The Flaws Of Willy Loman In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

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Death of a Salesman Free Response Essay Throughout the play Death of a Salesman, author Arthur Miller discusses the flaws of Willy Loman and the extent to which they bring about his own suffering and the suffering of others. As a tragic hero in the 1940’s, Willy exemplifies a typical man trying to achieve the very unrealistic American Dream. This dream not only solidified his fate but also threatened the success of every member in his household. Willy Loman first encounters the American Dream after his uncle Ben shares his successes and priorities with him, which in turn, become the basis of Willy’s dreams as well. His uncle is very vague about the details of his success which makes the audience wonder whether or not this dream is actually attainable. When Willy was just a kid, his Uncle Ben told him, “Why, when I was seventeen I walked …show more content…

And by God I was rich”(Act I). Despite the little information his uncle shared with him, Willy admires Ben’s story and decides to dedicate his life to being well-liked and successful like him. As a salesman man, Willy needs to be popular in order to have the most success. Ironically, Willy Loman is not a hard character to hate and he has such little success with his job, that he eventually gets fired. Back in the 40’s, men were considered the head of the household–they made the money while their wives kept busy at home. 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