In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is an example of a failure as a good father. He did not discipline his sons well by not punishing them. He did not set a good example to his sons by not admitting his faults. He did not make his family his number one priority. Instead, it was his work, coming before his family, his friends, and even himself. Not only is Willy Loman not a good father and husband, but he was a failure by not becoming successful, not achieving the American Dream.
Willy is not a good father for many reasons. He made his occupation his number one priority. For years, he traveled for his work many times that he never had the opportunity to truly get to know his own sons. As a result he did not love them as a father should, his love for his son, Biff, was based on his achievements as an athlete. And when Biff was not able to go to University of Virginina, Willy was so devastated that he no longer loved Biff how he once did before. He was disgusted that Biff had become a bum, Biff had different jobs working at farms. Willy wants Biff to be the successful man that he never was and feels that Biff will not achieve success in the occupation he has taken. Furthermore, Willy was unable to admit his faults. His pride was so great that he even lied to his own family, borrowing money weekly from his neighbor, Charley, and then saying it was his salary. He tried to justify his affair with a strange woman when caught by Biff. He did not admit that he had made mistakes because he did not want to sacrifice his pride. Solely, Willy failed to be a good father. Instead, as a father, he was a pathetic and selfish failure.
Willy was not a good example of a role model. He was never successful, even in his prime, yet he lived in a daydream of the "good old days", refusing to accept reality. He was not respected, even by his sons, and most frequently was disregarded by those around him. Even at his funeral, the only people