![]() ![]() Because a girl, y’know, they always believe what you tell ’em. One instance of Willy’s faulty advice is when he says to Biff, “Just wanna be careful with those girls, Biff, that’s all.ĭon’t make any promises. From the time he was a teenager, he was trained…molded by Willy’s vision of the ultimate American boy.And because of his skewed perception of the American Dream, he was incapable of guiding his sons, leading them in the same path. “LINDA: Biff, dear, if you don’t have any feeling for him, then you don’t have any feeling for me…He’s the dearest man in the world to me, and I won’t have anyone making him feel blue…”(boldface emphasis mine) Biff does not understand his mother…let alone condone his flawed father. ” Therefore, the fact that Biff does not accept Willy’s actions upsets Linda deeply, as shown below. here are all the people he knew? I can’t understand it. She brings this severe denial with her until the very end, as evident in the funeral scene when she says, “Why didn’t anybody come. Despite being aware of Willy’s plans to commit suicide, (such as the attempts at crashing the car, or the discovery of the rubber pipe) she does not confront Willy. Linda’s justification and romanticization of Willy’s actions, are due to her belief that Willy is “acting out” because of an unfulfilled life. Linda, is described by Miller as the stereotypical, late nineteen forties, submissive, abnormally supportive housewife, as shown in Miller’s stage directions.These descriptions include, ‘very carefully, delicately’, ‘resigned’, ‘sensing the racing of his mind, fearfully’, and ‘trembling with sorrow and joy’. Linda and Charley) or are influenced by him (i. Those around him witness his struggles, but their actions either enable him (i. The very name Loman (as in “low man”) is Miller’s way of saying that Willy Loman is the manifestation of the common man’s struggle. ” This dream refers to Loman’s version of the American Dream. The apartment buildings may represent the overcrowding in his mind.Miller then continues with, “An air of the dream dings to the place, a dream rising out of reality. Surrounding the house are apartment buildings we later see that as the apartment buildings multiply, Willy Loman further declines. The house is described as “fragile-seeming”, perhaps a metaphor for Loman’s mental state. Arthur Miller may have intentionally used the flute, as the sound of the very instrument is associated with wind, which is related to a sense of distance, and temporariness. (boldface emphasis mine) The flute symbolizes Loman’s father, the first to have abandoned him. An air of the dream dings to the place, a dream rising out of reality. Before us is the Salesman’s house…As more light appears, we see a solid vault of apartment houses around the small, fragile-seeming home. Act One begins with, “A melody is heard, played upon a flute. All he is left with is a few vague memories, and stories of Ben’s success.Īnd it is these stories that he brings with him all throughout the play. ” This is Willy’s motivation…this is his American Dream. All throughout the play, Willy has several “memory scenes”, often replaying the past in his head, and talking to his beloved brother Ben.Ben says to Willy, “When I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. ![]() These abandonment issues run deep in Loman, as being left by his father (and later by his brother), are some of his earliest memories. Therefore, he, in a way, abandons his loyalty to his family, and Biff’s discovery of Willy’s adultery causes the two to have a strained relationship. Despite being the “all-American family man”, Willy Loman is also an infidel. This “personal attractiveness” also means having to conform to societal norms, such as having a “normal” family. With the financial successes of his brother, he measures accomplishment by the amount of wealth, material goods, and (as he puts it), “personal attractiveness” one has. Willy Loman’s skewed perception of the American Dream can be traced to a lifetime of desertion…from his father, to his brother, Ben, and eventually-as he sees it-his sons, namely Biff. Karissa Fajardo American Literature (P5) Death of a Salesman Analysis: (Who is Willy Loman?) Death of a Salesman is not only the story of the death of a common man but also the death of the American Dream, as defined by the main character. ![]()
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