Abstract
This paper explains how there are similarities in the tragedies that befall the Loman, Hamlet, and Elesin. By the end of the narratives, all three characters die of broken hearts. It discusses how there is no triumph in their deaths; neither is there happiness. There is only bitterness and humiliation. The conflicts that these characters face come about from a mixture of personalities, personal foibles, circumstances, and from culture.

From the Paper
"Willy Loman is a salesman by trade. Salesmanship for him is also a way of life. Salesmanship defines his very essence. Unfortunately, that is how Willy approaches life, being a husband and parent. Willy Loman's life is all about appearances. Willy is proud of the physical prowess and athletic abilities of his sons. He does not inculcate a value-system in Biff and Happy. The end result is that both his sons are not productive or respectable citizens. Eventually, Willy realizes that, in a way, his philandering is a primary contributor to this. The family dynamic is one of salesmanship "whatever sells or looks good no matter how insubstantial. Willy lives the big lie. He is unable to disassociate salesmanship as a career and a way of life. He constantly denies reality; life in turn denies him peace of mind. In Willy's internal struggle, the salesman in him always wins out and that is his eventual undoing. When Willy dies by running his car into a neighborhood tree, one only feels for his wife. The reader knows that his sons" reaction of sadness will be fleeting at best. This is his legacy. React and move on."

Tags:bitterness, humiliation

Abstract
This paper discusses the contention that the families of Hamlet and of Willy Loman drove them to their deaths. It looks at how, in the first instance, the faithlessness of Queen Gertrude, the stern injunction of the vengeful ghost of Hamlet's father and the evil-doing of Claudius push Hamlet towards the commission of a terrible crime that ultimately costs him his own life. It also looks at how, Willy's pain at seeing his son Biff fall short of his full potential drives the elder Loman to first melancholic madness and thence to death. In the end, the plays both reveal how the environmental stimuli provided by those around us are often the very stimuli which push us into the abyss.

From the Paper
"In Hamlet, it is soon enough apparent that the young prince's family is the chief cause of his descent into brooding madness. For example, Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, has married the sly and sinister Claudius - the brother of Hamlet the Elder and the man who has profited handsomely from his brother's death (Shakespeare, 154). For Hamlet, who would seem to venerate his father as only a son can, the decision of his mother to join hands in holy matrimony with a fellow Hamlet finds repugnant (Shakespeare, 163) is basically beyond the earthly power of Hamlet to endure."

Tags:biff, willy, Gertrude, Claudius, suicide

Abstract
In this article, the writer outlines why it may be said that in both 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare and 'Death of a Salesman' by Arthur Miller, the families of Hamlet and of Willy Loman drove them to their deaths. The writer concludes that
in the end, the plays both reveal how the environmental stimuli provided by those around us are often the very stimuli which push us into the abyss.

From the Paper
"In the first instance, the faithlessness of Queen Gertrude, the stern injunction of the vengeful ghost of Hamlet's father and the evil-doing of Claudius push Hamlet towards the commission of a terrible crime that ultimately costs him his own life.In the latter case, Willy's pain at seeing his son Biff fall short of his full potential drives the elder Loman to first melancholic madness and thence to death."

Tags:hamlet, death

Abstract
This paper discusses the timeless nature of Arthur Miller's 1949 play, "Death of a Salesman." The paper discusses the character, Willy Loman and his failing psychological condition. It shows how, in his examination of this emotional ailment as it impacts Willy, Miller provides a psychoanalytical investigation, not just of a man but of a country and culture.

From the Paper
"In the two sons, there is reproach for Willy. With his suicide though, the empathy and emotion which is displayed by both, uncharacteristic given the distance between many of the figures throughout the play, suggests that the audience is expected to forgive Loman for his trespasses of ineffectualness and social conformity. Miller exonerates the salesman by recognizing that his psychological condition is a product of his environment rather as much as of his character, ultimately offering a work that resonates with key themes which afflict us in modern life."

Tags:conformity, psychology, senility

Abstract
The paper analyzes both the character of Blanche Dubois from the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" and that of Willy Loman from the play "Death of A Salesman". The paper highlights how Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams use symbolism to convey their characters' obsession over achieving the American dream. The paper then looks at the 21st century and discusses how like Blanche Dubois and Willy Loman, many Americans struggle with the fading American dream of happiness, and with being able to distinguish fantasy from reality.

