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Essay about willy loman
Examine Willy Loman as a tragic character
Briefly comment on the character of willy loman
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Instead, Tack chases the path that makes him more accepted and this prevents him from uncovering his hidden potential. Similarly, in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” Willy Loman desires this same approval and acceptance. Willy, having grown up without a father figure, is extremely doubtful of his parenting and admits that, “[he is] afraid [he is] not teaching [Biff and Happy] the right [values]” (Miller 52). Due to his own insecurity in his parenting ability, Willy turns to Ben for approval and asks him “how [he] should teach [Biff and Happy]” (Miller 52). By continually looking for Ben’s approval, Willy limits his abilities and fails to be an adequate parent for Happy and Biff.
In Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," the characters of Willy Loman and Linda Loman both contribute to the message of denial through the psychological lens. Willy Loman This is exemplified in the quote "I'm the New England man. I'm vital in New England" (Act 1, Scene 1) where Willy refuses to accept the reality of his situation and instead chooses to believe in his own version of success. Similarly, Linda Loman's denial of their financial struggles and her sacrifice for their family is portrayed through her devotion to Willy and her willingness to deny the truth about their situation to keep Willy's illusions alive. She doesn’t crush him by telling him the real truth.
Willy Loman was a troubled man who didn't have respect for his wife and degraded his children every chance he got when it came to their failures, especially with his son Biff. He only cared about achieving the American dream which he did not succeed because of all his problems that stood in his way. His constant obsession with achieving the American dream only made his family distance themselves from him more only due to the fact that he believed that achieving this would lead him to happiness and success. This also leads to the other major theme which is resilience. Willy came from a poor socioeconomic background and he is making all the efforts to pull himself out of his current situation through whatever he can do in hopes for something better that will make him feel like he's achieved his
While Linda enabled him, Willy could not help himself too keep ruining the good opportunities he had and turning them into some factious reality. At Willy`s funeral Biff comes to the realization that his father had all the wrong dreams and visions of success. Willy`s only dream was the fake “American Dream” that people believe will happen overnight. Willy`s failed attempts and happiness bonded into one and played a part into him creating this false reality and persona that he was the best salesman and that he was well loved by everyone around him.
Willy tries to make himself feel better by lying to himself. Although Willy’s death is unfortunate, if one closely examines his pride, bad temper, and his lies, one can see that these flaws will eventually bring him to his demise. Throughout the play, Willy demonstrates his sense of pride while talking to his family and friends. In this quote one can
Stunting is a word used to describe a person who is showing off or trying to get attention by performing an elaborate act or stunt and being someone they are not, when in actuality your life is a disaster. In “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, the main character Willy Loman is a salesman whose quintessential American Dream is flawed and directly linked to his self-worth and his family’s achievements and as a result Willy’s professional failure becomes his personal failure and identity crisis. As a man deep in the memories of the past and controlled by his fears of the future, Will views himself a victim of bad luck accepting very little responsibility for his failures. However, it was not an ill-fated destiny that drove Willy to commit
Willy was a firm believer of the American dream in which he worked his whole entire life to try and become successful through his drive, ambition and work ethic. This however does not work out for him. The reader can see this through a conversation between his wife Linda and son Biff, where Linda tells him, “Remember I wrote you that he smashed up the car again? In February?... The insurance inspector came.
Linda defends Willy and insists that Willy, as a traveling salesman, merely exhausts himself rather than become crazy. Even if Willy’s financial reality reveals the fact that he can never come true his American dream, Linda still refuses to break his fantasies and see through his lies. Instead, she supports Willy’s American dream and believes in Willy’s idea that success is possible for anyone. Even though Willy is often rude to her and ignores her opinions, she protects him at all costs. She loves Willy, so she can accept all of his shortcomings.
In the play “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, the story begins as Willy Loman a traveling salesman from Brooklyn, New York is returning home from a sales trip that he could not complete. He tells his wife Linda “I am tired to the death” (963). He is an older man past sixty who is feeling worn down from the travels that he has taken over the years and is feeling enormous stress in his life. He has been demoted from a salary position to commission only and is worried about money and how he will pay his bills. He is concerned how he and his wife will survive.
During the play, the audience watched a man’s identity and mental stability slip away. “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller had proved the importance of wealth, “ American Dream”, memories, love, pride, betrayal, abandonment and friendship. Willy Loman the protagonist; constantly hallucinates, contradicts and talks to non-existing people. Willy is full of pride and orders. For instance, he had set up Biff and Happy’s life by telling them what to do.
Miller depicts Willy as a tragic character in his willingness to preserve his dignity. Additionally, Willy’s dignity is tainted in the story because of his flawed philosophy of the American Dream. This along with unjust comparisons leads to Willy’s death. Based on how Willy Loman evaluates himself unjustly, he is a tragic hero because he must do anything to preserve his dignity, and his false impression of the American Dream, which leads to his downfall.
Willy finds out his dream of being an popular, well respected salesman is impossible and takes his own life. Linda supports Willy despite the abuse and confusion he puts her through with his various attempts to take his own life, with his delirious ramblings and hallucinations, and with his constant deception. Happy still sees his father as a hero and Biff finally begins to grasp the truth of the “American Dream”. When Willy kills himself, all of the Loman family, including Willy, break free from the web of false dreams he spun and begin to understand Willy’s failings. They also realize their own flaws.
This shows how willy can not admit his failure to his family. The main character Willy doesn’t want to show how deeply down he had fallen and is starting to lose hope on his
Willy’s gradual declination of what he wants effectively showcases his tendency to undermine what he claims. Furthermore, Arthur Miller has Linda offer Willy “American-type cheese” only for Willy to immediately reject the idea of it. The American cheese symbolizes the American dream, while the Swiss cheese he wants is quite the opposite. The playwright offers critical contradicts as why would Willy not want American cheese? Willy clearly wants the American dream prior, but not all of a sudden refuses when it is right in front of him.
From an outsider perspective, Willy Loman lives a normal life. He is a traveling salesman with two grown up sons, and a beautiful marriage. But is that really the life he has? No, it is not. One of the first disappointments Willy experiences is with his son.
