Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun Individuals change their way of attitude, thoughts, beliefs, or perception to fit in with the group they want to belong whose approval they desire or individual expect something in return such as needing that what was promised did not happen. In both Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the authors display the unrealistic dreams of the tragic characters, Willy Loman and Walter Lee Young, to convey the idea that idealized goals only lead to tragic consequences through the human cost of conformity and unfilled expectation. In Death of Salesman, Willy Loman reflects on his incompetence to communicate effectively, comparing himself to Charley. Willy began …show more content…
He’s a man of few words, and they respect him” (Miller 37). Willy’s musing reveals his insecurities and frustration about his communication skills with others. He is self-aware that he talks too much and contrasts himself with his friend, Charley, who is taciturn. This quote reveals Willy’s desire to be seen as authoritative and respected like Charley, but his inability to control his babbling, which undermines his self-image as a successful salesman. The author utilizes this contrast to show Willy’s goal of business requires him to be serious, but he can not help that because he is chatty. Throughout the novel, Arthur Miller continues to show Willy Loman trying to impress groups of businessmen by being bright and funny. In the novel, Miller reflects on the discernable invincibility of an impressive and well-liked man and underscores the struggle for recognition in Willy Loman’s world. Willy reveals his thoughts when he talks to Charley after he got fired, “I’ve always tried to think otherwise, I guess. I always felt that if a man was impressive, and well liked, that nothing-” (Miller 97). This statement sums up a common belief in Willy’s society, where charisma and popularity are equally important with success and immunity from