On Willy Loman's Reputation In Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller

For Willy, the idea of having a salesman reputation was his initial goal. Some of his actions and decisions in handling situations were his way of trying to essentially reach the success he’s been dreaming of, and feels that he deserves. Reality was always something Willy feared and blocked out. He was prejudice of the way his life needed to end up. In his attempts to ignore the reality, he began to create his own version of it to fit his ideas and emotions. The more he engaged himself in his fantasy of reality, the more he trapped himself in that idea. This then reflected onto the reality everyone else presented themselves in. He uses this as a coping mechanism to avoid the negativity that surrounded him. In a sense, Willy was wise to maintain a positive attitude despite how a situation resulted in, but it was not the right way to approach it. Using a different tactic could have extended his life, and achieved his success in a different matter. …show more content…
The tension mostly came from Biff and the anger he had towards his father. Not only did it come from the fact that Willy was trying to determine his future, but Biff also held his father’s sin and secret in his hands. Every conversation was pure disagreement and disappointment. So much anger between both souls that they ended up almost helpless for each other. Biff didn’t know how to help his father from taking his life, and willy didn't know how to help his son become the successful man he knew his was capable of being. This relationship was substantially built off of false promises. Willy wanted the American dream to reflect off of his son. Biff never had the chance to figure out what he wanted for himself because his father set a future for him. It is not until the end of the play where he finally sees his individuality and purpose. Behind the layers of anger they created, Biff and Willy show love through the relationship of a father and a