Death of a Salesman - Willy Wounded
Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” is perhaps one of the most renowned tragedies of all time. Miller reinvented the framework of the tragedy, and ignoring the rules of Aristotle’s classic tragedy, created a new ‘modern’ form of tragedy that he believed was better. Miller did so by connecting the audience to the main characters of the novel; Willy, Biff, Happy, and Linda, making them relatable and similar to the common man. Despite seeming average at first glance, the Loman family is wounded, and they are struggle to stay afloat. With his entire family on the edge, the burdens of the house and family stack up on Willy, ultimately leading to his death by suicide, which is a clear indicator that out of all the characters of the novel, Mr. Loman was most wounded by far.
In order to be successful in the modern world, one must adapt and accept its constant changes. In the mid 20th century, nearly every North American dreamt of attaining the ‘American Dream’, in which hard work and determination would eventually in return allow you wealth, happiness, and success. One of the reasons of Willy Loman’s tragic demise was his inability to adapt and change to the world around him. Willy’s perspective is similar to a child’s; he never willingly took responsibility for his actions. As a result of this immaturity, Willy builds and believes in enormous dreams that are unattainable, and unrealistic for a man of his age. He sought after an ideal that he could never become; the greatest salesman ever.
Willy Loman failed the American Dream. Unable to make the amount of money he desired for his family, Willy slowly becomes uncontrollable and insane throughout the novel, talking to himself and being trapped in his own head. He will never be able to achieve his goals, and instead of being the greatest salesman ever, Willy found himself at the bottom of the business world as an unsuccessful salesman, barely making enough money to keep his family alive. Faced with
Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” is perhaps one of the most renowned tragedies of all time. Miller reinvented the framework of the tragedy, and ignoring the rules of Aristotle’s classic tragedy, created a new ‘modern’ form of tragedy that he believed was better. Miller did so by connecting the audience to the main characters of the novel; Willy, Biff, Happy, and Linda, making them relatable and similar to the common man. Despite seeming average at first glance, the Loman family is wounded, and they are struggle to stay afloat. With his entire family on the edge, the burdens of the house and family stack up on Willy, ultimately leading to his death by suicide, which is a clear indicator that out of all the characters of the novel, Mr. Loman was most wounded by far.
In order to be successful in the modern world, one must adapt and accept its constant changes. In the mid 20th century, nearly every North American dreamt of attaining the ‘American Dream’, in which hard work and determination would eventually in return allow you wealth, happiness, and success. One of the reasons of Willy Loman’s tragic demise was his inability to adapt and change to the world around him. Willy’s perspective is similar to a child’s; he never willingly took responsibility for his actions. As a result of this immaturity, Willy builds and believes in enormous dreams that are unattainable, and unrealistic for a man of his age. He sought after an ideal that he could never become; the greatest salesman ever.
Willy Loman failed the American Dream. Unable to make the amount of money he desired for his family, Willy slowly becomes uncontrollable and insane throughout the novel, talking to himself and being trapped in his own head. He will never be able to achieve his goals, and instead of being the greatest salesman ever, Willy found himself at the bottom of the business world as an unsuccessful salesman, barely making enough money to keep his family alive. Faced with