Why Does Willy Loman Contradicts Himself

In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is trapped by both himself and when meeting the strict standards of their society. Willy Loman is an older gentleman in his sixties who lives in a house with his wife and two sons. He is first presented with the standards of society when he is supporting his family with his job. Willy was getting to old to travel for his job and wanted to ask his boss, Howard, if he could a job close to home. He was very confident that he would get the job and said “‘Gee whiz! That’s really somethin’. I’m gonna knock Howard for a loop, kid. I’ll get an advance and I’ll come home with a New York job. Goddammit, now
I’m gonna do it!’” (74). Linda does not work and Willy tries to make enough money for the …show more content…
Later in the play, it is revealed that Willy’s friend, Charley, is giving him fifty dollars a week. At the end of the play, Willy kills himself because he is worth more than alive. A whole 20,000 dollars more. Another reason why Willy is trapped is because of himself. He constantly contradicts himself and thinks he is better than he actually is. The family needs more money to fix the house so Willy says “‘Oh, I’ll knock ‘em dead next week. I’ll go to
Hartford. I’m very well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don’t seem to take to me...I know it when I walk in. They seem to laugh at me’” (36). When Linda needs Willy to get more money for the house, he tells her that he'll do great next week and go to Hartford because he is well liked there but then contradicts himself by saying they laugh at him. Willy
Loman traps himself in this bubble of what other people's American dreams are when he needed to find his own American dream. He needs to focus less on what other people are like and more on what he needs to be like (a good husband and father.) The last reason why Willy is trapped is because he is stuck in the past. “‘You named him Howard, but you can't sell that. The only