Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman explains a tragedy of failing to transform the idea of self-worth into reality. With the story revolving around the Loman family’s patriarch, Willy, the audience gets a thorough understanding of how his desire for success leads to his demise. Miller has Willy Loman representing the average man, or a “low man,” struggling to survive in America’s world of capitalism. These desires for success give Willy a dream to aim for and a purpose to live. His definition of success includes holding his dignity, obtaining monetary wealth (the American Dream), and becoming well-liked among his acquaintances. The inability to accomplish any of his separate values leads to Willy’s mental deterioration and demand for his first
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A person lives for a while and then dies. Christopher Bigsby gives a great summary of Willy’s lifestyle claiming “Willy is caught in contradictions because the world fails to come into line with his desires.” These values/desires established in Death of a Salesman basically make up an incompatible fictional world to the real world for Willy. Anyone could die at any day and the death might not make much of a difference in the world. Chasing the values Willy held dear kept him alive. In fact, these values take up so much of Willy’s focus that he realizes little about his accomplishment of finding a house or forming a family with a loving wife. Robert A. Martin creates a point when analyzing Willy from the perspective of a common man. As with multiple times throughout the play, Willy realizes the ridiculousness of his perfect ideal world but his makes up his identity. Martin writes, “[I]t is evident to everyone (including Willy himself), that his long-life dream of success is flawed.” (Martin 178) Death of a Salesman provides an accurate representation of how much people hold their values and allow their dreams to propel themselves forward. Willy finally acknowledges his unobtainable dream of success with suicide. Willy’s life insurance money to his family is only what’s left to try and convince his family to accomplish his dreams. Suicide becomes the easy way out once the meaning of life is
A person lives for a while and then dies. Christopher Bigsby gives a great summary of Willy’s lifestyle claiming “Willy is caught in contradictions because the world fails to come into line with his desires.” These values/desires established in Death of a Salesman basically make up an incompatible fictional world to the real world for Willy. Anyone could die at any day and the death might not make much of a difference in the world. Chasing the values Willy held dear kept him alive. In fact, these values take up so much of Willy’s focus that he realizes little about his accomplishment of finding a house or forming a family with a loving wife. Robert A. Martin creates a point when analyzing Willy from the perspective of a common man. As with multiple times throughout the play, Willy realizes the ridiculousness of his perfect ideal world but his makes up his identity. Martin writes, “[I]t is evident to everyone (including Willy himself), that his long-life dream of success is flawed.” (Martin 178) Death of a Salesman provides an accurate representation of how much people hold their values and allow their dreams to propel themselves forward. Willy finally acknowledges his unobtainable dream of success with suicide. Willy’s life insurance money to his family is only what’s left to try and convince his family to accomplish his dreams. Suicide becomes the easy way out once the meaning of life is