Mojej Stronie

Death of a Salesman: Essay Number 5

2012-01-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

For millions of people throughout the nation there is a belief instilled in them that anything is possible for them in the land of the free. Defeat, however, was an all too common end for many aspiring Americans hoping to reach their own elusive American Dream. In Arthur Miller’s 1949 play, Death of a Salesman, he narrates the final days of an aging salesman, Willy Loman, still bent on chasing his dream for success to such an extent that he denies his failures and generates an illusion of the past. Conjuring up a myriad of lies, he deludes himself into thinking he is really making it and refuses to accept that he is in need of financial assistance. After losing his job his friend, Charley, offers him to take a position in Charley’s company because he knows Willy desperately needs it. Willy rejects the offer, refusing to acknowledge the fact that it is crucial he earn money not only to support his family but also for his psychological wellbeing. He later commits suicide and leaves a lasting scar on his family that touched them each in different ways. It was because of Willy Loman’s excessive pride and belief in the American Dream that held him back from acknowledging the truth and turning his life around, causing him to give up his life and leave a disheartening legacy to his wife and two boys.

One of Willy Loman’s biggest flaws was his haughtiness and overconfidence in himself and his sons. He strongly believed that charisma and character would outshine hard work and innovation in the business world. He even told his sons “Personality always wins the day”. Willy let his pride get in the way of an opportunity he desperately needed: a paying job that was offered to him by his friend Charley. When his boys were growing up he always saw potential in them, especially Biff who was the star athlete on the football team, and swore their futures would be bright. By having too much confidence in his sons and their road to success through their likeability he created competition between himself and Charley who had a son, Bernard, close in age to Biff. Bernard was concentrated on studying and working hard in school, something Willy saw as unnecessary for his prized son who would surely win people over with his finesse. When it was Bernard who actually made it out on top later in life Willy began acting insulted by innocent comments made by his friend Charley. He could never accept a job working under Charley because that would be an admission of defeat, it would mean that Charley had won the success that Willy so longed for. Even as he is about to go kill himself he is still thinking about getting ahead of Charley and Bernard, saying, “Just wait until the mail comes in, he’ll be ahead of Bernard again”. Everything he does is to be triumphant, to get ahead of the pack and even small victories he hopes to achieve through his son will do.

Even in death the legacy he left his family was one that mirrored his yearning to make it big in the business world. His death and what it meant, however, affected each family member differently. Though he killed himself so his beloved son could claim the insurance money and start up a new business to fulfill Willy’s dream, Biff actually took a different route and realized the business world just isn’t for him. At first he rejected his father’s dream to obtain the American Dream and gain success because he had no respect for his father; but in Willy’s death Biff went through a self-realization of his own. He understood that he didn’t want to be like his father and take part in a world where competition would swallow him up because he truly didn’t enjoy that, where he genuinely wanted to be was outdoors and in nature. Linda, Willy’s wife, seemed numbed by the experience, talking to Willy in his grave exclaiming she couldn’t even cry and that she just felt as if he were on another business trip. Happy, however, was more influenced by Willy’s wish for his son’s and turned into exactly what his father was: a money hungry man who believed happiness could only be achieved through success. While he left them all with the same impression they each took it a distinctive way to shape their lives in the future and remember their much-loved father and husband.

The tragic tale of Willy Loman is not one with a happy ending, nor does it inspire viewers to go out and make something of themselves. It does, on the other hand, paint a picture of what so many citizens throughout history have struggled with. The will to be successful in the land of opportunities because that is exactly what they are given: opportunities. Learning from Willy Loman, it teaches readers to not let pride come in the way of what things are in reality, and that sometimes, just sometimes, it is better to admit defeat than live life as a phony and end up executing actions that do not produce the intended consequences.

2012-01-06T14:06:00.001-08:00

9. People believe that the path to happiness lays within the amount of material goods they posses. Society has taught us to associate having material items with our contentment because of advertisements and the culture of America. When people believe that they were made in God’s image and that he determines their success it leads to frustration because they will see the success far surpassing their own and grow resentful that God hasn’t chosen them to achieve success, life would be so much less fair. Jesus’ prophecy leaves implications because we are supposed to be content knowing that we are saved and now have the chance of eternal life, but in society that isn’t enough. Because people are taught to value material items and wealth as a symbol of their happiness it conflicts with just being glad you are to be with God after death, being able to get rid of all your worldly possessions. We need to find a balance between intrinsic happiness and what is promised for us. Through that we can find inner peace with both our religion and society.

