Death of a Salesman: The Flaws and Failures of Willy Loman
analytical Essay
556 words
Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman”, primarily focuses on the flaws and failures of Willy Loman, Millers’ main character in this story. Willy’s distorted and backward views of the American Dream, paired with his inability to let go of the past lead him down a road of regret and in the end his biggest failure which was his wasted life.
Willy Loman is a 60 year old senile salesman who desperately wants to be a successful salesman; however, his ideas about the ways in which one goes about achieving this are very much misguided, just as his morals are. He believes that popularity and good looks are the key to achieving the American dream, rather than hard work and dedication. He not only lives his entire life by this code, but instills his delusional beliefs in his two sons Biff and Happy. As a result, his sons experience similar failures in their adult lives. Willy led a life of illusion, lies and regret which not only ruined his life, but gad a negative impact on the lives of family as well.
Willy was never able to say he was a good father to his sons. He prioritized his job o...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's play "death of a salesman" focuses on the flaws and failures of willy loman, millers' main character in this story.
- Describes willy loman as a 60-year-old senile salesman who believes that popularity and good looks are the key to achieving the american dream, rather than hard work and dedication.
- Analyzes how willy didn't know how to deal with his son's disgust for him after catching him having an affair. he prioritized his job over them and stayed away on business trips.
- Analyzes how loman awarded linda's faithfulness and unfaltering loyalty with lies, disrespect and affairs. linda showed him affection and tried helping him with his mental state, all while allowing him to snap at her over the smallest things.
- Analyzes how willy refused to accept that his dream of dying the "death of a salesman" was unrealistic. in an attempt to gain love and be liked again, he committed suicide for the insurance money.
- Analyzes how willy loman's dream cost him his life and ruined his family’s lives. he failed at everything because of his insecurities and self-doubt.
Related
- analytical
- The Destruction of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman In the book Death of A Salesman, author Arthur Miller shows how cruel life can be through the life of Willy Loman, the main character. His feelings of guilt, failure, and sadness result in his demise. Willy's sense of pride is a very big issue in his life; he doesn't like people to give him handouts, although he may need them. But the feeling of failure overrides him when he learns about the loss of his job.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller shows how cruel life can be through the life of willy loman, the main character. his feelings of guilt, failure, and sadness result in his death.
- Analyzes how willy's sense of pride is a big issue in his life, but the feeling of failure overrides him when he learns about the loss of his job.
- Analyzes how willy loman's guilt played a big role in his life. he lived many years feeling remorseful of what led and followed after cheating on his wife.
- Analyzes how willy's suicide attempts become stronger and the painfulness of his life turns to sadness.
- Opines that willy's sad ending left him to remain a salesman. he never made it to the top as he planned or ever got his son to trust him.
- States that downer, alan s., american drama and its critics, chicago, university of chicago press.
963 wordsRead More - Is Willy Loman A Salesmananalytical essayWilly Loman is considered an American Everyman because of his desire for success, his part of conformity to his perception of the American Dream, and his teachings on what he finds the keys of success.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that willy loman is considered an american everyman because of his desire for success, his part of conformity to his perception of the american dream, and his teachings on what he finds the keys of success.
- Analyzes how willy loman idolized dave singleman because he was able to make sales in the midst of sitting at home and attending his funeral.
- Analyzes how willy loman became a salesman because of what society expected of him. he believed that being well-liked and attractive in business could achieve materialistic objects.
- Analyzes how willy compared his sons to charley's nerdy son, bernard, and taught them that personal appearance is what gets them ahead in life. he was never able to know his own father resulting in the way he treats his children.
761 wordsRead More - Willy Loman's Depression in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesmananalytical essayWilly Loman's Depression in Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller's, "Death of a Salesman," shows the development and structure that leads up to the suicide of a tragic hero, Willy Loman. The author describes how an American dreamer can lose his self-worth by many negative situations that occur throughout his life. The structure and complications are essential because it describes how a man can lose his way when depression takes over. The first comlication which occurs in Act I, is when the reader acknowledges that Willy put his whole life into his sons, Biff and Happy, and they turned their backs on him. Willy always believed that biff would be this great, successful businessman and it turned out that Biff is still searching to find himself, which disappoints Willy in the worst way.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how miller's "death of a salesman" describes how an american dreamer can lose his self-worth by many negative situations that occur throughout his life.
