Author Miller displays themes like man versus society, the American dream, and conflict between father and family by portraying false characteristics in order to avoid reality. The main protagonist from “Death of a Salesman” develops a false image of a father figure and successful business man in the working industry in order to serve as an example for his sons. A man with expectations desires for his sons to mimic his steps in the business world by achieving financial success with the house mortgage and life insurance. The American dream during the late 1940’s after World War II was an important time period where people managed to be productive in the business industry. Moreover, the role of consumerism haves appliances in which influences …show more content…
Willy Loman as the main protagonist desires for a successful life by following the societal expectations with acquiring wealth and a profitable occupation. However, Miller shows man versus society by portraying Willy’s lack of stable mind by his illusions. For example, Willy confronts his boss Howard with a desperate intention of not traveling any longer and requests for “fifty dollars a week” (Act II, p.80). Howard as Willy’s boss refuses to have Willy represent for his company and fires him. “I can't take blood from a stone” (Act II, p.81). Moreover, Howard with more success and authority refuses to have Willy no longer engage with the modern occupation and believes he needs a good long rest because of his generation. The time period for Willy is stressful and a tiring moment for him to be suitable in the modern world. Miller shows this through the relationship of Willy with Howard’s engagement with the wire recorder. In contrast to Howard's generation with Willy’s time period consist of being more socially confident than lacking a social quality in society. For example, Dave Singleton was an important hero for Willy who influenced him into business world. He was a man who was successful in his room with his green velvet slippers. “Without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, he made his living”(Act II, p.81). Willy believed by picking up a phone to call the buyers was the most successful career that would make him remembered, loved, and helped by so many different people like
Willy’s father, a “very great” and “wildhearted man,” made a living traveling and selling flutes, making “more in a week than a man like [Willy] could make in a lifetime” (Miller 34). Even though Willy barely knew his dad, he built him up in his head as an amazing person and role model, striving to be as “well liked” as him (Miller 34). Willy also idealizes his brother, Ben, as evidenced by his constant one-way conversations with him.... ... middle of paper ...
Willy pleads for Ben’s advice, and is constantly trying to get his attention, even though Ben has to ‘leave’. Ben is Willy’s older brother who has died. He, unlike Willy, has experienced a lot of success in the selling world. Willy is driven by Ben, and therefore tries to extract the keys to his success. Willy feels neglected when Ben does not speak with him, even though he is merely a hallucination.
Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, Americans have idealized the journey towards economic success. One thing people do not realize, however, is that the journey is not the same for every individual. Media often leads its viewers toward a “one size fits all” version of success that may help themselves, but will rarely help the viewers. This is seen in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Miller includes multiple instances of symbolism and personification to reveal to the reader the situational irony in Willy’s life, underlining the theme of self-deception in regard to the American Dream.
In Willy’s flashback during his meeting with Charley, Ben explains how he became rich by explaining, “when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out… by God, was I rich!” (Miller 36-37). Here, Ben hints how his success was due to his brave and wild actions of entering the jungle in a manly manner. Willy is inspired by these words of a rugged man who is well-liked by others, and tries to take on these traits himself. However, these traits are not fitting for Willy’s occupation as a salesman, since at the time, a good salesman was considered a polite man with a few words who was convincing in what they were selling. Willy tries to follow Ben’s ways, acting brash and being talkative around customers, which end up giving him little success. However, Willy refuses to change, and even states “a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked… when [Biff] walks into a business office his name will sound out like a bell and all the doors will open to him!” (65-66). Not only do these words show how heavily impacted Willy is by Ben, but it also
... Instead of offering him a job, Howard tells him to take “a good long rest” (Miller 89). This, of course, simply means that Willy is fired. This shows the inconsiderate quality of society, for Howard knows about Willy’s mental breakdown as he asks him if he has had one again (Miller 84). Instead of showing any pity or sympathy, he fires Willy, for there is no place left for an old and exhausted human being in a society where selling and success mean everything.
Foremost, Willy has a problem with his inability to grasp reality. As he grows older his mind is starting to slip. For example, when he talks to the woman and his brother Ben. Throughout the story, Willy dreams of talking to the woman, because the woman is a person that he was dating in when he went to Boston. He was cheating behind his wife’s back. Willy basically uses her as a scapegoat when he’s hallucinating about her. He blames all of his problems on the woman. For instance Willy says, “ Cause you do… There’s so much I want to make for.” (38) This is the evidence right here. Also he dreams about his brother Ben. Willy wishes could be more like his brother who has just passed away a couple of months previously to the story. He also wishes he didn’t have to work and could be rich like Ben. He respects Ben for not really working and making a lot of money. Another example of Willy’s hallucinations are when he says,“ How are you all?” (45) This occurs when Willy is talking with Charley and he starts thinking about Ben. Willy’s inability to grasp reality never changed throughout the story.
