Essay On Tragy Loman In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

Considered one of the greatest plays of the 20th century, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman can be seen as praise to a man who, while trying to bring his family into grace, falls in a tragic life. As Centola (25) says, “Miller’s play tells the story of a man who, on the verge of death, wants desperately to justify his life.” Willy is a complex and fascinating man who gradually destroyed himself with false hopes and beliefs. He is a tragic man who, in his whole life, has believed that he would die a rich and successful man. But, in fact, it is inevitable for him to fall down after years of disillusions. One of the reasons for this is that when he was young, he was abandoned by his father and that leads him to a path of self-discovering to look for his vocation, which …show more content…
In the greatest country in the world a young man with such — personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff — he’s not lazy.

Willy considers Biff a hard worker, someone who can achieve what he proposes, but at the same time, because of the Biff’s apparent laziness, Willy thinks he is lost. However, in reality, Biff’s attitude is the reflection of Willy Loman being a poor role model to his sons and this is evident in the interaction between father and sons. Willy sets a very low level of morality and therefore he was not a good role model to them:

BIFF: Did you see the new football I got?
WILLY (examining the ball): Where’d you get a new ball?
BIFF: The coach told me to practice my passing.
WILLY: That so? And he gave you the ball, heh?
BIFF: Well, I borrowed it from the locker room. (He laughs confidentially.)
WILLY (laughing with him at the theft): I want you to return that.
HAPPY: I told you he wouldn’t like it!
BIFF (angrily): Well, I’m bringing it back!
WILLY (stopping the incipient argument, to Happy): Sure, he’s gotta practice with a regulation ball, doesn’t he? (To Biff.) Coach’ll probably congratulate you on your