- Analyzes how willy put his whole life into his sons, biff and happy, and they turned their backs on him, which disappoints him in the worst way.
- Analyzes how willy's aging affects his work because he is not making enough money to support his wife, linda, and himself.
- Analyzes the conflict between willy and biff at the end of act ii.
- Concludes the play in a tragic end when willy leaves the house and crashes his car to end his life. the structure of complications leads to the destruction of an american dreamer and the dreams of his sons.
- Analyzes how willy's depression affects him and his entire family. he seems to wallow in self-pity, never forgiving himself for the things that have gone wrong in his life.
631 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Death Of A Salesmananalytical essayDeath of a Salesman, a play written in 1949, by Arthur Miller, has been Miller’s most famous work thanks to how relatable the play can be to almost every citizen in America. The play is told from the point of view of the principal character, Willy Loman. The play examines Willy’s perception of success, and the conflicts that his perception creates in his household. Having a wrong perception of likeness, lying, and cheating can lead to an individual to make decisions that can be irreversible and have many consequences. The family of Willy Loman is an example of how the life of each one of the members of the family can be defined by the mindsets of only one person.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how death of a salesman, written in 1949, has been miller's most famous work thanks to how relatable the play can be to almost every citizen in america.
- Analyzes how willy's mindset of being attractive and well liked becomes an excuse to do immoral things in his family and it is shown by bringing the past to the present.
- Analyzes how willy's son, happy, is more successful than biff, but is actually working as the "assistant to the assistant buyer."
- Analyzes how happy is an adulterous man because his father is one too. when reading about biff's grades in math, readers see that cheating is not such a big deal for willy.
1131 wordsRead More - Death Of A Salesman Essay On The American Dreamanalytical essayThe American dream today is based on the fact that anyone living in America can achieve a perfect life if they work hard. Willy Loman, the father in the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, tries his hardest to reach the American dream as he grows up. The Loman’s life from beginning to end is a troubling story based on trying to become successful, or at least happy. Throughout their lives they encounter many problems causing Willy to have a tragic death due to the desire of succession. Willy wants to provide his wife Linda, and two sons Biff and Happy, the perfect life. Willy strives for the American dream throughout the entire play, yet never achieves what he hopes because there are too many problems standing in his way.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how willy loman, the father in the play death of a salesman by arthur miller, tries his hardest to achieve the american dream as he grows up.
- Analyzes how willy sees the american dream as the ability to become prosperous by the amount of individuals that like him.
- Analyzes how willy chased his american dream his entire life, but he complained about many things that occurred in his life. he shouldn't have gotten caught up in trying to compete with everyone by achieving the american dream.
- Analyzes how willy's problems are incorporated with the process of the american dream: choosing wealth over family, a broken mind, and self-importance.
- Opines that willy's problems were caused by decisions made because of his goal to attain the american dream.
951 wordsRead More - Examples Of Tragedy In Death Of A Salesmananalytical essayIn Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, the character Willy Loman is an average modern American man with a superficial American Dream: to be liked, to succeed over everyone
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how aristotle defined tragedy in his respected piece poetics that defined the tragedy and many other forms of literature. many tragic heroes such as oedipus rex and romeo and juliet fit well into this mold of a tragic hero.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's character, willy loman, incites frustration, anger, and pity in the contemporary audience.
- Analyzes how willy loman's life was a feeble attempt to climb up the ranks of his department, but he didn't realize the doom that awaits him at the end.
- Analyzes how arthur miller captures the american tragedy in death of a salesman. the character of willy loman doesn't reach the standard of high status that is required to be tragic hero.
- Analyzes how death of salesman is a modern tradegy that an audience can realte to.
941 wordsRead More - The Death of a Salesmananalytical essayAs Abraham Lincoln said, “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” Character is made up of principles and values that give one’s life direction, meaning and depth. Famous figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson have believed that one can only experience true success and happiness by making character the foundation of our lives. However, in the play, Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller depicts the last days of a tired old salesman who throughout his life, believed that personality will make one successful. However, this salesman, who goes by the name of Willy Loman, was not granted happiness and fulfillment. These come from developing character. Thus, Willy’s failures as a businessman, husband, and father stem from his failure of character.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how willy's admiration for singleman led him to believe that in order to be successful, one needs to sell himself but not his own products.
- Analyzes how willy's failure as a husband results from misplaced anger and the need of companionship.
