How Is Willy Loman Successful

2000 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Arthur miller essay

Because Death of a Salesman is set in the late 1940’s, in the midst of a hardworking America, Arthur Miller’s portrayal of Willy Loman reflects the struggles of having trouble balancing a successful job with the ever changing economy. Even though small sales men, like him, are having trouble thriving, he attempts to live on ideals of a successful business man. Without the ability to confront reality, Loman’s pathetic life and failures are an effect of his skewed outlook on capitalist society and its values. One reason why his life goes downhill is because he believes that he can make business by merely being well liked. Also, Loman does not realize the insensitivity that is part of the capitalist industry. The fear that Willy will be a failure …show more content…

Willy Loman’s main piece of advice to Biff is to always stay well liked and charming towards others. He is most proud of Biff because throughout high school he was a huge football success causing him to be admired by students and coaches. Willy Loman’s obsession with being well liked causes him to have an attitude that it is an immediate ticket to success. However, this is far from true. With an ever changing economy, Loman cannot merely rely on his charm to gain customers and make a fortune. His false notion that being well liked causes success stems from him giving that advice to Biff when he was in high school. Biff passed through high school as a top athlete and always seemed to get his way through charm. Seeing the benefit that Biff received when he became positively well known, provokes Willy Loman to believe that he can get that same result in the workplace. For instance, when Biff was a teenager, Willy impressed him by boasting about how he allegedly always got customers by being liked and how he “never [has] to wait in line to see a buyer” (21 Miller). This is a perfect example on how Loman exaggerates his work to get affirmation from Biff and prove to him that his advice of being esteemed leads to success. Willy even criticizes Bernard, the son of Willy’s friend Charley, because he is more focused on using his academics as a pathway to success instead of relying solely on his personality. Willy’s analysis for Bernard not ever making it in the real world compared to Biff, is because Bernard is “not well liked…[and] when he gets out in the business world, [Biff] will be five times ahead of him…[because] the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (20 Miller). This gives Willy an even more skewed perspective on true success and power in the business world. Even though, after high school,

Show More
Related

  • Biff And Willy Loman In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is stated by Standage that, “Sandage believes Willy Loman was a success. But the message of the play, he says, is that “if you level off, you have to give up. You might as well not live”” (Baird 25). This is quite ironic because all Willy does is push to be successful and he when he can’t he puts expects his son’s to follow through so he gives up. He constantly reminds them, “the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (Miller 67). This is also ironic because Willy is the man who creates personal interest in the business world, but when everyone passes away he is left with nothing but the past to remember. This false reality that Willy creates for Biff brings on the conflicts between the father and son duo due to the fact that Biff fails as a result of the way he was raised. So by the time Biff goes to interview for his first job he thinks that his success will come with no effort

    Read More

  • What Does Willy's Criteria To Achieve The American Dream

    296 Words  | 1 Pages

    Willy Loman is a hard working American who is trying to achieve the classic American dream. However, Willy’s criteria to becoming successful are somewhat skewed. Willy believes that business is a very personal job. One of Willy’s keys to success is personality and how having a fun, kind personality will get more business. Along with personality, comes making friends and connections in business. Mr. Loman also believes that making personal connections to customers is important to business. Willy says he gets lonely “especially when business is bad and there’s nobody to talk to” (P.38) and this compares his belief of making connections and success or lack thereof. Similar to making connections, Willy thinks, and therefore teaches his sons, that

    Read More

  • Willy's Misconception of Himself in “Death of a Salesman”

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play, “Death of a Salesman” written by Arthur Miller, presents Willy Loman, as a salesman, who fails to earn a living and slowly loses his mind. Willy continuously seeks the past to find out where he went wrong. During his years in life, Willy wanted his two sons, Biff and Happy to become someone they’re not; Willy wanted them to become a salesman like him. However, because of his obsession in the American Dream of easy success and wealth, he created a life full of lies for himself and his sons. In the end because of “his misconception of himself as someone capable of greatness” leads to his downfall and the end of his life (Death of a Salesman).”

    Read More

  • Willy's Delusions In Death Of A Salesman

    316 Words  | 1 Pages

    The portrayal of Willy Loman in In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman demonstrates the idea that conforming due to a fear of failure results in delusion. Throughout the play, Willy takes actions that demonstrate an ignorance of his failures and his delusions of grandeur, showing his focus on projecting a successful image as a salesman. This is found in his delusion regarding Biff and Happy when they were in high school. In it, he mentions the importance of forming an image and how being well-liked is crucial to success. Willy states, “There’ll be open sesame for all of us... ...

    Read More

  • Death of a Salesman: The Flaws and Failures of Willy Loman

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willy Loman is a 60 year old senile salesman who desperately wants to be a successful salesman; however, his ideas about the ways in which one goes about achieving this are very much misguided, just as his morals are. He believes that popularity and good looks are the key to achieving the American dream, rather than hard work and dedication. He not only lives his entire life by this code, but instills his delusional beliefs in his two sons Biff and Happy. As a result, his sons experience similar failures in their adult lives. Willy led a life of illusion, lies and regret which not only ruined his life, but gad a negative impact on the lives of family as well.

    Read More

  • Willy's Tragic Flaw

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Earlier in Willy’s life he had the opportunity to peruse a career that he genuinely enjoyed (Carpentry). However, Willy’s pride along with his desire to live the American dreams causes him to believe that a career in the sales business is more rewarding than being a carpenter. In act II during a conversation between Willy and his son Biff on the discussion of Willy’s career choice, Willy said to Biff “I am not a dime of a dozen! I am Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman!” (Miller p-105).

