"Death of a Salesman": Loman as the Tragic Hero

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman", is an illustration that focuses on the theme of social and personal tragedy and, how, within this theme, the character of Willy Loman emerges as an individual who is misled by false values. It looks at how Willy's flaw is believing in grandiose dreams and allowing them to blind him to the realities of life. It also shows how the play is considered a success because Miller presents the story of Willy Loman in such a way that it is perceived as a common experience. In other words, Willie is a modern-day tragic hero.

From the Paper:

"Biff is a realist that sees things for what they are. He antagonizes his father. Biff's anger forces Willy to come face to face with the lies with which he has been living. For instance, he places the rubber hose on the table and asks his father if that is supposed to make him feel sorry for Willy. He also forces him to admit that he was not salesman in the store but a clerk. Biff also reveals the lie that Happy was not an assistant manager. He tells his father, "I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air that I could never stand taking orders from anybody!" (Miller 1108). He also tells Willy that the two of them are a "dime a dozen" (1109) and no leader for any men. To make it worse, he tells him that he was "nothing but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them" (1109)."

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