From the Paper
"Blanche Dubois portrays a character that is aging before the reader's very eyes. While her disposition seems noble and true at the surface, the fact that her sexual desire has led to many male callers makes for a definition of her realized character. It is assumed that once upon a time, Blanche was a noble southern belle. However, in the present timeline of the story her desires, multiplied with the alcohol consumed leaves a fragile shell of a woman that is truly dependent on men for support and daily interaction. Constantly living in the past can be characterized by Blanche stating, "...would you think that I was once considered to be attractive" (Williams, 1951). After her young husband committed suicide, the story depicts Blanche as a morally corrupt woman whose only outlet is to commit random sexual acts with various men. For Blanche, the security blanket that this behavior established was a direct result of her dependence on men, but differs from the normal dependencies of the time--which can be seen with money and security."

Tags:American, dream, wealth, happiness, success, reality, fantasy, desire

From the Paper
"The tragic hero derives from the Greek drama, as elucidated by the criticism of Aristotle in particular. Tragedy in this conception is struggling against something over which we really have no control, and the tragedy develops from a recognition of the futility of the struggle, leading to the resignation of the tragic hero to his or her fate and indeed even to the embracing of that fate. The hero often knows his fate but still does not see it coming, as it were. He or she then takes responsibility for that failure--this is the lesson learned and imparted to the audience and only reinforces the power of the gods and the need for the human spirit to obey. Underlying the actions of the tragic hero is a fatal flaw in his character, and it is because of this flaw that he or she is not able to escape fate. The flaw is usually a form of pride, but it need not be that particular ... "

Abstract
This paper deals with the views that Jay Gatsby in "The Great Gatsby" and Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" have about their respective families of origin. The paper discusses how Gatsby, whose legal name was James Gatz, was ashamed of his past and wanted to escape from it, but could still be generous to his father. The paper then discusses how Loman idealized his past, and failed to realize that he was living out a great deal of the reality of his past and that the parts he sought to retrieve were unrealistic idealizations.

From the Paper
"In "The Great Gatsby", F. Scott Fitzgerald created Jay Gatsby, a man with a mysterious past that is bared over the course of the novel. In "Death of a Salesman", Arthur Miller created Willy Loman, a man haunted by a past that he does not understand. Jay Gatsby felt ashamed of his past, but could also feel sorry for his father. Willy Loman longed for the past, not realizing that he already had much of it, though he did not see what he had. Only late in the novel, and then only to his confidant Nick Carroway does Gatsby push aside the tales told as his parties (Fitzgerald, 37-39), and..."

Tags:gatsby, gatz, loman

Abstract
An examination of the themes of illusion and the American Dream in "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. The play repeatedly shows the main character Willy Loman deluding himself into believing he is successfully pursuing his view of the American Dream financial success through business. Miller does this in two ways in particular. First, he constantly has the characters rewriting events so that when they are retold they reflect how they wish their lives really were instead of the reality of what happened. Second, as Willy Loman loses his grip on reality, he relives events from his past. By the end of the play, so many of Willy Loman's illusions about himself have been shattered, but his illusions about his son Biff are stronger, and he imagines that his suicide will guarantee his son's business success.

From the Paper
"Willy has also constructed illusions around his sons, especially Biff, who truly was well liked in high school. Willy puts more emphasis on Biff's athletic talents and personal charm than is realistic, and encourages Biff to do the same. Chasing athletic fame for his son, Willy isn't concerned when Biff steals a football from the team he plays for, and encourages him to steal sand to aid in a home renovation project. Biff's friend Bernard reminds Biff that he needs to study for exams or risk not graduating, and both Biff and his father make fun of him for this. He encourages his sons to do dishonest thing, suggesting that Willy's views about how to get ahead include setting personal values aside."

Tags:Willy, Loman, illusion, delusion, success, business

Abstract
This paper examines how, although Arthur Millers's "Death of a Salesman" is mainly about a salesman named Willy Loman, the almost hidden presence of the women in the play is all too often unnoticed. It looks at how Linda Loman seems to be the glue that holds the Loman clan together, as Willy, Biff, and Happy are all deluded in one way or another. It analyzes how Miller depicts Willy's wife in a very specific way and how he depicts the other women in the story in ways that complement Linda's distinct nature. Although Linda's role as a woman in society is extremely limited, she is a heroic character, being both wife and mother to some very sad and twisted characters.

From the Paper
"Linda then, is a character that we learn directly very little about. It is only through her interactions with her family that her nature is revealed, and this sense of mystery adds to the dramatic tension. The audience cannot fathom why she stays with Willy and her dysfunctional family. Is she accepting her subordinate position as part of the nuclear family in order to hold it together? Or is she limited by her own personal inadequacies that prevent her from standing independently? Miller's creation of a character shrouded in ambiguity allows extensive scope for dramatic tension. This indistinct character of Linda has an effect on her relationship with Willy."

Tags:willy, loman, linda, family, american, dream