Biff complains about Willy as a father, saying, “He’s got no character - Charley wouldn’t do this. Not in his own house - spewing out that vomit from his mind.” (Miller 56). Biff does not understand how his father has gotten to such a state of existence. Biff is also clearly frustrated, as even though he loves his father, he resents him for his emotional absence from Biff’s life, and compares him to other people that seem more stable on the outside, like Charley.
As a rule, humans tend to try and figure out why they are on this planet. In sinclair lewis’s babbitt, a successful realtor tries to find his true desires by changing things about his life before he realizes he already had what he wanted. on the other hand, arthur miller’s death of a salesman follows willie loman, an unsuccessful salesman, in his struggles to get his life back to where he thinks it should be. It could be said that these two stories have little to do with each other but they both exemplify this rule. The two characters are trying to find themselves without understanding the consequences of their actions.
Willy and Linda Loman’s relationship is odd. Linda tries to be the protector of Willy’s emotions and dreams. She has Willy’s back in a way like no other person does. She let’s him live and dream freely. Willy does not treat Linda
He went to New England to talk to his father about failing math, and much to his surprise, there was a woman, naked, hiding in the bathroom, Willy tried to make excuses at first saying it was a party next door, then when the woman walked out, he told Biff, “They’re painting in her room so I let her take a shower here. Go back, go back” (119). Biff didn’t believe him, especially after the woman demanded her stockings, and that’s what hurt Biff the most. Not only was Willy having an affair on Linda, but he was buying her things she should have been buying Linda.
Through his vivid memories, Willy re-experiences his unfortunate decisions to reject opportunity. Willy experiences several instances in which he was “provided with a better opportunity” (Miller 25) to change his life, but “adamantly refuses (38)”. Throughout the drama, Charley, Willy’s friend, tries to “change [Willy’s] life for the better (29)” and even offers Willy a job which Willy “ungraciously turn[s] down (28)”. His decision not to take the job “haunts [Willy]” (45) for the remainder of the novel.
Charley’s humility leads to his success, and the contrast of these two characters highlights Willy’s arrogance and impracticality. Charley is humble, realistic, and knowledgeable. His self-confidence allows him to live a happy life without needing to boast. In contrast, Willy constantly brags about his life to boost his self-image. Furthermore, he criticizes others to feel better about himself which comes as a result of his jealousy and insecurity.
He showed almost every symptom of DLB, from his personality changes, his sudden aggression, depression, unconscious self-contradiction, possible sleep deprivement, and vivid visual hallucinations. His past experiences of abandonment led to his passion to achieve the American Dream, and the failure to achieve this false dream led to his severe depression. Depression, being linked to raising the risk of dementia in those over 55, very likely can be linked to Willy’s DLB. While dementia is by no means curable, preventatives can be taken to greatly lower the risk of gaining a form of dementia past the age of 50. Willy Loman’s story is a great example of a modern tragedy, and analyzing the mental stability in his character made me realize truly how interesting of a character he is.
Death of a Salesman Analysis In the play by Arthur Miller, the main character Willy Loman is a man in his 60’s. He is dressed in a drab coloured, ill-fitting suit. Willy shows early signs of dementia, as he spends much of the play having flashbacks or incorporating the past into present day situations. Through this the viewer learns much about Willy and his past.
so he instead fools himself with excuses. Willy Loman behaves similarly with his perception that he is well liked. Willy insists that being well liked is the key to success and he is very proud of being liked. He also teaches his sons that being well liked is more important than getting good grades. This leads Biff to fail math in high school.
Willy Lowman was no Prince or King, but he was a provider to his wife and two sons. Willy’s wife Linda was aware of this and she was also aware of his flaws and the pressures that were ailing him. This was evident when Linda said, “He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him” (Gardener 418).
Because Willy no longer has a job, he is unable to support his family the way that he is supposed to, which negatively affects his relationship with his wife Linda, and their two
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.
Ana Oceguera 12. 19. 16 AP English Death of a Salesman Character Compare and Contrast In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the audience follows the dynamic between the members of the Loman family. The father of the family, Willy Loman is a self-deluded traveling salesman whose dreams of success do not match his reality. Prompted by his frustration due to the discrepancy between his unrealistically ambitious expectations and his reality, we watch as his mental health takes a turn for the worse, and his story eventually ends in suicide.
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.
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.
