Willy Lowman's Suicide

Willy’s suicide in “Death of a Salesman” can be seen as his own way of escaping the failure of the American dream. Some argue that his suicide is cowardly, and a representation of his ‘pathetic’ character, however I must disagree. I see Willy Lowman as a tragic protagonist in a different sense of the original definition. Willy Lowman is not a hero or a king, unlike Oedipus. Willy never made it to the top or had great success. Yet, I believe he still qualifies as a tragic hero because of his own delusions that he was well on his way to achieving the ultimate American Dream. He exaggerates his success to his sons, and convinces himself that his funeral will be a grand event populated by all those who admire him. Willy is characterized by his determined work ethic. He clung on to the promise of the American Dream, that one can be anything if they simply work hard enough. Yet he also showcases exactly how the American Dream is a myth. Despite hard work, sacrifices, and decades of dedication, Willy Lowman is less than average.

On top of his failures in the workplace, his own family adds to this stress. Linda exists as an extremely passive wife. Even though she discovers that Willy is planning his own suicide, she does nothing to stop it. Not only that, but she does not even talk to him about the serious issue for fear of hurting his pride. One must wonder if she had shown support and care for him, would he still have felt so alone and taken his own life? Happy and Biff also contribute to Willy’s sense of hopelessness. His sons are constantly arguing with him, and even though they are in their 30’s, have no success to show. As a father, Willy feels like his sons have failed to understand the absolute highest priority value he wanted to instill in them; hard