The Misconception Of Success In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

People like to win: Since the beginning of human existence winning holds the center of many, if not all people's, lives. People like to win games and raffles, the attention of others, or win life as a whole. The drive to win empowers a society. In Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, Miller writes about how some people cannot win at all in by having Willy not understand success. Willy’s misconception of success is imposed upon his son, Biff, which in turn caused him to live a life of failure due to the negative role model he had as a child. Willy reveres his brother Ben and learns an unscrupulous version of success.
Willy believes obtaining results, no matter the method, defines success which provides Biff with a faulty sense of reality. Willy lacks the

“WILLY (stopping him): I’m talking about your father! There were promises made across this desk! You mustn’t tell me you’ve got people to see — I put thirty-four years into this firm...” (Miller 53) He thinks he is entitled to the raise because he knew his father. He tried to bring in the fact that he was a good salesman by saying, “in 1928 I had a big year. I averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in commissions” (82). However, that was a lie, so Willy was hoping to be successful by lying and knowing his boss's father. This lack of proper work ethic leads the Loman’s to be poor. Willy talks with Linda about their money problems, “WILLY: A hundred and twenty dollars! My God, if business don’t pick up I don’t know what I’m gonna do!” (36) He first tells Linda that he made a lot of money but then eventually confesses the actual amount. After some quick math Linda figures out that they don’t have that much money and still owe money to people for the roof repair and other services. Instead of Willy saying that he will work harder to make more money he comes up with excuses as to why he didn’t make enough,