Willy Loman Abandonment

Throughout Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman displays an array of psychological issues which result from his negative childhood experience. A distorted childhood combined with the lack of a father figure put Willy in a strange state where he is unsure of his own identity. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s paternal abandonment is the cause of his mental instability.

The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine defines child development as “the process of physical, intellectual, emotional, and social growth that occurs from infancy through adolescence”(Davidson 977). This developmental process is influenced by the support and nurturing given to the child. A child who is surrounded by a loving family may develop into a healthier and stable person, while one who is neglected may face the consequences of that maltreatment. Davidson states “psychological neglect is the failure to satisfy a child’s normal

His hallucinations along with the sound of the flute exhibit how he does not allow himself to move on from his childhood memories and into the present. The adverse effects of abandonment are displayed through Willy’s delusions, loneliness, depression, and desperation to be liked. His development was altered by his paternal abandonment and this provides an explanation for his later behaviors and instability as an adult. Even as a grown man, Willy Loman’s mental functioning is impaired due to the problems he faced in early childhood. The experience of paternal abandonment that Willy undergoes at a young age has insurmountable effects that establish a barrier to his psychological development and growth. As the course of his life continues, it becomes tougher for Willy to combat his feelings of depression and agitation. Willy’s paternal abandonment is shown to alter his behavior and influence his mental