2012-01-06T14:05:00.005-08:00

8. Happiness means one’s contentment in the passage, the Bible’s description of happiness differs from the society’s view of it in that the Bible teaches people that happiness is handed down from God to followers that obey him. In society, happiness is taught to be gained through people’s hard work and effort that brings them what they want, whether or not they deserve it. The scriptures mention that people should be happy with knowing they are God’s creation and he has a plan for them. Wealth or fame doesn’t play a role in one’s happiness, according to the Bible, which contrasts with society’s way of acquiring happiness.

2012-01-06T14:05:00.003-08:00

7. In life, people should pursue to do what is good and right, not only for themselves but for others around them. Happiness does come into play when talking about the wellbeing of ourselves and others and we should definitely pursue it. This includes setting up a secure home for your family and making sure they can be taken care of. Like in the movie, people should pursue a career that can hold up against one’s needs, but also one that you enjoy doing. Chris Gardner was good with math and a people person so choosing to attempt to become a stockbroker, which required both of those abilities, was a favorable decision that matched his and his son’s needs. Life without happiness is dull and not worth living, so for the wellbeing of someone’s psychological element happiness needs to be sought after.

2012-01-06T14:05:00.001-08:00

6. Chris takes a daring leap of faith by trying out for the new internship knowing he won’t get paid for 6 months and that the chances of him succeeding are slim. But his goals are very human, he wants a safe, stable life for him and his son and it is very admirable that he would go to such great lengths to fight for what he wants. Although it is a long shot and seems unlikely, even to his own wife, he made it out in the end getting what he struggled for. His goals were very ambitious but since they worked out in the end he should be congratulated for aiming high. Fighting for what you want is a very common thing, and because Chris made his dream come true it gives viewers a hope that they too can pull off their hearts’ biggest desires, including myself. He serves as a role model for what perseverance and fortitude can lead to.

2012-01-06T14:04:00.003-08:00

5. Not everything is possible, but with determination many things can get accomplished. Trying hard enough and wanting something badly enough doesn’t mean it will happen; not everything is attainable because sometimes people want too much. You can try all you want and get nothing because others also play a role in whether or not your happiness is achieved, they affect the outcome. Chris says “You want something. You go get it. Period.” Which shows that he believes if you try hard enough you will achieve it, which contradicts his statement that we can never have happiness, we can only pursue it. Although people might not always be happy with getting what they want, such as realizing it wasn’t what they really needed in the first place, the journey there can bring them things they never expected and find happiness along the way. It’s when people want more and more happiness that they can’t acquire what they are looking for because they are never satisfied.

2012-01-06T14:04:00.001-08:00

4. People can definitely achieve happiness; it just depends on what they aim for. If they can take the little things out of life and focus on the good then happiness will come easily. But when people get too centered on things they don’t have and can never obtain that is when disappointment comes along. The pursuit is what makes happiness worthwhile. Without it, they couldn’t truly appreciate how lucky and blessed they are. Having constant happiness trains people to expect it, which will hinder them in the long run because they can’t always hold on to their happiness, things are constantly changing. Hope is what achieves all the great things that lead up to their happiness, and hope is part of the pursuit.

2012-01-06T14:03:00.005-08:00

3. People do not have an unalienable right to happiness itself, but like the declaration states, they should be able to pursue it. No one will remain happy all their lives because things get in the way and situations change, life isn’t fair. We can’t be guaranteed happiness because there is no way to possess it fully. People take it for granted if it is just handed to them. It can only be taken away from them in the metaphorical sense, happiness is what people make out of their lives, how they view their situation. And it is up to them to be optimistic and make themselves happy.

2012-01-06T14:03:00.001-08:00

2. Security and safety do play a role in maintaining one’s happiness. If someone doesn’t feel stable, I don’t believe they can maintain happiness for long because there will always be that lingering anxiety that things will change. Temporary happiness of the moment can definitely be achieved through any means, but for it to be lasting there needs to be hope that things will continue going how they are. Chris Gardner does see the safety and security of having a home and being able to support himself and his son as happiness because as soon as he found out he won the internship he realized they would no longer be homeless and deemed that part of his life “happiness”.

