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Who Is Willy Loman's Past Affect Our Future?

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Recommended: Character analysis in death of a salesman by arthur miller

The past greatly affects our future whether we are aware of it at the moment or not. These actions may also be detrimental to our relationships with others and contribute to the way a person may act in the future. In the play The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller the main character, Willy Loman is being haunted with memories from his past that have harmed many of his relationships to his family acquaintances. At a young age Willy is abandoned by both his parents and brother. Willy’s fear of being abandoned again causes Willy to do actions that further isolate him from his family. Although Willy deceives himself into believing that he has a perfect life and family when, his past comes back to haunt him Willy’s relationship with his family is broken and he ultimately faces the reality of his past actions that cause others to abandon him. Being …show more content…

Willy is in need of constant reassurance that others will not leave him, whether it be family or friends. Being abandoned at a young age strikes up fear within Willy, which causes him to do actions that make others abandon him. Willy’s insecurity due to his fear of abandonment causes Willy to have an affair with another woman, but when Willy is caught he is filled with guilt and is not able to face the reality of his actions. He is also not able to face the fact that his son does not live up to his expectations and sees his son as a failure and himself as a failed father. Whether it be as big as being abandoned as a child or getting lost at the store as a child, past actions and experiences play a big role on how a person grows up to be. No matter how big or small this action is, it ultimately depends on how the person handles the situation and facing the reality of their

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Even after his time is over, Willy continues to provide life lessons to his sons. In her article, Fix argues, "He lies this way because he doesn’t know what to offer them and fears he is 'not teaching them the right kind of-- ' principles … In the end, rather than to admit the bankruptcy of his legacy, he sells his death to perpetuate it" (Fix 4). Charlene Fix brings up a good point, but she does not discuss the fact that at Willy 's funeral he is able to provide his sons with one final lesson, that knowing many people does not make you loved or appreciated. His lesson is demonstrated during a conversation between his family: LINDA.

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Willy Loman was a troubled man who didn't have respect for his wife and degraded his children every chance he got when it came to their failures, especially with his son Biff. He only cared about achieving the American dream which he did not succeed because of all his problems that stood in his way. His constant obsession with achieving the American dream only made his family distance themselves from him more only due to the fact that he believed that achieving this would lead him to happiness and success. This also leads to the other major theme which is resilience. Willy came from a poor socioeconomic background and he is making all the efforts to pull himself out of his current situation through whatever he can do in hopes for something better that will make him feel like he's achieved his

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Willy Loman and Edward Bloom are both unhappy with their realities, and fabricate elaborate lies as a way to manufacture a life more suited to their expectations. Edward lies in order to make his dull reality become more interesting and exciting, whereas Willy lies in order to make his ordinary life seem more in line with that of the American Dream. The fact that Willy lies to himself and his family around him in order to seem “well liked” shows this holds great importance to him. When Willy eventually begins to realize how little his life is like his expectations, and how little he feels he has accomplished, he feels as if he is boxed in, and has to “break [his] neck to see” the hope and opportunities he felt in the past with this feeling

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Willy too, like Troy, showcases similar characteristics to the father from “Those Winter Sundays”. The most prevalent being the extremely high work ethic. Willy for years has been a traveling salesman, driving long distances on a weekly basis in order to sustain his family. Also much like the father Willy rarely gets emotional, although uniquely to him, what emotions he does show usually seem like way too much or way too little for the given scenario. His dedication to his hard work is demonstrated when his wife, Linda, says, “He works for a company thirty-six years this March, opens up un-heard-of territories to their trademark, and now in his old age they take his salary away” (Miller).

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In times of Willy’s distress, Linda remains strong and loving, supporting her husband through positive encouragement. Willy struggles with his job, and at times (when he isn’t boasting) he becomes discouraged, and talks about how he goes unnoticed or is mocked. Linda is always there to reassure him and offer kind words: “But you’re doing wonderful, dear” (37). She builds Willy up in his moments of vulnerability. Willy struggles with not making enough, or being enough, and on the rare occasion he admits to it, Linda is known to be patient and unconditionally loving in her responses to him.

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Willy’s inability to move beyond the person he once was is reflected in his constantly distorted perceptions of reality. Willy’s confused perceptions of reality, where often hallucinating, blur the lines between past and present. Willy is burdened by regret and unfulfilled dreams, clinging to the hope of reclaiming his former successes: “Oh, Ben, how do we get back to all the great times?”. This demonstrates his fixation on an era in which he felt accomplished and significant.

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The family doesn't really trust Willy because of the way he is and they

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Family dynamics in modern society are different for each and every person. Some familial relationships are strong and continue to grow and prosper, while others deteriorate and wither. In Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman, the Loman family is dysfunctional due to each member living in their own world of ignorance. Initially, Willy Loman sees his son Biff as lazy and as someone who has not lived up to his full potential. When talking to his wife Linda shortly after Biff arrives for a visit, Willy proclaims, “Biff is a lazy bum!”

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In “Death of a Salesman” & “The Tragedy of Macbeth” by Arthur Miller, the character Willy Loman on the modern america, in the 1940’s as cars and appliances ar be made willy is constantly to maintain the best in family as he slowly starts to lose his mind in the world it’s clear that willy only cares about one thing is that it’s keeping up with the people around him. In the book Death of a Salesman Willy hallucinates about his brother and about his family in the past when they were doing so good with money. Willy Loman has a hard time between reality and illusion, so does lady macbeth’s husband.

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Willy gives stockings to the woman he has an affair with and repeatedly yells at linda for mending her stockings in front of his eyes ( they work as a chief reminder of his affair and his inability to provide for his family). Unlike linda the other woman was able to feed willy s ego by liking him he is proud of being able to sell himself to her however this feeling will soon shift into shame when he realizes that by giving stocking to the woman rather than his wife he was sabogating his role as a provider he only then came to realize that his love not material items was the sole thing linda needed from him . Linda was not the only family member to be betrayed by this shameful act will betrayed biff s trust and respect .

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He also felt like he failed at being a father because his sons were not able to financially stabilize either. This plot allows many of the audience members to relate to Willy’s struggle to achieve the

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Miller depicts Willy as a tragic character in his willingness to preserve his dignity. Additionally, Willy’s dignity is tainted in the story because of his flawed philosophy of the American Dream. This along with unjust comparisons leads to Willy’s death. Based on how Willy Loman evaluates himself unjustly, he is a tragic hero because he must do anything to preserve his dignity, and his false impression of the American Dream, which leads to his downfall.

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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.

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This shows how willy can not admit his failure to his family. The main character Willy doesn’t want to show how deeply down he had fallen and is starting to lose hope on his

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As Mr Peterson wrote "A helpless victim is never a tragic hero. There's nothing to be learned by watching the deer approach its death; there's an enormous amount to be learned by watching Hamlet bring about his own destruction. " We learn a lot from watching how Willy interacts with his sons, his wife, and how he handles his job. We learn from his mistakes, and his lies. Making Willy a modern tragic hero.

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