In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller utilize characters as a way of highlighting the features of the main character, Willy. Charley, a minor character in the play, is used as a crucial foil to emphasize Willy’s failure as a father and a salesman. It is Willy’s shortcomings that highlight the profound effect that humans and society itself have on individuals.
Charley and Willy are rivals in the business world with Charley being the more successful of the two. According to Chester E. Eisinger, “Charley represents [the] ideal form” of the business-success dream. He frequently donates money to Willy so he and his family can sustain themselves. At one point, Charley offers Willy a “place at the office.” Charley takes on a more tender …show more content…
It is revealed that Willy actually likes to work with his hands while Charley prefers to avoid such an environment. Willy has a belief that a man who can’t work with his hands “is no man at all.” He complains about how “there’s not a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood” and briefly entertains the idea of “a law against apartment houses.” This demonstration about the dissatisfaction that Willy feels about his life reveals his desire to work outdoors. Such a mindset derives from Willy’s past and his family’s vulnerability to freedom out in the west. Chester E. Eisinger brings attention to the fact that Willy’s father took him “as far west as South Dakota” while Ben moved to Alaska. After being asked by Ben to accompany him to Alaska to manage his timber, Willy responds by calling the outdoors “grand.” Willy’s positive diction reinforces the presence of his desire to work outdoors and with his hands. However, the urban society has convinced Willy, through advertising, that the way to live is through the status that urban life can bring. This shows that even the frontiering Loman legacy is prone to societal influences that convince a member of the family to break from their wild …show more content…
When Charley arrives at Willy’s house to play cards with him, the extent to which Willy’s delusions affect him in reality become clearer. Charley’s confusion with Willy, as he has a conversation with Ben, highlights the blurry line between fantasy and reality. Even without regard to the delusions that he experiences, Willy is still prone to fantasy. This is depicted by the way he blows the smallest things out of proportion. During a daydream about the day of Biff’s big high school football game, Willy boasts to Charley that “they’ll be calling [Biff] another Red Grange.” Willy demonstrates his role as a foil by asking Willy if he is “going to grow up?” The clash of reality and fantasy is apparent in the clash of Charley and Willy and their interpretations of Biff’s football game. The pursuit of the American Dream has destroyed Willy’s desires and sense of reality. The prospect of success because of the American Dream convinces Willy that status and wealth are the most important things in life. It is ultimately these pursuits that break him and cause depression to set
Charley and Willy are rivals in the business world with Charley being the more successful of the two. According to Chester E. Eisinger, “Charley represents [the] ideal form” of the business-success dream. He frequently donates money to Willy so he and his family can sustain themselves. At one point, Charley offers Willy a “place at the office.” Charley takes on a more tender …show more content…
It is revealed that Willy actually likes to work with his hands while Charley prefers to avoid such an environment. Willy has a belief that a man who can’t work with his hands “is no man at all.” He complains about how “there’s not a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood” and briefly entertains the idea of “a law against apartment houses.” This demonstration about the dissatisfaction that Willy feels about his life reveals his desire to work outdoors. Such a mindset derives from Willy’s past and his family’s vulnerability to freedom out in the west. Chester E. Eisinger brings attention to the fact that Willy’s father took him “as far west as South Dakota” while Ben moved to Alaska. After being asked by Ben to accompany him to Alaska to manage his timber, Willy responds by calling the outdoors “grand.” Willy’s positive diction reinforces the presence of his desire to work outdoors and with his hands. However, the urban society has convinced Willy, through advertising, that the way to live is through the status that urban life can bring. This shows that even the frontiering Loman legacy is prone to societal influences that convince a member of the family to break from their wild …show more content…
When Charley arrives at Willy’s house to play cards with him, the extent to which Willy’s delusions affect him in reality become clearer. Charley’s confusion with Willy, as he has a conversation with Ben, highlights the blurry line between fantasy and reality. Even without regard to the delusions that he experiences, Willy is still prone to fantasy. This is depicted by the way he blows the smallest things out of proportion. During a daydream about the day of Biff’s big high school football game, Willy boasts to Charley that “they’ll be calling [Biff] another Red Grange.” Willy demonstrates his role as a foil by asking Willy if he is “going to grow up?” The clash of reality and fantasy is apparent in the clash of Charley and Willy and their interpretations of Biff’s football game. The pursuit of the American Dream has destroyed Willy’s desires and sense of reality. The prospect of success because of the American Dream convinces Willy that status and wealth are the most important things in life. It is ultimately these pursuits that break him and cause depression to set