2012-01-06T14:02:00.001-08:00

1. Chris Gardner sees happiness for his son as having a stable place to fall back on, not being financially dependent on others and keeping faith in chasing his dreams. He doesn’t want his child to be caught up in the distress of being homeless and on the streets so he plays a little game, pretending they went back in time to the dinosaurs and must seek shelter. By doing this he effectively diverts his son’s attention away from the situation of them having to spend the night in a subway bathroom. He tells his son to never give up on his dream, no matter what anyone tell him, not even his own father. This demonstrates that he believes his son will find happiness by doing what he enjoys, whether or not there is a future in it. He knows him and his son must be together because he can take care of him while his wife cannot, and although it seems like they have made the wrong choice in the beginning it all works out and Chris is able to achieve his dream and become financially stable again to provide the kind of life he wants for his son.

2012-01-05T17:51:00.001-08:00

16. Willy wants Biff to have the insurance money to build up his business and make something of himself. That was his dream when he was alive too, he wished for the success of his sons through the business world. The legacy he leaves on Happy is too try harder to fill in the shoes of his father and chase the same dream. Biff comes to realize with his father’s death that being a business man isn’t for him and that his true happiness is in nature.

2012-01-05T17:50:00.003-08:00

15. The play is seen through Willy’s eyes, we know his conscious and illusionary world, so the structure mirrors how he blurs illusion and reality. Characters come in from his subconscious that aren’t there in reality. Eventually he can’t even distinguish the two, the fantasy and real life situations merge into one another. At first we can tell when he is going back into the past because the scene changes, but after a while make-believe characters come and go as ordinarily as the real characters, just like Willy’s deterioration of separating reality from illusion.

2012-01-05T17:50:00.001-08:00

14. Stockings are used throughout the play to symbolize Willy’s betrayal to his wife. In the beginning he gets mad over her mending her stockings and the reader eventually finds out he had given brand new stockings to the woman he was cheating on Linda with. They correlate with his illusion of success, in his business world he can pretend he is rich and afford stockings to give to his women, but in his personal life his wife can’t even get decent stockings that won’t need repairing. Miller also uses diamonds to symbolize a material wealth that is linked with success, Willy desires so much for wealth as he does to go with Ben and collect diamonds from Africa. Seeds are used to symbolize how Willy attempts to make things flourish and grow but is a failure at it.

2012-01-05T17:49:00.001-08:00

13. Miller lets us know that Willy is going to die in the beginning through the title so we see that is was the American Dream that led to his demise. Throughout the play readers know what is coming and they can better comprehend the elements of failure and disappointment and how they play into the destruction of Willy Loman. A car is a more appropriate death because that is what he used for his job, he was a traveling salesman and that is what he lived for: success. And that was what did him in. His death was harmful to the happiness of his wife, they would finally get to live debt free but now she is alone without someone to share the house with. It does good in that Biff becomes certain of his path in life and Happy is more determined to live up to his father’s expectations.

2012-01-05T16:46:00.001-08:00

12. Willy is so proud of making things and working with his hands. He boasts on how good a job he did in remodeling their porch and ceiling and likes showing it off. Throughout the play he even mentions staring a garden and planting seeds, doing manual labor is what seems to make him most content. He, however, looks down upon being a carpenter because that is not an admirable job; there is no prestige in it. He even mentions that the boys’ grandfather had a better job than being a carpenter. Because carpenters don’t make much he views that as a petty job and would never allow himself to stoop to that level because he believes wealth is the true path to a good life.

2012-01-05T16:45:00.001-08:00

11. Ben gives Willy regret for not leaving when he had the chance to go to Alaska as a young boy. He gives Willy the hope that the dream he so wants is attainable because all Ben did was walk into the African jungle and came out a millionaire. His influence throughout the play fuels Willy’s concept that there’s still a chance to make it big. The way Ben has achieved wealth is not as probable as Willy makes it out to be, it sure is impressive but is a slim chance for the common man. Because Willy is so bent on getting rich quick and easy like his brother his ideals are warped on what is possible for himself.

