. Willy shows his biggest personality flaws early on in the story; contradicting his own thoughts, being verbally abusive, and showing his over developed sense of pride. Willy loses the readers sympathy again in a flashback early on in the play when he goes off on a rant about the money he owes for things, almost blaming Linda for their hardship. During a conversation with Happy, Willy again loses his temper and yells at Happy for trying to be nice and saying "Pop, I told you I'm gonna retire you for life"(I,1300). As that is going on the next door neighbor, Charley, comes over because of the noise and strikes up a conversation with Willy. The two are playing cards and shooting the breeze when Willy once again starts with the insults, calling Charley ignorant, and telling him hes disgusting, as if to boost his own confidence or make himself seem smarter or better than Charley. Soon after his arguement with Charley, Willy is in a flashback ordering Happy and Biif to steal lumber from a nearby building project, teaching his boys to steal to impress his brother Ben. Willy and Biff then get into an arguement over Biff's lack of effort in getting a job and keeping it, and about ...

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...is off in his own little world almost ignoring Biff. The reader sympathizes with Willy due to his clouded mind, yet is turned away by his arrogance and showmanship attitude. In the begining of the story Willy is scolding his wife and bad mouthing his sons one moment, then the next hes saying how great his children are and telling his wife how much he loves her. Willy sends the audience on a roller coaster throughout the entire play, gaining sympathy and pity one minute, while the next turning the reader's sympathy and pity elsewhere.

Willy Loman is both the protagonist and the antagonist, gaining sympathy from the reader only to lose it moments later. He is his own worst enemy, causing his life to be much harder than it needs to be. If only Willy had realized his faults and accepted life as it is, perhaps the reader would have been his sympathizer the entire play.

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