Death Of A Salesman Willy Loman Essay

In Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” a crisis between a salesman Willy Loman and his oldest son Biff comes to a realization of their identity. Although many Americans experience an identity crisis at some point in their lives, many times it may take years to figure out who they really want to be. Both Willy and Biff endeavor to figure out who they really are in the play “Death of a Salesman” however, they exploit separate methods of doing so with very unique outcomes. In the eyes of Willy the key to being successful in life is to be well liked, attractive, and to be able to outsmart everyone around you. Willy and Biff have a trying time figuring out the path that was best for their lives. Although Willy believes that the only
Willy Loman does not understand and is loyal to an occupation that goes in opposition to who he is. He cannot handle society which causes both his and Biff’s heartache. When he tries to make a living as a salesman, Willy finds that he has to change who he really is. This change causes major problems because he classifies himself and his family by having success only in business terms. Willy wants Biff to be a businessman as well, but this goes against who Biff is and creates a struggle between them (Loos 19-50). This shows that other people feel the same way; both Willy and Biff struggle to figure out who they are and what they want to
The play shows us that not everybody figures out who they are and if they let things bother them, then they may not ever figure it out. Although, they both struggled to find their identities, they struggled in very different ways. It takes Biff stealing a pen and looking at the sky to find out who he really wants to be, Willy knew that he might be more successful doing something else but decided to continue being a salesman. What happened at the end of the play was very emotional; one finally figured out who he was and the other committed suicide without realizing who he