2012-01-05T16:44:00.002-08:00

10. We know that Linda is the loving wife and is the typical homemaker of the 1950s. She adores her husband and looks after the kids and mends stockings and keeps the moral up. We can assume that although she is going through tough times with Willy because he is regressing in his memory she still has the strength to pretend they have a normal life and doesn’t let their predicaments bring her down. She doesn’t know about the women in Boston because when her and Biff are talking he says “he kicked me out because I knew he was a fake and he can’t stand people around who know that”, she had no idea what Biff was talking about and Willy would never tell his wife he cheated on her because of the lies he lives in. she loves her family and finds enjoyment in them all being together, happily commenting on how her two boys were shaving together. But she puts Willy above them because she says if they don’t love him and show him respect they can’t come around anymore. In Willy’s fantasy world Linda is more submissive and homely than in real life. He pictures her doing the chores and depending on him more than she does in reality.

2012-01-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

9. Because Willy has abandoned by his father and older brother as a young child there was no male figure in his life to teach him the right skills to cope with the pressures society puts on being the man of the house. Since they went out to get rich and achieved he feels that is his path too. They have taught him his ideals, why he is so obsessed with being rich and successful. He hounds that into his own boys as well, he tells them they need to make it big or they are worthless bums. Happy is very similar to Willy in his ideals, that success defines happiness. Happy doesn’t like his boss because he thinks HE is the one that deserves to be at the top. In his head he will be rich one day and fulfill his take on the American Dream. Willy treats Biff in person with resentment, claiming everything Biff does is to spite him; he doesn’t believe his son has actually accomplished nothing because of his own flaws. Willy is very friendly and welcoming to Happy because Happy kisses up to him and adds to his illusion of success by playing along and making things seem bigger than they are, Happy pretends things are going better for them than they are in actuality. The athletic trophy is in Willy’s room instead of Biff’s because Willy is so centered on the success his son had in high school with football. He is still under the false impression of how great his son is and what Biff can accomplish, he is more proud of him than what he deserves.

2012-01-05T15:51:00.001-08:00

8. Biff is so angry about the incident in Boston because he looks up to his father as a role model and when he realized his father was cheating on their mom he lost all respect for him. He was let down because the secure family that he thought he had wasn’t what he thought it was. He loved his mother dearly and when he found out his dad was sleeping with another woman then proceeded to lie about it it ripped him apart inside. He saw his father for who he truly was: “a fake” who “never had an ounce of respect” for Linda. Biff steals because the way he was brought up by his father made him think he was entitled to everything. Anything he wanted was his for the taking. He doesn’t blame his father because he realized that he isn’t all that Willy made him up to be, he’s a “dime a dozen” and easily replaced. He broke free of the illusion of success and has finally come to terms that he is not cut out for the life his father wants for them.

2012-01-05T15:50:00.004-08:00

7. Willy’s dream is the ultimate dream for Americans: to be rich, successful, and well liked. He believes he can find true happiness within that, and when it doesn’t come to him he ends up searching for that same future for his sons. He wants them to accomplish what he hadn’t. He doesn’t find success because he is too ambitious in his dreams and doesn’t put in the effort to make it happen, he expects it to come to him. He didn’t have a chance of achieving his dream because of the circumstances surrounding his situation, such as his old age and his dream of wealth coming in the way of reality. He worked too hard under false hopes and creates his own false impressions that get in the way of him being great. His attitude that all you need is to be liked is what is holding him back because it doesn’t allow him to truly try and overcome the hardships, to work for what he wants. He is standing in his own way because of his view of the world and how to gain success. If he let himself change his perception of what defines a man’s greatness he could focus on what needs to be done for his family and his dream.

2012-01-05T15:50:00.002-08:00

6. Linda’s views relates to Miller’s ideas on tragedies in similar ways. Just like he says the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy as a king, Linda explains that “a small man can be just as exhausted as a great man”. Linda tells her boys how Willy has been trying to kill himself in the car as well as with the rubber pipe which is similar to Miller’s statement that the tragic feeling is evoked when a character will lay down his life to secure his dignity. Willy hasn’t his rock bottom yet and his suicidal attempts are placed strategically before he breaks free of his illusion, when he still thinks greatly of himself. When she mentions Willy tries to kill himself, it mirrors Miller’s view on how man’s destruction while trying to evaluate himself is what makes a true tragedy. We learn through Linda that Willy realizes he cannot be great and is ready to give up his life because he hasn’t and will never reach success. His attempt to free himself from his failure through suicide is why this story is a tragedy.

