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Willy Loman: The Tragic Hero

2004-07-14T04:20:38-04:00

A tragic hero is a character who in spite of a basic goodness and authority, has a tragic flaw, and because of this fault is destined to fail. A true tragic hero or heroine recognizes his or her flaw/s, but typically not until it is too late to stop to downward spiral. A few examples of tragic heroes and heroines are from the many works of Shakespeare such as Julius Caesar, Oedipus, Antigone, and Hamlet. In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman, the tragic hero, has so many flaws that end up in suicide before he has a chance to resolve them. To begin with, one of Willy’s biggest tragic flaws is his failure of being a good father. And does not hold a rightful position in his family. Willy is not a good father for many reasons. He always made his job his first priority. Willy’s travels were extensive, and he never got the opportunity to get to know his sons. From this he did not love Biff and Happy like a father should. His love for Biff is based on his achievement as an athlete and when Biff loses the scholarship, Will was so mad that he no longer loved Biff as he once did. Since Biff lost his scholarship he moved out West to find a job. When Willy found out that Biff was a cattle herder he was very disgusted. Willy wanted Biff to be the success that he never was and feels that Biff will not achieve success in the occupation that he is now holding. In all aspects, Willy has failed to be a good father. Instead as a father, he is a pathetic and selfish failure which is furthermore defined in every other aspect of his life. Next, Willy was also a bad husband to Linda. Linda was very loyal, loving and selfless when it came to Willy. She even dealt with Willy’s extravagant dreams and self-delusions. Besides the dreams Linda had to deal with Willy and his constant yelling at her for no reason or when she would try to input her advice in various situations. While Biff and Happy were in high school and Willy was on the rode, Willy had an affair with The Woman. Willy had no real reason to have slept with her, it was only because he was feeling lonely on the rode without Linda.

Willy

2002-02-15T13:00:00-05:00

At Willy's graveside Biff made a statement, “the man didn’t know who he was.” This revives

Values and Attitudes of the Author

2001-12-10T13:00:00-05:00

The way fiction texts begin and end provides a clear indication of the dominant values and attitudes supported by the author

Values and attitudes that the author supports are often reflected in their writing, whether it be in the themes that are involved in the story, or the way it begins and ends. The author adopts a particular point of view and uses that point of view throughout the story to influence and impact readers and viewers. This is most often done through effective use of characterisation. Arthur Miller, in his play ‘Death of a Salesman’ uses his main character, Willy Loman, to heighten the audience to the nature of modern life and “set forth what happens when a man does not have a grip on the forces of life and has no sense of values which will lead him to that kind of grip”. Willy Loman is 63 years old, a travelling salesman for a New York firm for the past 36 years, in the last stages of exhaustion and headed for suicide. He has his sights set on success. To Willy, success means two things: being rich, and being popular, neither of which he has or is ever likely to attain. We are intended to blame Willy for having all the wrong dreams, or rather, for holding onto those dreams long after they cease to correspond with reality. This is shown in the requiem, when at his father’s funeral, Biff states, “He had the wrong dreams, all wrong.” Biff knows that Willy should have stuck to doing things with his hands, instead of sticking to sales, where he faltered. This is backed up by Biff’s comment to Charley: “… there’s more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made” to which comes his reply, “Yeah. He was a happy man with a batch of cement.” Willy’s death is seen as the death of a dream. Willy has chosen to imitate the salesman side of his father, a choice that was influenced greatly by his meeting of Dave Singleman, who comes to represent for Willy the father he never knew, as well as a role model in life, as is shown by Willy announcing to Howard: “… and without even leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, he made his living. And when I saw that, I realised selling was the greatest career a man

Death of a Salesman

2001-09-21T14:00:00-04:00

Tragedy was a very controversial issue in literature until recent years. Recent figures in literature have set a clear definition for tragedy. Author Miller is one of these figures. Plays and novels have distinguished the definition of tragedy. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary tragedy is a serious piece of literature typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. Miller’s explains that a tragic hero does not always have to be a monarch or a man of a higher status. A tragic hero can be a common person. A tragedy does not always have to end pessimistically; it could have an optimistic ending. The play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is a tragedy because it’s hero, Willy Loman, is a tragic figure that faces a superior source, being the American dream and the struggle for success. Loman also excites pity in the reader because of his defeat and his inability to become a success or teach his children how to make their lives successful. Miller defines a flaw as “an inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what one conceives to be a challenge to one’s dignity…” Loman fulfills many of the requirements of being a tragic hero. Willy is not “flawless” in his actions, which by Miller’s standards make him a tragic hero. It is not wrong for Willy to have flaws and it does not make him a weaker man but a tragic figure. Miller designed the play so that Willy could be a tragic hero and for this he needs to have a flaw. Willy’s flaw is that he is unable to see things in a more realistic perspective. Charley says something in the play that sums up Willy’s whole life. He asks him, "When the hell are you going to grow up?" Willy’s spends his entire life in an illusion. He sees himself as a great man that is popular and successful. Willy exhibits many childlike qualities. Many of these qualities have an impact on his family. His two sons Biff and Happy pick up this behavior from their father. He is idealistic, stubborn, and he has a false sense of his importance in the world. The extreme to which he followed the dream brought him to disillusionment and a loose sense of reality. Willy created a reality for

