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Character analysis essay on death of a salesman
Character analysis essay on death of a salesman
Death of salesman's character
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Willy Loman as Tragic Hero in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
The business world of today isn't all `peaches and cream'. The harsh reality of the business world is people are mostly interested in one thing, money. This reoccurring trait we have seen has plagued the business world for a millennia. As seen in the play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman, the main-character, falls victim to this evil trait. Willy always a hard-worker was fired for his lack of profit for the company he worked for. The injustices dealt to people everyday in the business world can be seen through the experiences of Willy Loman.
The business world has no room for compassion, specifically for the individual. Most companies cut loose those members of their community whom hurt their profits however what about those who do neither? Howard, the boss of Willy, fires Willy on the basis that he isn't being productive. Willy having worked for the company 34 years had gone from making a salary to working for commission. This slump of Willy's is due to the exhaustion of his job on the road. At the age of 63 Willy would have to get up at 3 in the morning, and drive hundreds of miles to places such as Florida from his home in Manhattan to try to make a sale. However, more often then not he wouldn't make one. Howard knew that the road job for Willy was very tiring as shown when he put Willy on commission. However, when Willy went in to see Howard about getting a desk job, Willy was met with disrespect and greed. Howard's explanation to his reason is .".. you gotta admit, business is business." (Act II 60) This quote shows clearly that because Willy wasn't producing anything he was of no worth to the company. However, we know that Howard has the means by which to employee Willy through his references such has having a maid and his recent purchase of the tape recorder. Howard's greed leads him to ignore the fact that Willy has worked for this company for 34 years and has never asked for a favor before. Thus the individual, Willy, was shown no compassion because of Howard's greed and was fired because of it.
cant seem to - keep my mind to it". This gives us the first indication
Willy Loman’s character is capable of making errors. He believes he is a very successful salesman and well liked. He also thinks that the company likes what he is doing. He once said, “I’m the New England man. I am vital in New England” (Miller pg. 32) Because of his false belief about his success Howard fired him. After he got fired charley offered him a job, but he refuses to accept, because he is too proud and jealous to work for Charley. His actions were wrong because at no time was a successful salesman. He is not a powerful character. Willy lives in his fantasies where he is the man. Who goes out to another place and comes out rich, he is love by everyone and admired by his family. In real life, he is lazy and does not live up to his own ideals. “As Aristotle explains, a tragic hero must be one of noble character and must fall from power and happiness.”(Www.ccd.rightchoice.org/lit115/poetics.html) but Willy neither has a noble characteristic nor does he fall from power because he does not have a position of power.
preparing us for the tragedy. I will be focusing on Act 3 Scene 1 and
Many dilemmas throughout the recent decades are repercussions of an individual's foibles. Arthur Miller represents this problem in society within the actions of Willy Loman in his modern play Death of a Salesman. In this controversial play, Willy is a despicable hero who imposes his false value system upon his family and himself because of his own rueful nature, which is akin to an everyman. This personality was described by Arthur Miller himself who "Believe[s] that the common man is as apt a subject for a tragedy in its highest sense as kings were" (Tragedy 1).
Act 3, scene 5 is a vital scene in the play, as it shows how the
have a nice talk with him. I’ll get him a job selling. He could be
The Impact of Ben Loman’s Character on Theme and Character Development in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Act 3 Scene 5 is a significant scene in the play as within this one
Created in 1595, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is about two star-crossed lovers from opposing families who hold an ancient grudge. The theme is about love and hate throughout the play.
“Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet provides a mimetic resume of this rivalry between English and Italian styles of swordplay."(Saunders) Here Saunders states that we see a summary of the conflict of swordplay styles acted out. The allusion to the “subtext of English swordplay versus Italian fencing…would have been apparent in the drama to Elizabethan audiences, but it is lost on modern viewers.”(Saunders) A modern viewer lacks the background knowledge that an Elizabethan audience would have had. Without this essential knowledge this allusion goes unnoticed to most modern viewers despite the fact that there is ample evidence in the text. Curiosity might lead oneself to ask questions such as: Which houses implement which styles of swordplay and what evidence is there in the text to support this? What swords or other weapons would have been used in each of these styles?
The second complication that destroys Willy is his aging. By getting older he can't do the things he used to do. His aging affects his work because he is not the salesman he once was. He is not making enough money to support his wife, Linda, and himself. Being 60, Willy is getting too old for the traveling he does for his work. Willy asks his boss, Howard, for a raise and Howard fires him. Willy is really worn out and Howard knows this. This situation in end destroys Willy's pride and he could never ask his sons for money.
Willy Loman equates success as a human being with success in the business world. When Willy was a young man, he heard of a salesman who could "pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, make his living." (81) This salesman is Willy's inspiration; someday to be so respected and so well known that he can still provide for his family, even at an old age. Of course, Willy is no good at being a salesman because his heart isn't in it. The only time Willy puts his heart into anything is when he works with his hands, and his son, Biff, comes to realize this. "There's more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made." (138) Willy never comes to the realization that it is not being a salesman that he cares about, but rather being well known and, perhaps more importan...
Willy Loman’s tragic flow leads him to purse the idea that reputation in society has more relevancies in life than knowledge and education to survive in the business. His grand error of wanting recognition drove him crazy and insane and lead to his tragic death. Willy’s hubris makes him feel extremely proud of what he has, when in reality he has no satisfaction with anything in his life. Willy Loman’s sons did not reach his expectations, as a father but he still continued to brag about Biff and Happy in front of Bernard. Willy Loman caused the reader to empathize with him because before his tragic death he did everything he could for his family. Empathy, Hubris , and Willy Loman’s tragic flow all lead him to his death that distend for him the beginning.
In Arthur Miller’s drama “Death of a Salesman'; the protagonist is a character by the name of Willy Loman. Willy suffers from self-delusion and is obsessed with a desire to succeed. Willy’s family is strongly influenced by his actions, which contributes to their own self-delusions. Willy has an extremely large ego and fabricates most if not all of his success. He brags about how much money he makes inflating his sales commissions to his wife Linda. Willy is too proud to accept a job from Charley yet he seems to have no problem accepted money from him to make ends meet. Willy says; “I’m keeping strict accounts'; (1683) of the money Charley gives him, but has no intention of ever repaying the debt. Willy wants to be recognized, liked and admired. In Willy’s mind success is linked to how well a person is liked. He exaggerates how well liked and respected he really is and tells his sons Biff and Happy in order for them to be truly successful they must first be well liked. Linda is an enabler and is codependent on Willy. She encourages him and participates in his delusions. Linda is unselfish and her life revolves around Willy and the boys. Despite what she might think or feel personally she tries to influence Biff and Happy to listen to their father stating; “attention must be paid'; and encouraging them to participate in his delusions. By giving into Willy, trying to keep peace in the family and trying to avoid hurting him she is actually causing more harm than good. Biff is irresponsible and unable to find happiness. He learned from Willy the way to achieve success is through lying, stealing, and powerful acquaintances. His disillusionment with his father stems from the discovery of Willy’s adulterous relationship and unfaithfulness to his mother. Biff becomes frustrated with his mother when she defends Willy. He rebels against success and authority taking pleasure in defying his father. He does try to face the truth and has a sense of moral responsibility. Biff has inherited some of Willy’s best traits. He believes there is a better life out there for him, but not as a salesman. He wants to be outside working with his hands, which ironically is when Willy seems to be truly happy and when he feels he has been successful at something. Happy has inherited the worst of Willy’s traits.
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.