Death of a Salesman refers to a 1949 stage drama authored by Arthur Miller, an American play writer. Willy, one of the main characters in the play, put massive pride in his ability to both build and grow things, such as the stoop and the ceiling. Generally, Willy constantly daydreams about his desire to develop ideas (Marino 98). Willy thinks that Biff, his son, and the people in the society have betrayed him, and that is the reason he cannot succeed in his endeavors. However, Biff, a football star, believes his father has failed in his efforts to amass wealth and become influential in the community (Chen 86). His loss of identity and an inability to accept change within himself and society made him unaware of reality.
The conception of Willy involves attaining success and describing the American dream of prosperity and wealth. He does not accomplish his desires. Willy Loman believes salesmanship can make him realize his vision of a successful, wealthy salesman (Marino 98). Sadly his way of thinking made him not show pity for others. He expects Biff to find his path to success regardless of Willy's past. All of the family remains dysfunctional since they remain dishonest with each other concerning their aspirations. The purpose of this paper entails an examination of the life of Willy Loman and his family regarding American values and how it influenced the lifestyles of most Americans.
Main Characters and the American Values
The main characters in the play include Willy Loman, Linda Loman, Biff Loman, Ben Loman, and Happy Loman. Besides, other characters in the drama include Bernard, Charley, the woman, and Howard. William 'Willy' Loman refers to the salesman in the play. Willy has attained the age of 63 years old, and he is very insecure, unstable, and self-deluded (Marino 98). Willy tends to re-envisage occasions from the past as if they remained actual events. He vacillates between diverse periods of his life. Willy appears childish and depends on others for assistance, coupled with his daydreams on different occasions throughout his occupation.
Linda Lowman refers to Willy's faithful wife and affectionate wife. Linda's personality portrays a submissively supportive and passive character. When Willy rants impractically about expectations for the future, although she appears to have a good understanding of the occurrences, she consoles her husband. She scolds her sons, especially Biff, for not supporting his father more, and encourages Willy affectionately even though Willy often mistreats her, disregarding her views over those of other people (Marino 98). Linda remains the first person in the family to recognize that Willy has thought of committing suicide at the start of the play, and urges Biff to think about his life development while expecting Willy to support Biff in doing so.
Biff Loman refers to Willy's eldest son. Biff liked football with a lot of success in high school. However, he failed mathematics in his senior school because he saw his father with another woman while on a holiday in Boston with him. He falters between traveling home to accomplish his father's delusion of becoming an entrepreneur or disregarding his father and pursuing his ambition by moving West to start farming where he feels contented (Chen 86). Biff adores outdoor chaos where he works with his hands, yet he desires to do something different that will make his father delighted of him. Biff robs since he wants proof of success. However, Biff generally remains a pragmatist and notifies his father that he remains an ordinary person and will never enjoy the status of a wealthy man.
Harold 'Happy' Loman remains a character who looks like ignored. Happy is the youngest son of Willy. His brother's influence overshadows his assistance to the family. The cast seems a random womanizer who visions of achieving much in his current venture to become a successful businessman, an ideal of the American philosophy of wealth and success (Nahvi 11). He employs dubious methods to attain success and gain wealth through cheating by bribing others. Besides, Happy seeks endorsement from his parents that he does not receive often.
Furthermore, Happy makes up narrations about his life, such as telling his father and mother that he plans to marry soon. He puts much effort into ensuring that his family remains optimistic about their happiness by defending each one of his family members during the several family quarrels (Nahvi 11). However, he has the most challenging relationship with her mother. The latter disapproves of him for his kind of life and apparent lowlife, despite his financial support to the family—another aspect of the American ideology of capitalism.
Charley, another major character in the play, refers to Willy's neighbor, who portrays a joking tone, but an empathetic and caring neighbor. He sympathizes with Willy and constantly loans him cash and visits Willy to play cards, although Willy disrespects him. Willy possesses grudges against Charley since Charley's son has become more prosperous than Willy's (Nahvi 11). Charley makes several stopovers at Willy's to provide him with a job. However, Willy refuses every time, even after getting fired as a salesman.
Bernard, in the play, refers to Charley's son. In the hallucinations of Willy, Bernard remains a nerd. Willy coerces Bernard tom to provide Biff with exams to test his ability. Bernard respects Biff and tries to offer him all the support he can afford. Bernard later becomes a successful lawyer, marries, and in the play expects a second son. Such remains the aspirations of Willy for his son. The ideal reflects the American values in which the society worships wealth and success (Nahvi 11). Bernard's effort to make Willy acknowledge the realism of life tries to educate Willy to understand his ambitions as a father.
Uncle Ben refers to the older brother of Willy, who became a diamond mogul after a venture to Africa. Uncle Ben died, and the only reference to his character remains in the daydreams account of Willy. He remains the role model of Willy's visions, although he seems much older and has no actual relations with Willy, desiring to proclaim his dominance over his younger brother (Marino 98). Uncle Ben signals Willy's philosophy of the American values of determining success through the level of wealth generated in a lifetime. The success factor through the accumulation of wealth from Willy's perspectives and the influence of Uncle Bernard reveals itself from several visits to Loman's family.
The woman in the play refers to the woman with whom Willy had an affair. Besides, Howard Wagner, in the drama, reflects Willy's boss. Willy had initially worked for Howard's father, Frank. Willy asserts to have recommended the name Howard to Frank, Howard's father. However, Howard viewed Willy as a burden to the firm and fires him, disregarding the several years that Willy had labored for the organization (Chen 86). Howard has become massively pleased of his success and wealth, indicated by his possession of an innovative wire recorder, and his household. Again, a display of the quest by the Americans to measure success through amassing of wealth. Jenny, in the play, refers to Charley's secretary.
Other characters that display the American values include Stanley, a waiter at a restaurant who appears to have a friendly relationship with Happy. Miss Forsythe, a girl whom Happy takes from the restaurant in which Stanley works, argues about her alleged celebrity statues in most magazine covers, another aspect of the American values regarding the connection between wealth creation and status appreciation in the society. Happy gives her a pretentious account of their success with Biff (Nahvi 11). He claims that he had gone to acquire his education at West Point and that Biff had become a football star.
Themes and the American Values
The play employs flashbacks to highlight Willy's recollection during the reality in which he gives the reflection of the American ideologies concerning status and wealth. The daydreams indicates the past and the present hurdles in the American society. Willy has contemplated success in his entire life and pretends about his son's success and his very own way of life (Nahvi 11). The more he engages in the daydreams, the more difficult it becomes for him to tackle reality. A phenomenon is common in the contemporary American community. Biff recognized the fact that his family lives a life of fantasy and makes an effort to face reality. The theme, therefore, looks at reality and illusion.
Another theme essential in this play entails success, wealth, and freedom. The theme encompasses the ideology of most Americans who dream of success and happiness through the accumulation of wealth. Willy compares himself to Dave Singleman, an individual with both wealth and autonomy (Nahvi 11). Willy has the conviction that the way to success entails securing people's love, which indicates that Willy evaluated contentment in terms of popularity and wealth. Ben, on the other hand, signifies another form of substantial American value for Willy's family, to seize the chance, conquer nature, and to achieve affluence.
Conclusion
Most people in society believe that happiness originates from richness and popularity. Under these philosophies, Willy had the conviction that wealth had the power to create happiness for him. The American dream entailed the generation of wealth through a capitalist model in which success got assessed through the wealth accumulated by an individual. Those who missed the opportunity to create or generate wealth remained poor. Willy had the notion that a successful salesperson must have an appropriate character. Most of the people do not seem to regard him highly as he believes.
