Tragedy In Willy Lomen
Within a tragedy, a tragic hero is a main character that falls from a state of grace to despair at an extreme rate. Normally within a tragedy the character that undergoes this fatal change is an individual that possesses nobility. However, Arthur Miller believes that tragedy can affect an individual within an average man if they possess hamartia, also known as a “tragic flaw”. In Death Of a Salesmen, the main character Willy Loman possesses all the characteristics of a tragic hero. Willy Loman’s tragic flaw is his possession of his excessive and unwarranted pride. Willy’s pride affects his relationship with his son that ultimately causes tension and resentment within the family. It made Willy live life that consisted
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Earlier in Willy’s life he had the opportunity to peruse a career that he genuinely enjoyed (Carpentry). However, Willy’s pride along with his desire to live the American dreams causes him to believe that a career in the sales business is more rewarding than being a carpenter. In act II during a conversation between Willy and his son Biff on the discussion of Willy’s career choice, Willy said to Biff “I am not a dime of a dozen! I am Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman!” (Miller p-105). Here Willy shows the audience that he believes that being a Lomen is a big significance and believes that they are destined to live a life with a prestigious career. Willy even took offence when his son Biff suggested becoming a carpenter, which he then replies with, “Even your grandfather was better than a carpenter” (Miller, p-48). Throughout the play Willy’s pride does not allow him to face the fact that he has made the wrong decision with becoming a salesmen. Instead his ego and pride makes him believe that he in indeed a popular and successful salesman, when in reality he is one of the lowest earning businessmen within the business industry. Eventually Willy gets fired from his job leaving him unable to support for his family and eventually seeks financial help from his wealthy neighbor Charley (Charley is Willy’s foil, which is why Willy is extremely envious of charley). When Charley gives Willy fifty dollars Willy says, “Charley look… I got my insurance to pay, if you can manage it- I need a hundred and ten dollars” (Miller, p-75). Not only is Willy is unappreciative from Charley’s kind gesture, but he is asking for even more. Charley has pity for Willy and gives him the opportunity to work for him, but due to Willy’s unwarranted pride he declines rudely without thinking about his need to support his family. If Willy’s pride weren’t so excessive he would’ve been able to see his failures earlier on, giving
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.
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).
At the beginning of the play it is evident that he cannot determine the realities of life, and so he repeatedly contradicts himself to establish that his conclusion is correct and opinion accepted. These numerous contradictions demonstrate that Willy is perturbed of the possibility that negative judgements may come from others. Willy strongly believes that “personality always wins” and tells his sons that they should “be liked and (they) will never want”. In one of Willy’s flashbacks he recalls the time when his sons and him were outside cleaning their Chevy. Willy informs Biff and Happy the success of his business trips and how everyone residing in Boston adores him. He mentions that due to the admiration of people he does not even have to wait in lines. He ultimately teaches his sons that being liked by others is the way to fulfilling one’s life and removing your worries. These ideals, that one does not need to work for success, demonstrate Willy’s deluded belief of achieving a prosperous life from the admiration and acceptance of others. This ultimately proves to be a false ideology during his funeral, when an insufficient amount of people arrive. Willy constantly attempts to obtain other’s acceptance through his false tales that depict him as a strong, successful man. In the past, he attempts to lie to his wife, Linda, about the amount of wealth he has attained during his
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller concerns itself with the fall of a simple man perpetually in a steadfast state regarding his own failure in a success-driven society. The protagonist of the play, Willy Loman, will follow a tragic trajectory that will eventually lead to his suicide. Arthur Miller's tragic play is an accurate portrayal of the typical American myth that sustains an extreme craving for success and a belief in the illusion of the American dream, a dream attainable only by a handful of people. Having chosen a career in sales Willy Loman constantly aspires to become 'great'. Nevertheless, Willy is a poor aging salesman that considers himself to be a failure when comparing himself to his successful father and brother, but he is incapable of consciously admitting it. Consequently, Willy will measure his level of success with the level of success attained by his offspring, particularly his eldest son Biff. Their difficult relationship contribute to the play's main plot. Willy unfolds his deluded perception and recollection of the events as the audience gradually witnesses the tragic downfall of a man shadowed by a mental illness that has already began to take it's toll on his mind and personality.
(Miller 1117). Charley just really wants to help him out and Willy being the prideful man he is, just won’t except it and won 't take it because he is better than that and he is successful. These beliefs of Willy are very deeply
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...
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’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 distends from the beginning. He is unable to face reality and realize that he’s not successful in life or at his job; he remains living in a world where he thinks he’s greater than everybody else because he’s a salesman.
Willy told Charley “ I can't work for you, that’s all, don’t ask me why”(98). Accepting the offer to work would make it known that he is inferior, and conceal to Charley of getting fired. Since he lost his job as a salesman, he would rather ask Charley for loans of fifty dollars each week in order to pay his
This offer is great and it could make Willy wealthy, but his egotistical ways and his “skewed vision of success, [lead him to] believe that he and his boys are on the precipice of something great” (Pride in Death of a Salesman). As a result of this unethical decision, Willy chooses to stay where he is and continue to live his miserable life that is feathered in faint dreams and
Willy's search to find his mistakes of his life failed because, even though he found out what happened to Biff, he did not search for the right thing: his identity. Willy found out that his affair made Biff envision his father as a fake and phony, but he did not realize that a salesman was not the right job for him. When Willy died, no one came to his funeral (Act II. Scene I). This just showed that Willy was not the man he thought he was. He thought he was a great salesman with an unlimited amount of friends, but, when he died, no one was at his funeral but his family (Act II. Scene I). It showed that Willy was just a simple craftsman, who only needed attention and love from his family, and did not need fame or to be well-known ("Arthur Miller and Others," 311-314)
For years, both sons have tried to become successful, but have consistently come up short. “Their dilemma not only mirrors Willy’s identity crisis but also indict him for his ineptitude as a father. Moreover, seeing his failure reflected in the lives of his sons further intensifies Willy’s guilt and hastens his decline. (Centola
Willy believes that he is much more successful than he is in reality. The first sign of Willy’s illusion about his life occurs rather early in the play. He has the illusion that “[he’s] the New England man. [He’s] vital in New England” (14). In reality any person could have taken Willy’s position at work. This illusion leads to his downfall because as his life begins to fall apart, he lives in the illusion that he has enough money to support his family, so he does not recognize that he has to put the pieces of his reality back together. More towards the end of the play, in an outburst of anger Willy refuses to be called “a dime a dozen” and states “I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman” (132), as if the Loman family is a special figure in society. His unclear view of his place in society leads to his destruction; with only one view of his life, Willy believes that he is living his life to the fullest.
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.
... Willy says to Charlie: "Funny you know? After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.3" This statement is a sad reflection on the state of mind that Willy is in due the unfortunate combination of his ideals and the change which has occurred in his society.