    Read More

  • The Character of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    Willy Loman is a firm believer in the "American Dream:" the notion that any man can rise from humble beginnings to greatness.  His particular slant on this ideal is that a man succeeds by selling his charisma, that to be well liked is the most important asset a man can have.  He made a living at this for 30 years, but as he enters the reclining years of his life, people have stopped smiling back and he can no longer sell the firm's goods to support himself.  His ambition was one of greatness, to work hard and to be a member of the firm; and if he could not succeed in this respect, that he should at least be well-liked and be able to sell until the day of his death:  When his friends would flock from all over the country to pay their respects.

    Read More

  • Death Of A Salesman Willy Character Analysis

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play, The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller,Willy Loman, an unsuccessful businessman struggling to support his family is completely out of touch with reality throughout the plot line. Many characters throughout this play and their interactions with Willy have shown the audience his true colors and what he thinks is important in life. His constant lying and overwhelming ego certainly does not portray his life in factual terms, but rather in the false reality that he has convinced himself he lives in. Being raised by Willy, Biff and Happy are becoming failures and have no motivation to work hard to achieve anything in life. Throughout this novel, Biff has a few recurrences with stealing.

    Read More

  • Biff And Happy In Death Of A Salesman Research Paper

    1232 Words  | 3 Pages

    This provides the reader with evidence that the ideas that Willy presented to his sons would make history repeat itself in the next generation.   Unlike his brother and father Biff Loman feels compelled to seek the truth about himself. He is Willy's pride and joy, being the first-born; Biff is the personification of all of Willy's dreams, he would be respected and "well liked".   As a teenager, Biff worshipped his father. He was everything Willy wanted him to be -- star athlete, popular with the girls, "well liked" by everyone, he was   "Like a young god.

    Read More

  • Success In Auther Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    581 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willy's wants his son Biff to be the successful man that he never was, but however feels that Biff will not achieve that success because he think his son Biff is lazy, then he contradict him self saying that hes not lazy. " Biff is a lazy bum ", "Biff loman is lost. in the greatest country in the world a young man with such personal attractiveness, gets lost. and such a

    Read More

  • Willy Loman's American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s warped view of the American Dream caused tragedy in his family because he stressed the importance of popularity over hard work and risk-taking over perserverence. *Willy grew up believing that being "well-liked" was important to becoming a success. He believed that being well-liked could help you charm teachers and open doors in business. *He is proud that the neighborhood boys flock around Biff and respond to Biff’s athletic abilities, and in the same breath scoffs at the nerdy Bernard, who is too focused on school and his studies to be popular. Even though Biff turns out to be a failure as an adult, Willy holds on to the hopes that a business man who Biff met years ago will offer him a terrific job if Biff can be his old likeable self and recapture the confidence and grace he had as a teenager.

    Read More

  • Willy's Struggle for Identity in "Death of a Salesman"

    1480 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout his life, Willy Loman thinks of himself as well-liked in the play "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. It is the most important attribute to him. Willy lived his life thinking he had thousands of friends all over the New England territory and that he would be recognized anywhere he would go. He boasts this to his sons and they think he is the greatest man on Earth. He raises his two sons, Biff and Happy, to be well-liked and Willy does not care about their grades. He believes they will be better prepared for the business world if they are well-liked, and does not think education matters as much as personality, appearance, and physical skill. Although he has set high standards for sons, his morals are being well-liked, he thinks he is the best salesman in his firm, and he claims to be extremely loyal to his family; despite this, he is none of these.

    Read More

  • Willy's Inability to Adapt to Modern Society in Death of a Salesman

    2112 Words  | 5 Pages

    He is fervently determined to succeed in his contemporary competitive society. In a conversation with his children about Bernard, he enumerates a few features he presumes as important if one wants to have success. Willy tells his children that Bernard might get the best grades in school, but they will certainly have more success than he will as they are “[…] built like Adonis’s” (Miller 34). Willy assumes that it is necessary to be attractive to become successful. Additionally, he says that it is “[…] the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (Miller 34). Moreover, Willy states that “it’s not what you say; it’s how you say it – because personality always wins the day” (Miller 70). Willy believes that if he wants to become a successful businessperson, he has to impress people with his appearance and with his looks; he has to seduce his customers with his personality and his charm. Willy has his own role model he looks up to - it is Dave Singleman, who incarnates what Willy so adamantly wants to be, as he became a successful businessperson. Through him, […] [Willy] real...

    Read More

  • Failure of the American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willy Loman equates success as a human being with success in the business world.  When Willy was a young man, he heard of a salesman who could "pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, make his living." (81) This salesman is Willy's inspiration; someday to be so respected and so well known that he can still provide for his family, even at an old age.  Of course, Willy is no good at being a salesman because his heart isn't in it.  The only time Willy puts his heart into anything is when he works with his hands, and his son, Biff, comes to realize this.  "There's more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made." (138) Willy never comes to the realization that it is not being a salesman that he cares about, but rather being well known and, perhaps more importan...

    Read More

  • Is Willy Loman a Tragic Hero in "Death of Salesman

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    Willy Loman’s tragic flow leads him to purse the idea that reputation in society has more relevancies in life than knowledge and education to survive in the business. His grand error of wanting recognition drove him crazy and insane and lead to his tragic death. Willy’s hubris makes him feel extremely proud of what he has, when in reality he has no satisfaction with anything in his life. Willy Loman’s sons did not reach his expectations, as a father but he still continued to brag about Biff and Happy in front of Bernard. Willy Loman caused the reader to empathize with him because before his tragic death he did everything he could for his family. Empathy, Hubris , and Willy Loman’s tragic flow all lead him to his death that distend for him the beginning.

    Read More

More about How Is Willy Loman Successful

Open Document