Comparing Willy Loman And Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

Terrence Smith and Mike Miller stated that “the purpose of drama is not to define thought but to provoke it.” While “defining thought” implies to guiding the reader towards a specific idea or belief, a piece of work that “provokes thought” allows readers to analyze the content with different perspectives. In the post World War II era, American playwrights such as Arthur Miller and Lorraine Hansberry used a variety of literary techniques in their plays to provoke thought and inspire the audience. Miller’s Death of a Salesman chronicles the life of Willy Loman, a failing salesman, and his endless struggles with guilt, pride, dreams, and family relationships that ultimately destroys him. In Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the author explores

the topics of identity, racial pride, moral responsibility, and family through the story of the Youngers, an African American family that strives to achieve their deferred dreams. The display of various themes in the two plays encourages the audience to develop different interpretations and understanding of the content, which provokes thoughts instead of defining it. Miller and Hansberry characterize Willy Loman’s failure to understand the meaning of love and Lena Younger’s expression of unconditional love towards her son to emphasize the importance of love and acceptance in a family relationship, ultimately suggesting that compassion, understanding, and support from family cultivate one’s strength to overcome despair and gain emotional fulfillment.
Due to Willy Loman’s failure to realize that a successful, happy life is not based on materialistic success but on love, he struggles to understand Biff’s perspective and thus places unrealistic expectations upon him, which emotionally torments Biff and crumbles their relationship. When Ben offers Willy to go to Alaska with him to seek fortune, Willy is immediately attached to the idea of gaining wealth. However, his wife Linda objects the plan and exclaims:
LINDA. You’re doing well enough, Willy!
BEN, to Linda. Enough for what, my dear?
LINDA, frightened of Ben and angry at him. Don’t say those things to him! Enough to be happy right here, right now. To Willy, while Ben laughs: Why must everybody conquer the world? You’re well liked, and the boys love you, and someday—to Ben—why, old man Wagner told him just the other day that if he keeps it up he’ll be a member of the firm, didn’t he, Willy? (Miller 85)
Willy is constantly seen seeking for materialistic success and fantasizing for the future, but never truly being content and appreciative of what he already has. Contrary to Willy, Linda feels fulfilled with her life and finds happiness in her family. Linda, who realizes that Willy’s life is perfectly satisfactory, understands that having a loving family and stable job is more valuable than any financial achievement. Thus, she urges Willy to see that he has a supportive family who loves him and tries to prevent him from being entirely consumed with the idea of seeking happiness elsewhere. Linda becomes frightened that Willy, who has not understood the importance of family, might engage in unhealthy practices in order to fulfill his wild ambitions. In fact, Willy makes a detrimental mistake by forcing his ideologies and dreams onto his favorite son, Biff. After multiple failed attempts to explain his true thoughts and to reconcile with Willy, Biff finally explodes in anger during an argument:
BIFF. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and the time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am! Why can’t I say that, Willy? (Miller 132)
Biff’s emotional breakdown towards the end of the novel signifies Willy’s inability to appreciate and accept Biff for who he is.

By prohibiting Biff from doing what he loves, Willy loses Biff’s love and respect. Willy is never shown making progress in his approach to gain fulfillment. In the end of the novel, he still does not understand that he should be satisfied simply because he has a family that loves him, Linda’s comments earlier are completely ignored. Since Willy believes that the only way to gain happiness is to become wealthy, he continues to pressure Biff so that he could achieve his own dreams through Biff’s materialistic success. Biff, who finally gathers the courage to confront his father, expresses his frustration of having to become someone he is not because of Willy’s high expectations for him. He struggles to receive Willy’s support and acceptance, but has met direct opposition every time. Even though Willy loves Biff beyond anyone else, he fails to properly convey his feelings because he does not realize that Biff’s happiness is more valuable than monetary success. Willy develops the wrong idea that everything will be perfect once Biff becomes a successful businessman, but he does not realize that Biff can only become happy if he is given the chance to pursue his own dreams. Throughout the play, Miller portrays the tragic consequences when a parent’s adherence to money pressures the child into a career against their wish. Due to the lack of love Willy

expresses to his family caused by his misconceptions, Biff never succeeds in anything he does to live up to Willy’s dreams, while Happy completely loses faith in his family. The author emphasizes that having love and support from family is more valuable than any other materialistic gains. Because Willy is unable to recognize this fact throughout the play, he never truly overcomes despair and finds peace within himself. The main victim tormented by Willy’s mistakes, Biff is never able to pursue his own dreams and achieve happiness.
Lena Younger helps Walter realize the value of family over monetary success through her understanding of the importance of love and her expression of forgiveness and acceptance towards Walter’s mistakes, which eventually strengthens the bond between the family and empowers Walter to overcome his failures and find fulfillment from the love he receives.