Death of a Salesman: The Tragic Anti-hero of Willy Loman

2001-02-07T13:00:00-05:00

A Success at Failure: The Tragic Anti-hero of Willy Loman “A hundred years from now, it will not matter what type of car I drove, or what kind of house I lived in, or the amount of money I made, yet the world might be changed because I made a positive difference in the life of a child.” This increasingly popular statement raises a question for those who might hear it: how does one impact a child’s life for the better? A most obvious response would be to simply be a good parent. Yet, with single mothers raising a family alone, good fathers are scarce. What exactly, then, makes a good father? A good father is one who will encourage and motivate his child, yet not force the child to do something that the child strongly does not want to do. He will discipline his son or daughter in love, but never solely out of anger. He will set an example for his child, being willing to admit his faults and striving to always do what is right. And he will show consistent, unconditional love for his child, never basing his adoration on his son or daughter’s achievements, mistakes, or ambitions. A good father will strive to always do what is best for his family. He will put his desires last, ensuring that his family is well cared for and not lacking for any necessities. And, most importantly, a good father will make his family his number one priority, coming before his work, his friends, or even himself. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is a textbook example of a failure as a good father in every way mentioned previously. Not only is Willy Loman not a good father and husband, but he furthers his failure by being a classic anti-hero and by failing to achieve the American Dream. Willy is not a good father for many reasons. First and foremost, he has made his occupation his number one priority. For years, he has traveled for his business so frequently that he has never had the opportunity to truly get to know his own sons. As a result, he cannot love them as a father should; his love for Biff has been based on his achievements as an athlete, and, when Biff loses his scholarship, Willy is so devastated that he no longer loves Biff as he once did.

Death of A Salesman: The American Dream

2000-11-10T13:00:00-05:00

For Willy and Linda, life's accomplishments and sources of pleasure are simple. This statement gives an excellent judgment of their lives because they lead very average lives for the time, and any depth is ignored on their part. This little scene exemplifies this point by showing a focus in their lives, being the mortgage on the house. For twenty-five years Willy and Linda have been working to pay off their mortgage, and once they do that, they will attain a sense of freedom, or the "American Dream". That dream, especially pertinent at that time of growth in the United States, presents a perfect representation of their goal. This goal is clearly outlined by dollar signs and a sense of ownership, two key points to personal success. The key thing which leads to Willy and Linda's depressions, is their inability to face reality in the present. Their lives are lived in the future, and even in this scene as Willy states; "You wait, kid, before it's all over we're gonna get a little place out in the country."(p.72), we see his ability to constantly speak of unpractical dreams. Their last payment on the mortgage gives closure to this life filled only with dreams, and will allow them to realize some of their idealistic thoughts. Their entire lives have been concentrated on this house, their one meaningful possession, therefore this last payment is an accomplishment beyond any other. Willy is a salesman, always traveling from state to state staying in motels away from home. This increases the importance of a house to him because it is not only a place of habitation but a representation of stability in his life. It is a concrete item which cannot be taken away from Willy once he has made the last payment. While discussing his sons with Linda, he states; " And they'll get married, and come for a weekend…". He shows the same pride for his ownership of the house as he did for Biff during his football years. The house is the center of Willy's being, and now that he almost has it, he can see that it has been his life's work. He is a character who remains content only by trying to believe that he is living the "American Dream", and pride of his most valued possession is all he has to hold onto. Although, at this point in his life, Willy Loman is

Death of a Salesman

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00

In the play "Death of a Salesman", the main character, Willy Loman is not respected and becomes very troubled. Biff Loman and Willy never get along. Biff does not respect Willy and calls him a fake. Biff knows that Willy has been unfaithful to his wife. Biff catches Willy in a hotel room with another woman. This causes Biff to lose even more respect for Willy. Willy lies to his wife about his income when he is really borrowing money from his brother Charley to pay his bills. This causes Charley to lose respect for his own brother. The people that Willy works with, including his boss (Howard) do not respect Willy. Willy comes to Howard to ask for a job where he does not have to travel as much, but Howard does not take Willy seriously and tells him that he has to see other people and then leaves. This shows a great lack of respect towards Willy. Many people, important in Willy's life, do not respect him. Willy does not accept responsibility for being treated with disrespect. Willy has a poor work