2012-01-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

5. Linda hinders Willy in his actions to downsize their misfortunes because she allows him to live in his dream land and plays along. She doesn’t make him come to terms with the way reality has taken shape and therefore it is harder for him to face the truth when it is forced upon him. She influences him otherwise by being the good housewife that lets him be in charge and talk down to her, never letting her speak in conversation, which places him as dominant and on a pedestal in his mind. When Linda starts talking about Willy’s faults and why attention must be paid towards him it gives readers an insight of the truth behind Willy’s life. He never accomplished anything great and he never will, but he never gave up and worked so hard to have things for his family. Miller uses it to instill sympathy from the reader towards Willy Loman because we see how commonplace he is and how relatable his problems are. These statements make him human; even though he never reached success there should be attention paid to him for how hard he has tried in the attempt.

2012-01-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

4. The turning point in Willy’s life was when he was fired from his sales company by the same man that he had helped name. Before that he still had hope and was going to ask to stay in the city to sell. He still was optimistic that he could still make it and support his wife and earn enough money for them to be happy. Once he was fired, however, things started spiraling down for him. His wounded pride got in the way of getting another job with Charlie because he thought he was better than Charlie, and at dinner with his sons he was forced to come to the realization that Biff wasn’t his star child anymore, wasn’t the golden boy he always pictured him to be. With all hope gone and reality looking at him square in the face, Willy chose to give up for real this time. Willy seems to be the main character because the play is centered around him, but throughout the play it is Biff that changes the most and he is the one that comes to peace with his inner self so he should be considered the main character. Biff discovers that what makes him happy isn’t what his father and millions of Americans want (money and success), but rather being outdoors and one with nature. He knows his calling is elsewhere besides fulfilling the dream of his father and that puts a strain on their relationship because Willy sees no honor in being happy without wealth, he doesn’t believe Biff and thinks he is trying to “spite him”. Biffs’ self-realization is dramatic because he breaks the mold of the American Dream and gives readers another path to take besides the illustrious notion of the correlation between success and happiness. The climax is when Biff and Willy are talking and Biff tells his father what he has realized about himself. When Willy realizes that Biff loves him and he must accept his son for the way he is and how things turned out is when the play hits its high point.

2012-01-05T12:28:00.001-08:00

3. American society and our way of thinking that anyone can be successful and make it big is to blame for Willy’s destruction. Being immersed in that notion of the outcomes of one’s future led him to believe that he too would become the man that he always wanted to be; rich, loved, and respected by all. Because he grew up in that society he expected that success to be easily attainable, handed to him almost because he always though he was well liked and preached that that was all you needed to get by and conquer the world. When his dreams didn’t turn into reality he would lie to himself that his children were going to inherit the success that slipped through his fingers. He couldn’t come to the realization that his notion of how to gain wealth wasn’t effective and therefore created an alternate reality in his mind where he was still adored by his sons and his life was perfect. But the illusion faded as Biff brought him to reality and Willy couldn’t take it so he killed himself. Not having that American Dream that he so longed for and was taught to achieve ultimately led to his demise.

2012-01-05T12:27:00.001-08:00

2. Willy does not fit the mold for an average working man trying to build up a foundation for the security of his family because he lets his pride get in the way. He is offered many opportunities to get back on track, such as the job offering made by Charlie, but he refuses to take them because that would undermine him as a man in his eyes. A true supporter and fighter for his family would take every opportunity and every chance to make sure there was enough coming in to provide a sense of sanctuary for his family. Willy does, however, represent “Everyman” in his will to be the provider for his family and the head of the house that brings home the bacon. Everyman strives for the success that will set a secure household for their family. Willy Loman represents more because he encompasses the American Dream, and through his actions and thoughts readers can grasp the hardships many Americans face with aiming for success through the representation of Willy Loman.

2012-01-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

1. In any tragedy there needs to be a tragic hero with a tragic flaw. This tragic hero must suffer a tragic fall and usually in the end he will die. In Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is indeed a tragic hero. His flaw is his false notion of his own success as well as the success of his family. He will never admit to being in trouble and wound his pride. He suffers his fall when he is fired by Howard from the company because although he hasn’t been getting paid anyways now the realization comes to him that he can no longer support his family and is jobless. His death completes the criteria for the play to be a tragedy. He died without accomplishing his dream or being truly happy with what he had all along: a loving family that would support him through all the tough times. The reader understands that things could have worked out for Willy if he had just given up the lies he had been living and carried on, but because of his suicide he wasn’t able to fulfill this path to stability and security and that is what makes this play a true tragedy.