Death Of A Salesman Analytical Essay

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Recommended: Analysis of the Character of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller’s play, “Death of a Salesman”, portrays the cost of selling oneself to the American dream. The main character, Willy Loman, is madly determined to achieve affluence which causes him to become mentally ill and suicidal. He instills in his sons, Biff and Happy Loman, that being charismatic will hand them a prosperous lifestyle. Happy trusts in his father’s ideology while Biff’s beliefs contradict that of his father and brother. He deems that success is a product of happiness and contentment, not a paycheck. Through the lens of Psychoanalytical theory, we able to recognize the fears and desires that drive each character, which epitomizes the impact of buying into the unfulfilling American Dream. Willy Loman, the salesman of the title, overlooks the rewarding treasures within his life because he focuses his attention on reaching the peak of success. His unconsciousness reminds him of his oblivious and careless actions in the form of flashbacks. Through these hallucinations, we learn about Willy’s past which depicts either the wrong decisions he has made or the poor influences he underwent. For instance, one of Willy’s flashbacks is about his deceased …show more content…

Akin to his father, Happy grew up as the neglected younger brother which causes his current dilapidate state. In one of Willy’s flashbacks, Happy and Biff help Willy wash his car. However, Willy is more interested in the football Biff stole which represents his corrupt belief in Biff’s budding success. It is clear that Willy favors Biff over Happy which is attributable to the lack of potential Happy displays. Now, as an assistant to an assistant department store manager, Happy is jumping through hoops to collect the attention from his father that he didn’t receive as a child. However, he, like Willy, is not following his true aspiration in order to gain recognition from his idol

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