Self Acceptance In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, set in post World War II America, tells the story of Willy Loman, a struggling, aging, salesman desperate to achieve the “American Dream.” Willy battles with the false promises of success in a merciless, capitalist, society, in addition to strained relationships with his wife and sons. In Death of a Salesman, playwright Arthur Miller illustrates the negative effects of favoritism within familial expectations, illuminating the importance of self acceptance in the pursuit of personal fulfillment.
Arthur Miller displays the destructive consequences of Willy Loman's favoritism towards his older son Biff, through his younger son Happy’s pursuit of material gain as a means of filling the void left by his lack

Happy interjects, “you’re supposed to pass” (32). This line, while subtle, is a nod towards the neglect that Happy feels from his father, he grasps for attention while Willy is enthralled by Biff’s every action. The football is used as a metaphor for Willy’s praise. Happy tells his brother he is supposed to “pass,” or share, that attention. The long term effects of this struggle are shown in the present, when Happy talks about his “overdeveloped sense of competition” (25). Happy developed an increased sense of competition due to having to compete for his fathers attention. He compensates for his inability to win over his father as a child, with his toxic need to compete with all those around him in his work place. Happy makes another grapple for attention, asking “I’m losing weight, you notice, Pop?” (32) This comment is ultimately ignored. Happy needs his father to “notice” him. He tries to impress him with physical accomplishments, a very shallow metric for success, which only takes deeper root as Happy gets older. We see this when Happy claims he can “outbox, outrun, and outlift anybody…” (24)

Biff's epiphany of self acceptance, allowing him to reconcile with his father, underscores the importance of acceptance in order to overcome family dissension. In Act two of Death of a Salesman, the climactic confrontation between Biff and Willy finally plays out. All members of the Loman family are in their home, where Biff confronts his father. Biff is unable to stay in denial about his life, asking his family, though really himself, “why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be?” (132) Biff is finally coming to terms with who he is after being “lost” for the majority of the play. He has discovered he will never be happy with the lifestyle his father wants for him. “What am I doing in an office. . .when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am!” (132) This line brings Willy’s dreams and expectations for Biff to a head with Biff’s own desires, serving as a crucial moment of self-discovery, Biff realizes that denial is more harmful than accepting oneself. He can be truly happy if he makes peace with who he is instead of chasing his father’s expectations. In fear of what could happen to his father if he continues to deny the truth, Biff desperately tries to make his father realize who he is, in hopes of saving their relationship, and possibly Willy’s life. “Pop, I’m nothing! I’m nothing, Pop. Can’t you understand that?” (132-133) The