A common idea presented in literature is the
issue of
the freedom of
the individual in opposition to the
controlling
pressures of society. Willy Loman, the
main
character in
Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller,
epitomizes this
type of person; one who looks to his peers
and co-salesman
as lesser individuals. Not only was he
competitive and
overbearing, but Willy Loman sought after an
ideal that he
could never become: the greatest salesman
ever. Determined to make money, Willy became
uncontrollable
and somewhat
insane. Through his dialogue and
actions,
Willy Loman
portrays a character of insecurity, persistence,
and unknown
identity.
From the very beginning of his life, Willy
Loman
experienced
problems with his popularity and personality.
His last name is
a pun on a "low man." He is at
the bottom
of the business
world as an unsuccessful salesman. In
addition, his
theories on life and society prove to be very
degrading, not to
mention influential to his mind set every
day. Willy believes that being well-liked and
having a
personal
attractiveness, together, can bring success, money,
and many
friends. Ironically, Willy does not have
many
friends and many
people do not like him. With a beauty
unlike others,
Willy thinks that doors will open and
problems will all
disappear.
As a salesman, Willy developed many hindrances
that
caused his mind
to deteriorate. His life as a salesman
was
built on a dream
that he witnessed as a child. At an early
age, Willy heard
of a salesman, Dave Singleman, who could
make his living
out of a hotel room. Singleman was very
successful and
when he died, people from all over the
country came to
his funeral. It was this ideal that
Willy
Loman sought
after. All he ever wanted was fame,
popularity, and a
few friends. Unfortunately, when Willy
died, not a
single person went to his funeral. His
life,
one that was
spent trying to become another person, namely
Dave Singleman,
was a waste as no-one even wanted to see him
buried.
In reflection of his career with the Wagner
Company,
many other
problems arose that forced economic difficulties
on him and his
family. He was determined to live by
ideals
that placed him
above everyone else. It was with these
lies
and illusions
that Willy's life began to lose its' air of
reality. He lost his identity, courage, and dignity
throughout New
England as a salesman. And as he
explained
often, "I
have friends...They know me up and down New
England." Realistically, though, Willy was not
successful.
He did not have
friends and people did not like him in New
England.
"With his self-identity weakened and
undermined, Willy
lost his grasp of
things in general." (P.P Sharma, critical
analysis) He spent hours on hours dreaming of the past.
Thinking of
himself and his son Biff who had potential, but
did not take
advantage of it. Biff was Willy's
inspiration
as a father. He had the determination to become a great
football player,
not to mention make something with his life
and the Loman
name. However, Biff flunked math and
threw
all of his
opportunities away. It was with these
circumstances
that Biff and his father began to separate.
Willy always
promised his sons prosperity and good-fortune,
but he could not
give that to him and when he lost Biff, his
life became an
even larger failure.
In other memories and illusions, Willy often
replays
the moments with
his brother, Ben. Specifically, the time
when Willy was
offered a job in Alaska; the job which would
have made him an
enormous amount of money haunts Willy every
time he tries to
sell his Wagner stockings, only to have his
sales come up
lame. With low sales and age, Willy
decided
to ask for a job
in New York. And it was at this time that
his company
decided to stop paying by salary, but solely on
commission. And for a man who cannot sell well, the loss
of
a salary is very
detrimental to his well-being.
"Although
Willy is aware,
maybe dimly and imperfectly, that he is not
cut out for
success in the world of trade and commerce, he
nevertheless
nurses the dream of getting the better of
everybody
else. And this leads him into an
alienation from
himself,
obscuring his real identity." (P. P. Sharma,
critical
analysis)
Willy's life would have been more satisfying
had he
engaged himself
in more physical work that would occupy his
mind. His life was situated on a dream for success
and
prosperity. When it never arrived, Willy spent a lot of
time, just
brainstorming how to make his life what he wanted
it to be. Putting his family aside, Willy committed a
terrible
sin. In Boston, during one of his
business trips,
Willy cheated on
his wife. He met a woman who would be
very
cheap for an
evening, and as a boost of confidence, Willy
spent the night
with this low-class woman.
Unfortunately,
his son Biff, who
was surprising his father in Boston,
walked in on the
two, thus causing a situation that would
forever haunt
Biff. His thoughts of his father as an
influential
salesman in New England were all lost.
What
appeared,
instead, was the belief that his father was a
loser with no
potential to ever support his family. It
was
at this time that
they their lives spread apart.
Using that situation as a downfall and the many
others
that occurred in
Willy Loman's life, it was not surprising
when he killed
himself. In search of happiness, Willy
believed that he
could give his family what they wanted if
he only left the
world. But, his dreams were wrong, as
his
family did not
even care enough to go to his funeral.
He
died for things
that he had lived for- his sons and
illusions of
prosperity. Ironically, though, his life
was
not worth the
happiness of his son's. And his life was
definitely not
worth the sacrifice that he made for them his
entire life.
Willy Loman died still unsure of his status in
the
business
world. He wanted success and money, but
at the age
of sixty-one, he
realized that these goals would never be
reached. His identity was lost and his presence on
earth
unknown. Willy Loman was influenced by society in that
he
could not
overcome the pressures of selling and making
money. His life long dream was happiness, but that
never
came either. The pressures of society killed a man who
once
had courage and
determination. But, as his life moved
further, Willy
Loman lost his ability to see the world
clearly. All his eyes could observe was despair and
insecurity. It was through his beliefs that he decided to
end his
unhappiness, by ending his life. Willy
Loman died a
lost identity,
but one that found himself for a brief period
of time; long
enough to end his life forever.
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