Throughout the play, Willy can be seen as a failure. When he looks back on all his past decisions, he can only blame himself for his failures as a father, provider, and as a salesman (Abbotson 43). Slowly, Willy unintentionally reveals to us his moral limitations that frustrates him which hold him back from achieving the good father figure and a successful business man, showing us a sense of failure (Moss 46). For instance, even though Willy wants so badly to be successful, he wants to bring back the love and respect that he has lost from his family, showing us that in the process of wanting to be successful he failed to keep his family in mind (Centola On-line). This can be shown when Willy is talking to Ben and he says, “He’ll call you a coward…and a damned fool” (Miller 100-101). Willy responds in a frightful manner because he doesn’t want his family, es...
Moseley, Merritt. "The American Dream in Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman." In Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom 's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom 's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 30 Nov. 2015
He desires recognition in the play and when he’s conversing with Howard and talks about his admiration toward Dave Singleman, he states “And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want. Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?.” (SparkNotes) He thought a salesman could get him the greatest job in the world because Dave Singleman at the age of eighty-four had died and hundreds of salesmen and buyers attended his funeral and Willy wanted that, he wanted the recognition and wanted everyone to well like him as much as they did to Dave Singleman and so many people would come to his funeral.... ...
To begin, Willy’s methods of searching for likeability are erroneous. He believes that the superficiality of attractiveness goes hand in hand with being well liked. Willy’s downfall started with his impression of Dave Singleman, an 84 year old salesman. According to Willy, he had “…the greatest career a man could want.” Sure this man was liked in cities around the world, but Willy’s altered perception of the American dream masked the realities of his life. Willy failed to see that instead of being retired at 84, Dave Singleman was unwed, still working, and in the end “dies the death of a salesman”; alone and without love. Believing in this dream, ultimately leads Willy to his hubris; too proud to be anything but a salesman. Throughout the play, Charlie often asks Willy, “You want a job?” Instead of escaping his reality of unpaid bills and unhappiness, Willy’s shallow values lead him to refuse the switch from him attractive job, to that of a carpent...
As a result, the fabricated life that Willy thought was perfect, ultimately falls apart as it turns into reality. To begin, Willy dreams the wrong dream because it is simply unrealistic. Willy dreams of becoming a salesman that is popular and successful to the extent that he can make sales from his own home, even at an old age. For this reason, Willy idolizes Dave Singleman, an 84 year old salesman that to Willy, exemplifies the pinnacle of success in his field. As Willy explains: His name was Dave Singleman.
Throughout his life, Willy Loman remains stuck in the proletariat class, while endlessly striving to earn and have more. Willy works tirelessly toward retirement, but nevertheless falls short in the finance department. When Willy’s boss, Howard, tells Willy he won’t give him an office job with the company, Willy causes a scene, shouting, in attempts to stay employed. Willy truly believes he helped make the business what it is today and therefore deserves to stay with the company, rather than be let go for unproductivity. Willy is absolutely devastated by Howard’s refusal, which leaves him unable to provide for his family.
Willy's goal throughout life was to climb out of his social class. As a salesman, Willy was a failure and he tried desperately to make his sons never end up like him. As a result, he loses his mind and his grasp on reality. Throughout the story, Willy often has flashbacks of the conversations that he and his brother Ben once had and the author intertwines them in past and present very nicely.
Towards the end of the play, the symbolism of Willy’s planting carrots, lettuce, and beets, in his backyard, further suggests to the audiences his desire to bring back nature and pastoral landscape, as America’s lifestyle is becoming more industrialized and modernized. Hence, Miller, in writing Death of a Salesman, not only focuses on the familial aspect, human dilemma, society as dehumanizing, but also – through the motifs of nature – emphasizes to the readers effects the so called “American dream”
Willy is a multi-faceted character which Miller has portrayed a deep problem with sociological and psychological causes and done so with disturbing reality. In another time or another place Willy might have been successful and kept his Sanity, but as he grew up, society's values changed and he was left out in the cold. His foolish pride, bad judgment and his disloyalty are also at fault for his tragic end and the fact that he did not die the death of a salesman.