Death of a Salesman
Is Willy Loman a average man?Arthur Miller once said: "Tragedy requires a . . . balance between what is possible andwhat is impossible. And it is curious, although edifying, that the plays we revere, centuryafter century, are the tragedies. In them, and in them alone, lies the belief --- optimistic, ifyou will --- in the perfectibility of man. It is time, I think, that we who are without kingstook up this bright thread of our history and followed it to the only place it can possiblylead in our time --- the heart and spirit of the average man." In Miller's play Death of aSalesman the main character Willy Loman refuses to believe that he is an average man,this is proved by the way he views his job, a conversation with his brother Ben, and aconversation between his friend Charley. At the beginning of the play we learn that Willy was driving to go make a sale andhe began to daydream and he had to stop, turn around and go home. His daydreaming is asign that he's tired of constantly moving around and he is ready to retire, but in his ownmind he was just tired and he tells his wife, Linda, how everything is good. His wife tellshim that "There's no reason why you can't work in Ne
Willyhas been jealous of Charley his whole life because Charley is everything he thinks he isand wants to be. " (1513) This part of the conversation hasHoward asking Willy why he isn't doing what he is suppose to be, and Willy is reluctantto answer first. They can't expect you to keep traveling every week" (1478). But he will not listen to what she says, "I'm supposed to see Brown and Morrisontomorrow morning at ten o'clock to show the line. " (1514) Then Howard explains that if he can't do road business then he isn't goingto have a job, Willy- "Look, it isn't a question of whether I can sell merchandise, is it?"Howard- "No, but it's business, kid, and everybody's gotta pull his own weight. " (1514)This has Willy asking is he can't have the job because he doesn't sell as muchmerchandise as everyone else and Howard says no, but in fact he tells Willy that it isbecause he can't sell merchandise anymore. The Loman's next door neighbor's are Charley and his son Bernard, Charley is abig time lawyer who is everything Willy thinks he is, Charley is Willy's only friend andWilly knows this. Howard begins to hint toWilly that he is no longer needed "Oh, I could understand that, Willy. Willy's brother Ben left home when Willy was four and went out into the world tomake a fortune for himself. But all he had to do was realize who he really was and swallow his pride andtake the job from Charley or not constantly lie to his wife about how well things are atwork, and had he done this his life could have been completely different. " Willy- "Howard, are you firing me?"Howard- "I think you need a good long rest, Willy. Goddammit, I could sell them!(1478). " Willy- "But in Alaska, kid, I could ---" Linda- "Your doing well enough,Willy!" Willy has been lying to Linda about how well he is doing at his job, this is whyhe can't take up Ben on his offer because that means he would have to admit he is notdoing as well as he said and that he lied to Linda.
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