When Walter describes the disillusionment and lack of motivation he feels to Lena, she relays her apologies to him for being opposed to his investment plans previously:

MAMA. What you ain’t never understood is that I ain’t got nothing, don’t own nothing, ain’t never really wanted nothing that wasn’t for you. There ain’t nothing as precious to me… There ain’t nothing worth holding on to, money, dreams, nothing else—if it means—if it means it’s going to destroy my boy. (Hansberry

106)
Lena’s wholehearted confession to Walter explains her reasoning behind being initially against Walter’s dreams. Behind her firm stance and strong appearance, all she cares about is Willy’s safety and happiness. As a mother figure, Lena is full of compassion and love for her children, she understands that there is nothing more valuable than the well being of her child in the world. Since Lena does not feel that Willy’s investments in alcohol will be promising, she initially stands before Willy’s dreams in order to protect him from possible dangers. However, after realizing that giving Walter a chance to pursue his dreams is also a way of expressing her love for him, Lena decides to give Walter her support. As the sensible, wise person in the family, Lena is able to find emotional fulfillment in her family members. Nevertheless, she has the duty to help the rest of the family realize this fact. Later on in the play, when Walter’s unpromising investment fails and loses money for the whole family, the victim Beneatha places the blame on Walter and condemns him with despise, even claiming that she does not recognize him as her brother. Lena immediately steps in and reprimands Beneatha for being inconsiderate and heartless:
MAMA. There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean for yourself and for the family ‘cause we lost the money. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? [...] It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in hisself ‘cause the world done whipped him so! (Hansberry 145)
Lena’s heartfelt message for Beneatha in the end expresses her unconditional love for Walter despite his mistakes and failures. Beneatha, who only looks at the surface of Walter’s failure, merely recognizes the consequences of his action and how it affects her. She does not feel Walter’s pain and agony like Lena does and is unable to realize that Walter is being tortured as well. Beneatha’s lack of love towards Walter directly contrasts with Lena’s wholehearted love and compassion for him. Because Lena knows that she will always love Walter regardless of what he does, she offers him even more love when he is in despair and needs the most support. Lena’s remark completely transforms the mood in the room and encourages Walter to let go of his obsession with money. In the end of the novel, Walters stands up for his family and abandons his previous plan to accept money from Mr. Lindner. With determination and pride, Walter declares:
WALTER. And we have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it for us brick by brick. (MAMA has her eyes closed and is rocking back and forth as though she were in church, with her head nodding the Amen yes) We don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors. [...] We don’t want your money. (Hansberry 148)
Walter, who is initially consumed in disillusionment, receives the love and support from his family and recognizes their value after Lena’s speech. Knowing that his family will be behind his back, Walter becomes motivated to take pride in his family and fulfill their dream of moving into a new house. Realizing the fact that no amount of money will be able to replace the fulfillment he receives from having a loving family, Walter transforms from the money-drive, selfish man into a mature, responsible, and compassionate individual. Even though the family might encounter challenges in their future, Walter insists on moving into the new house in order to achieve his family’s dream. The act of selflessness and understanding proves that Walter truly understands the importance of love, and he showcases his love for his family by fulfilling their dream. Ultimately, Lena’s overflow of love for Walter provides him the strength to overcome his mistakes and truly appreciate his family. In contrast with Willy’s failure to provide love and support of Biff, Lena succeeds as a parent in her genuine actions that are completely driven by her hope for Walter’s happiness. Whereas Biff never truly finds the strength to achieve his dreams and become who he wishes to be, Walter is empowered to step out of his past, regain his pride, and find happiness in his family.
With the contrasting characterization of the two parent figures in the plays, Willy’s lack of recognition for the value of love as opposed to Lena’s outpour of love for her children clearly reveals the divergent consequences that results from the lack or excess of support, acceptance, and understanding from family members. It is simple to overlook the importance of family when one is preoccupied with the various distractions and struggles in life. While many are busily striving to find happiness elsewhere, it is essential to realize that happiness has always been at home, where love belongs.