Who Is Responsible For Willy Loman's Death

I believe Biff’s theory about his father’s death. Willy Loman “didn’t know who he was” as perfectly stated by Biff. Willy Loman was unable to reconcile the truth about himself and that ultimately killed him. The inability to concede to the reality of himself was the catalyst that brought the necessity for Willy to end his life. Yet before he could he had to know that Biff loved him despite knowing the truth about him.
Willy Loman lied so much to disguise the actuality of his existence to the point that even he started to believe in his own fantasy. For example, when Willy Loman was talking to Howard about working in New York, Willy stated that in 1928 he had a big year in which he averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in commission. Howard was trying
to tell him that he never averaged that much commission a week but Willy kept insisting. He was unwilling to admit the truth about himself while it was smacking him right in the face and looking deep into the depth of his eyes. Stories like this, which are utterly false, is what he told his wife and children through the years. For many years, he never had to face the facts of his life until his identity was revealed to his son, Biff. I believed that this was the spark to the flame of needing to end his life because his flaws and faults were no longer hidden and his son saw it clear as day. That night created residuals impact in their relationship from that point forward, and I also believe that that contributed as well.
The flashbacks to me represented his conscience.
They were the secrets that rendered him sick and unwilling to live. Outright, he was not going to confess his true character, so the flashbacks forced him to replay his life as it was and not as he wanted it to be. He saw his failures replayed. For existence, Willy did not take seriously Bernard request for Biff to study math more even though if Biff did not he ran the risk of flunking the class. Or how he filled his sons up with fairy tales that even himself did not live up to unbeknownst to them, of course. These glimpses into his past forced him to face the choices that he had made. Again, something he did not want to do. He fought those flashbacks over and over again, yet he knew the truth. Willy knew once Biff disclose to his family the truth about himself and the family, something that Willy could not bring himself to do. As Biff said in the requiem, “I know who I am.” Biff was very aware who he was. He always tried to become aware of who he was, but his dad tried to conceal it. Once Biff broke down in tears only then did Willy realized that his son still loved him in spite of who he truly was. Disregarding the message that he was trying to
convey.
Willy Loman pathology was his denial of himself. He could not live with the guilt that fester inside of him. He could not live with knowing that his actions changed the course of his sons’ life. The secrets ate at him daily while the lies made him irrational. His “dreams” failed him and ultimately failed those that he loved. The enthusiasm to be something that he was not, forced him to impose that very dream on to his sons. One who still believe in the dream and another who struggling to come to terms with knowing that the dream is not real. In the end, all of this is what killed Willy Loman. In a battle with his conscience, Willy unfortunately lost. He died never really owing who he was, but at least he was free.