The Two Willy Lomans in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

The Two Willy Lomans in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman in that respect are two Willy Lomans in The Death of a Salesman. There is the present broken, exhausted man in his sixties, soon to end his life. And on that point is the more confident, vigorous Willy of some fifteen years before, who appears in the flashbacks. wizard actor portrays both, readily shifting from one representation to the other. To some extent, of course, the temper remains constant. The juniorer Willy, although given to boastful blustering, does admit misgivings to Linda and loneliness to sack. And the shattered older man, in turn, occasionally reverts to his former manner of jaunty optimism. until now the changes are great and significant. The earlier Willy could never have been the idol of his teen-aged sons had he behaved in the perverse, distracted fashion of his older self. Willys agitation during his last days stems from a twofold sense of failure. He has not been able to dip successfully in the world his beloved son Biff, and he no longer can meet the demands of his own selling job. Although not entirely ignoring Linda and Happy, he is primarily concerned about the once magnificent young football star who at thirty-four drifts from one temporary farm job to the next. Willy cannot walk away from Biffsproblem, as Bernard suggests, nor can he withdraw Lindas view that life is a casting off. Being over sixty, Willy is doubtless tiring physically. The sample cases are heavy. The seven-hundred-mile drives are arduous. And many business contacts, create over the years, are vanishing as the men of his era die or retire. Yet the worry over Biff has obviously accelerated his collapse. Actually, Willys emplacement toward Biff is complex. On the one hand, t... ...ledge. but Happy is still resolute to beat this racketand come out number one man. On the day of the big game, Charley ruefully asks Willy when he is going to grow up. In some ways Willy never does. His boyish enthu siasm is, of course, part of his appeal. But his persistent refusal to face facts squarely drives him at last to a violent death. Ironically, his suicide, to him the ultimate in magnificent gestures, merely leaves Linda woefully bereft and Biff more than ever sure that he had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong. kit and caboodle Cited Eisinger, Chester E. Focus on Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman The Wrong Dreams, in American Dreams, American Nightmares, (1970 rpt In clc. Detroit Gale Research. 1976 vol. 6331 Gordon, Lois Death of a Salesman An Appreciation, in the Forties 1969) rpt in clc. Detroit Gale Research. 1983 vol. 26323