How Is Willy Loman Successful

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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,

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