"Death of a Salesman" and the Importance of Willy Loman

Paper Summary:

In his play, "Death of a Salesman", Miller creates Willy Loman, a character that symbolizes both the best and worst of America. He represents the consistent optimism of America's founders and greatest over achievers, as well as the fanatical day dreaming of would-be failures. The paper shows how Loman became caught up by the illusion of wealth and tried all of his life to achieve it, only to dissolve into insanity when he could not achieve his lofty expectations. The paper shows that Willy Loman's bitterness is a result of external factors that he could not easily control; it is a combination of influences that include his son, his career and the disillusionment as a result of his neighbor's wealth.

From the Paper:

"Willy becomes embittered because he falls victim to the very system he respects and wants to be a part of. He sees himself as a man of ability and when his boss fires him he sees that he has been worn out and used by his job and now that he has no tangible benefits he is left out in the cold. This type of vicious business system is exactly the cold hearted reality of the American Dream and Willy becomes a casualty through his blind faith to the system."

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