Willy Loman is a complex and tragic character in Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman." He is a middle-aged salesman who is struggling to come to terms with his own failures and the shortcomings of the American Dream, which he has pursued throughout his life.
On the surface, Willy seems to be a typical salesman, always on the road and trying to make a sale. However, as the play progresses, we see that Willy is deeply troubled and unhappy. He is haunted by memories of his youth, when he was a successful and admired salesman. He is also plagued by guilt over his treatment of his brother Ben, who had the opportunity to make a fortune in the diamond mines of Africa but instead chose to stay with Willy and help him make a living.
Willy's unhappiness is compounded by his lack of success in his current job. He is unable to make sales and is struggling to support his family. His wife Linda is supportive and understanding, but Willy's sons Biff and Happy are both disappointments to him. Biff, who was once a promising athlete, has failed to live up to his potential and is struggling to find his place in the world. Happy is a shallow and materialistic man who is more interested in chasing women and making a quick buck than in building a meaningful life.
Despite his flaws, Willy is a deeply sympathetic character. He is a man who has always tried his best to provide for his family and to live up to the expectations of the American Dream, but he has been let down by the system and by his own limitations. His inability to accept his own failures and move on from the past is a major source of his suffering, and ultimately leads to his tragic end.
In conclusion, Willy Loman is a complex and tragic character whose struggles and flaws speak to the universal themes of identity, success, and the pursuit of the American Dream. His story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of clinging to outdated ideas and the importance of facing reality and finding one's own path in life.
Character Sketch of Willy Loman
. But "there were promises made across this desk," he says, and "you mustn't tell me you've got people to see. New York, NY: Penguin, 1998. The audience loses sympathy for Willy because of this, as he puts forward the good of material success he has followed in vain. After the Boston trip, Willy tries to regain the success he once had by focusing on memories or events prior to the discovery of the affair.
'Death of a Salesman:' Who Is Willy Loman?
. Retrieved October 22, 2008. So if maybe I could stop by, and — Oh, you don't. In his older years gets fired from his job. Ben, on the other hand, just left the city, travelled across the American and African continents, and began to work for himself.
'Salesman' Willy Loman: A Towering Little Man : NPR
Willy has to always talk to himself. Willy laughing with him at the theft : I want you to return that… to Biff. Thus, he understands that he is not a person, that he has not fulfilled his life goal. During her son's teenage years, Linda notes that Biff is "too rough with the girls. As well as his failure in the working world, Willy also fails in the personal one — his paternal qualities are deficient, although it is obvious at the end of the play that a motivating factor in his suicide is to get a large sum of money for his family. He is no longer a respectable man in Biff's eyes. The 1951 movie version starred Frederic March.
Death of a Salesman: Character List
Success comes from within. Besides interacting with his wife and his sons, Willy spends much time during the play in fantasy conversations with his long-dead brother Ben, whom Willy still idolizes, calling on him for guidance, for instance, when he is fired from his job. This is the second argument in support of the idea that Willy Loman is a tragic hero. Broadway revivals have starred George C. And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England…. Willy chased his American Dream for far too long leading to the destruction of him and his… Catcher in the Rye, Macbeth and Death of a Salesman Comparison Essay One problem Willy has is that he does not take responsibility for his actions; this problem only gets worse because of his lies. The key to living a successful life is grasping the awareness that you are enough.
Willy Loman As A Complex Character In The Death Of A Salesman: [Essay Example], 1709 words GradesFixer
Whenever Happy and Biff return home in the wake… Death Of A Salesman Failure From Unrealistic Desire Another unrealistic desire is Willy's dream of success is through likeability, when in reality success is rewarded by hard work. It seems Biff, who is grown up but now at home again for an extended visit after spending several years out west, hasn't found financial success or even a decent paying job. We never learn what he sells, but he has thoroughly bought into a version of the American Dream in which charisma and luck count for more than diligence or wisdom. Success cannot always be measure by finances or by the number of people who like you. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
Willy Loman as a Tragic Hero In Death of a Salesman: Character Analysis Essay
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Willy wants to give his family a good life, so he constantly buys new things which have put him in debt. The unsuccessfulness of his career choice leads to the contast bickering between the two. He thinks that simply by knowing the secret of success, one could really be successful. So attention must be paid. According to him, he is well known throughout New England and can sell things to many people there, even going as far as to stay that he is vital there. This idea was seen as radical at the time of publication — so much so that the first movie adaption of the play characterized Willy as psychotic. He constantly refers to his older brother Ben, who made a fortune in diamond mining in Africa, because he represents all the things Willy desires for himself and his sons.
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