The Death of a Salesman: The Reality Evasion Drug

1999-10-23T14:00:00-04:00

Never does one go through their life without having to deal with some sort of personal conflict. The manner in which people deal with these conflicts vary as much as the prints on a person's finger. Some try and solve the problem and get rid of it, while others will try and put it aside for as long as possible. Willy Loman's method in Arthur Miller's play, The Death of a Salesman, is very dangerous and builds to harsh results. Willy never tries to help the circumstances, he only flees to his great memories of the better days, when his life's predicaments were very limited. He uses this evasion tool as though it were an addictive narcotic, and as the story unfolds, the audience soon discovers the lethality of the drug. Willy's first flash to the past was when his son, Biff, returns home from the west. Willy discusses his disappointment in Biff with his dear wife Linda. When Willy fails to cope with this misfortune successfully, he returns in his head to a time when everything was going well and life was more fortunate to him. It is perfectly normal for one to remember more fortunate days at the more dispirited times of life, as long as they can return to the present and deal with the reality of the situation. However, Willy never does return to the original problem, he just continues on with life, fleeing from the troubles that cross his path. His refusal to acknowledge reality becomes so significant, that he honestly believes the past, and he lives his entire life through a false identity never looking at the truth of his life. Willy becomes more and more dependent on his drug as the story progresses. His next allusion to the past was during a conversation with his wife. Willy is downhearted about his failure to provide for his family, his looks, and basically his whole life in general. He begins to see some of the truth in his life: "I know it when they walk in. They seem to laugh at me."(Miller; The Death of a Salesman; pg. 23) By trying to see the reality in life, for once, he depresses himself so awfully, that he has a rendezvous in his head with his women that he sees on the side. He only uses this women to lift his spirits and to evade the truths that nearly

Death of a Salesman - Minor Characters

1999-04-08T14:00:00-04:00

In the play Death of a Salesman, the plot is affected by three minor characters: Ben, Charley and Howard. The minor characters help the story's protagonist, Willy, develop extensively throughout the course of the play; therefore, they are key elements in the advancing story line. This story line blends and contrasts Willy's closest companions, Ben and Charley. They represent two aspects of Willy's ideals. Howard, Willy's boss, functions in order to heighten the destruction of Willy's dream. The characters Ben, Charley and Howard are influential in the play's outcome and help develop the main character, Willy. Ben is a figment of Willy's imagination who represents his idealistic view of prosperity. Ben is symbolic of the success of the American Dream. "when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich"(48). Ben earned his affluence without the help of an education or job. Willy is continuously misled with delusion illusions of grandeur by Ben. "What are you building? Lay your hand on it. Where is it?"(86). Ben questions the success of Willy's sales job and states that in order to be prosperous, one must physically touch it. Ben represents the success of the American Dream and functions in order to make Willy doubt the actions of hard work. Charley is Willy's closest friend and he displays the failure of Willy Loman's ideals. He is a very realistic character who attempts to convince Willy that his goals are all wrong. "The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell"(97). Willy believes that in order to be a success, one must be well liked; therefore, Charley explains to Willy that good business will make someone prosperous. The failure of Willy's ideals are again represented with his envious attitude towards Charley. "You been jealous of me all your life, you damned fool!"(98). Charley is successful due to hard work and this has angered Willy because it is contrary to his beliefs. The failure of Willy Loman's ideals are apparent because of the success of his closest friend, Charley. Howard's character functions in order to represent the bitter reality from which the protagonists tries to escape. The reality of the situation is presented before Willy when he is fired by Howard. "No, but it's a business, kid, and everybody's gotta pull his own weight"(80). Howard explains to Willy that, contrary to

Death of a Salesman - Biff character profile

1999-04-02T14:00:00-04:00

Biff is one of the main characters in the play "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. Biff is Willy's and Linda's son. He was the star of the football team and had scholarships to 3 college's, but he flunked math and couldn't graduate, so he tried to work at many different jobs, and failed at each. Finally, he decided to head out west, and work on farms. Biff came back home this spring, because he didn't know what he was doing with his life. Willy has mood swings and sometimes thinks very highly of Biff sometimes but other times he hates him. The day he came home Willy yelled at him, and because Biff admires his dad, he was depressed. He later reveals to Happy, after their double date, that all he wants is to work on a farm, without a shirt, doing manual labor. He wants Happy to come out west with him, to open a ranch, but Happy won't. To make his father happy, he says he will open a sporting goods store. Biff is an interesting character. He seems to adore his father, but he really doesn't. He finds out that his father has an affaire, and he looses all respect for him. He ends up forgetting everything Willy said, and steals something from every job that makes him loose it. He wants to change his father, and will do this by shockingly awakening him to the reality that something is wrong with him, and Biff tries to get his father to stop trying to kill himself. He wants his father to love him like he loves his father, but he will not, because of his mood swings, and the fact that sometimes he just hates Biff. Biff is a no nonsense kind of guy. He gets straight to the point, and doesn't beat around the bush. He cuts straight through it, and isn't afraid that the subject might be touchy or hurt people's feelings. When Biff wasn't seen by Oliver, Happy wanted to make Willy happy, so he just told him that Biff got it, but Biff didn't want that. He told Willy that he didn't get the deal, but Willy refused to listen, so Biff just kept trying. He didn't care that it would hurt willy. When he confronted Willy in he end, he just yelled at him and brought him to the realization that he wasn't