- Analyzes how willy's failure as a father is due to the wrong lessons he taught to his sons and the lack of experience.
- Analyzes how arthur miller clashes the philosophies of horatio alger and dale carnegie in the play, death of a salesman.
- Analyzes how character is made up of principles and values that give one’s life direction, meaning, and depth. in the play, death of a salesman, willy loman was not granted happiness and fulfillment.
1133 wordsRead More - An Analysis Of Willy Loman's Death Of A Salesmananalytical essayAmerica is a country built on the idea of The American dream; an idea that any person, white, black, brown, or even purple can achieve economic freedom and upward social mobility through hard work and determination. There are few men who hold this idea more dear than Willy Loman. Mistakenly, Willy focuses more on the ideals of wealth than the laborious journey it takes to become a successful business man. The American capitalistic society is competitive and people like Willy, who do not understand the environment they are in, will habitually have problems climbing the economic totem pole. Death of Salesman admits to a flaw in the American system, not everybody will be successful, but through characters, flashbacks, and the resolution it is clear that Willy’s lack of success is result of his own choices, and not society.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how willy loman focuses more on the ideals of wealth than the laborious journey it takes to become a successful businessman. death of salesman admits that not everyone will be successful, but his lack of success is result of his own choices, not society.
- Analyzes how willy's slanted views on business have killed his own career and crippled that of his sons.
- Analyzes how willy's brother ben appears in the story through flashbacks. ben is the epitome of achievement, but unfortunately his achievements can't be recreated.
- Analyzes how willy loman's book, death of a salesman, is literal and parallel to his career that died.
- Analyzes how death of a salesman shows that the american dream is not perfect, but in any economic system people will fall through the cracks. people like willy who don't understand the environment they work in will never be successful in a competitive domain.
804 wordsRead More - The Theme Of Success In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesmananalytical essayArthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a tragedy that recounts the journey of Willy Loman, a salesman in his sixties, who attempts, but fails to achieve success through his own approach by being popular and well-liked. Miller uses several motifs to develop his theme, which is that people who are suffering, but continue not to be mindful of their actions and ideals, and not adapt to the current situation, will continue to suffer. Willy’s idea of success and his stubbornness to this idea is revealed using the motif of popularity. Furthermore, the flaws in Willy’s idea of success are revealed through the motif of contradictions. Lastly, through the motif of Willy and his appliances being worn-out, Miller elucidates the fact that Willy’s pursuit of his idea of success is detrimental to himself.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's death of a salesman recounts the journey of willy loman, who fails to achieve success through his own approach by being popular and well-liked.
- Analyzes how the motif of popularity illustrates willy's idea of success. he is inspired by dave singleman to become a salesman.
- Analyzes how the motif plays an even more important role in revealing the extent of willy's belief in his idea of success.
- Analyzes how willy, who works as a salesman, is contradictory. he does not know how to successfully sell.
- Analyzes how miller's novel, death of a salesman, reminds the audience to continuously self-reflect and adapt to the ever-changing human society.
1083 wordsRead More - Death of a Salesmananalytical essayIn “Death of a Salesman”, by Arthur Miller, the play portrays the literary conflict of man versus himself. It is depicted by the question of why Willy Loman committed suicide. Each of us as we grow up has dreams and goals of being successful and wealthy. We “know” when we grow up all is going to fall into place and then reality happens. This is what happened to Loman. His American Dream was not working and shifted to the point where his success was not identified with his happiness. In the play, Loman experiences many factors that lead to his sudden decision to commit suicide, which ends up having a significant purpose.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's "death of a salesman" portrays the literary conflict of man versus himself.
- Explains that willy committed suicide because of his job. the younger generation is replacing and out doing his old school ideas and way of doing things.
- Narrates how they were observing the scenery on the road every week of their life. they opened the windshield and let the warm air bathe over them.
- Opines that willy is old and shouldn't be driving long distances by himself, especially at night. the work is stressful for him and is not healthy for someone of his age.
- Analyzes how willy's debt pushed him to his suicidal fate. he never earned enough money to be able to save money, and he had no way to neither pay the bills nor take care of his family.
- Analyzes how willy sees himself as a failure as husband by having an affair with other women while with his wife linda throughout the years.
- Analyzes how willy, in arthur miller's "death of a salesman", faces many hardships throughout his life. he kills himself to end his miserable life, but he also ends the suffering his family was dealing with.
596 wordsRead More