Death Of Salesman And Will Loman Essay, Research Paper

Charley says something in Arthur Miller?s Death of a Salesman that sums up

Willy?s whole life. He asks him, "When the hell are you going to grow

up?" Willy?s spends his entire life in an illusion. He sees himself as a

great man that is popular and successful. Willy exhibits many childlike

qualities. Many of these qualities have an impact on Willy?s family. His two

sons Biff and Happy pick up this behavior from their father. He is idealistic,

stubborn, and he has a false sense of his importance in the world. Willy is like

an impetuous youngster with high ideals and high hopes. Children always have

high hopes for their future. They all want to be astronauts or millionaires.

Willy always believes he can achieve that kind of success. He never lets go of

his wasted life. He dreams of being the man who does all of his business out of

his house and dying a rich and successful man. Furthermore, Willy also dreams of

moving to Alaska where he could work with his hands and be a real man. Biff and

Happy follow in their father?s footsteps in their lofty dreams and unrealistic

goals. Biff wastes his life being a thief and a loner; furthermore, Biff, along

with happy try to conjure up a crazy idea of putting on a sporting goods

exhibition. The problem with Willy is that he never grows up and deals with his

obstacles. Willy is also a very stubborn man. He is like a little child that

wants to do something their way even though they know that another option would

be the wiser choice. Charley practically sets a potential job into Willy?s lap

and he refuses it. Willy just was fired and needed a job. He refuses one. Willy

is too stubborn to let go of his old job and take a new one. He still believes

that he is at the top of his profession. When Willy does not get his way he acts

just as a child would. He has tantrums such as when he basically challenged

Charley to a fight after he told him to grow up. Biff is also stubborn like his

father. He never gives up being a child. He steals and lies. Biff cannot handle

being ignored, so he steals a pen. Willy?s childlike stubbornness hampers him

throughout his life. Willy, like most children thinks that he is more important

than he actually is. During the whole story, he brags himself up, calling

himself a great salesman. He says that he is known everywhere. When his funeral

is to occur, Willy believed that it will be a major event. Many will come to pay

their respects to New England?s greatest salesman. He is just an old broken

down man who never was good at his job. Willy is not well known. Few attend his

funeral. When one is a child, they believe that they are more important than

they really are. As people grow older they realize that they are just one of

many in the world. Willy Loman never does realize this fact. Biff and Happy

never realize it either. They continue to believe that the Lomans are an

extraordinary family above all others. After Willy dies, Happy proclaims that he

will continue his fathers quest as the great salesman. Biff believes that the

Lomans are not liked because they are rough and tough men who use their hands.

Willy goes through his entire life believing that is a great, well known, and

well-liked salesman. Willy Loman is a child trapped in a man?s body. He never

lets go of his dreams. He does not come to grips with his failure as a salesman,

father, and husband. Willy runs away from responsibility, and he asks others for

handouts when in need. These traits have a negative impact Biff and Happy

throughout their lives. At the end of his life he lives with delusions of what

his life was and is. Willy never does grow up.