Decision Making In Willy Loman's Death Of A Salesman

Though there are many temptations that draw us into making bad choices in life, ultimately, we each are solely responsible for the decisions that we make. Regardless of what was occurring in Willy’s environment, he still had choices. For example, Charley not once, but several times offers Willy a job to which Willy refuses. Charley first makes the offer in Willy’s kitchen stating: “You want a job” (Kirszner and Mandell, 2012, p. 982). No doubt at this juncture in the story, Willy could have made a decision that could have altered his future, but instead he refuses Charley’s offer telling him he has a job. Obviously, hubris was the driving force in Willy’s repeated denials when offered employment elsewhere. When one displays such hubris, the outcome can be destructive and is quite different than a healthy feeling of pride derived from one’s achievements (Aicinena, 2011). Nonetheless, it has become too easy for people to make ill-conceived decisions that have harmful effects, and then blame it on someone or something else. …show more content…
If one chooses well, the consequences can be rewarding, if one chooses poorly, the consequence can be disastrous. This is expressed in the bible when it says: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7, Authorized King James Version). Many fail to understand this and act with haste out of a desire to become something they are not. Even so, Willy, out of hubris, continued to maintain an outward appearance of success by practicing deceit which lead to a catastrophic outcome. Though Willy felt his decision to take his own life was the answer to all his problems, he failed to see other options that lay before him. Unfortunately, Willy had been blinded by his pride and his aspirations which caused him to lose touch with his sons as well as strained his relationship with his