How Arthur Miller Portrays Flaws In Humanity Through Willy Loman

How Arthur Miller Portrays Flaws In Humanity Through Willy Loman Sometimes in the world, people can have good intentions, even if it may not seem like it. One can want the best for someone, but not understand what the “best” looks like for another individual. Everyone has their own idea of what “success” is, everyone has different expectations of what success looks like. Further, these expectations of others come from what we are told and often society. These expectations can make one view others as well as themselves as inadequate and unsuccessful if they do not meet them. This is a flaw present in all of humanity, especially within parents and authority figures that were raised with a different view of what success was. In the play, Death

He repeatedly criticizes Biff’s career choices throughout the play. Towards the beginning of the play, Miller includes this quote by Willy, “Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world, a young man with such personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker! There’s one thing about Biff: He’s not lazy.” (Miller 16). This quotation shows readers Willy’s very black and white view of his son and his career very early in the play. In addition, it also emphasizes to readers that he does not view his son as lazy or incompetent. Willy sees a lot of potential in his son, and this is why he is so focused on trying to make him choose the ‘right’ career path. It is also apparent that Willy would do a lot to defend and protect Biff. In the flashback in which Willy finds out Biff’s teacher is flunking him, this is what Willy proclaims, “He’s going to give you those points”. I’ll see to it.” (Miller 120). This emphasizes that Willy had a real desire to help Biff succeed in life. In a conversation regarding Biff, Willy makes this point in defense of him, “There’s nothing the matter with him! You want him to be a worm like

If he did not care about Biff, he would not care about what he thinks. In an argument with Willy, Biff starts getting emotional about him. The following quotation was in response to this, “WILLY, after a long pause, astonished, elevated: Isn’t that- isn’t that remarkable? Biff- he likes me!” (Miller 133). Willy was “astonished” that his own son cared about him. Further, this quotation makes it clear that Willy truly believes his son doesn’t love him at all, and therefore it shows how much cognitive distortion is happening. Willy is desperately trying to receive his son’s love, in all the wrong ways. In the literary criticism referenced before titled “Death Of A Salesman: Overview”, Louis Charles Stagg states this, referring to Willy, “All he wanted was love and respect, freedom to work with his hands, success based on popularity in business... and Biff's love.” The overall statement from the criticism reflects on Willy’s clear want for Biff’s love and admiration. However, it is also clear that Willy does not understand Biff’s wants, nor does he understand the concept of what it means to be truly loved by others. His view on love and how to receive it has been permanently skewed by the story of the salesman Dave Singleman’s success, and his death. In addition, in “‘The Condition of Tension’: Unity of Opposites as Dramatic Form and Vision in Arthur Miller’s