The Character of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

His distorted perceptions of the American Dream ultimately ruined his life and the lives of his family. Sadly, Willy definitely failed as a father. He obviously favored his eldest son Biff over his youngest son Happy, and this constant neglect drove Happy to become more like his older brother as an adult in order to win his father’s approval. We can see this through his philandering behavior, something Biff was known for in high school, the golden years. Biff, on the other hand, had it worse because his father sold him lies about his importance in the business industry, which forced Biff to admire Willy and strive to be like him one day.

Through his death, Willy thinks he can achieve success and fulfill his dream. Arthur Miller provides us with a character who is both pathetic and tragic. Willy Loman spent his life chasing a false dream. His failure to live the "true" American Dream was what brought about his own downfall. ** Short Essay Two In Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s warped view of the American Dream caused tragedy in his family because he stressed the importance of popularity over hard work and risk-taking over perserverence.

It is stated by Standage that, “Sandage believes Willy Loman was a success. But the message of the play, he says, is that “if you level off, you have to give up. You might as well not live”” (Baird 25). This is quite ironic because all Willy does is push to be successful and he when he can’t he puts expects his son’s to follow through so he gives up. He constantly reminds them, “the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (Miller 67).

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman shows us how one man's blind faith in a misconception of the American Dream becomes an obsession of accomplishment that destroys his life and nearly that of his family. Miller's main character Willy Loman somehow comes to believe that success always comes to those who are well liked and good looking. His downfall is that he does not equate success with hard work and perseverance. This faulty thinking keeps him from achieving his goals of wealth and status. His boys Biff and Happy are taught the same faulty values and are destined to fail as well.

Nowadays, people are concentrating more and more on good looks and likeability because it gives them confidence, and often, these traits come with money and power. In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller portrays the life of a salesman, Willy, who values the superficial quality of likeability and attractiveness over learning. He is obsessed with the idea of being well-liked which ultimately takes him nowhere. His son unfortunately follows that principle and ends up with an unhappy life. Many events that happen in this play reflect on a principle that being popular is not the only thing one needs to have in order to gain respect and be successful in life.

Willy frequently lies to his family about his income and status while keeps borrowing money from Charley, because he still believes he is a hugely successful salesman in his own world of delusion. Instead of acknowledging that he is a mediocre salesman, Willy simply goes into the past and chooses to relive the past memories in which he considers to be successful. Influenced and inspired by a successful s... ... middle of paper ... ...ands the reality that he chooses the wrong dream in the first place even after he dies. Throughout his life, Willy has constructed many fantasies to deny the evidence of his downfall in order to fulfill his expectations which have ultimately led to his failure in life. In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller describes Willy Loman as a tragic character who failed to succeed his dreams.

So what happens when he doesn 't reach these goals? Is it Total disaster. Willy is rather insecure. He lies to his family in order to try and make himself feel better.“I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been.” In his world of delusion, Willy is a huge successful salesman. He disguises his profound anxiety and self-doubt with extreme arrogance.

PeninstenAP Literature18 December 2017brother on how to deal with Biff but insists he’ll turn out “to be a worm like Bernard” (Miller 22). Him being a worm landed him the riches and success Willy could only dream of. Bernard earned his achievements through education which is what he want for Biff because he actually has a chance but Willy can’t seem to see that. He regretted not attending Alaska with his brother but this is where his fault of finding success comes in. He thought success comes in the form of luck rather than hard work.

Unfortunately for Willy, most of his dreams are illusions, yet he is unable to come face to face with this fact. At the plays conclusion, Biff is susceptible to succumb to the fact that his father, Willy, did in fact have "all the wrong dreams", and the reader will agree that this is ultimately what lead to Willy's downfall. Willy's false hopes and dreams are evident in the fact that he wants to be a mirror image of his brother Ben. "The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it!" Willy believes that Ben has the "ultimate life", and strives to follow in the dream of being a successful salesman.

Nevertheless, Willy is a poor aging salesman that considers himself to be a failure when comparing himself to his successful father and brother, but he is incapable of consciously admitting it. Consequently, Willy will measure his level of success with the level of success attained by his offspring, particularly his eldest son Biff. Their difficult relationship contribute to the play's main plot. Willy unfolds his deluded perception and recollection of the events as the audience gradually witnesses the tragic downfall of a man shadowed by a mental illness that has already began to take it's toll on his mind and personality. Willy Loman will bring his downfall upon himself as he entices his own disillusions and the bedrock of his values pertaining to success and how one can achieve it.