Examples Of Likeability In Death Of A Salesman By Arthur...

Likeability, just one of the questions arising from the play, Death of a salesman by Arthur Miller. The main character, Willy Loman, may be found likeable by some as they read Willy’s inner dialog or loathsome when they discovered he cheated on his wife. However, I will argue the character, Willy, to be engagingly obnoxious for a few reasons. One; his tragic flaw in the belief repeated throughout the dialog such as, Two; the pressure Willy imposes upon his eldest son Biff, to live a completely successful life as Biff was â€Å"well liked†, Finally; the reader cannot help but feel the overwhelming love Willy has for his family, as it is his most redeeming quality. Whether the reader finds Willy likeable or loathsome, opinions must be tempered by†¦show more content†¦As Bernard tries to respond to Willy, all Willy can do is blame others instead of absorbing the advice. Bernard’s father, Charley, reveals he has made it big as a lawyer; a lawyer arguing a ca se before the Supreme Court. Willy is happy for Bernard, however he still makes every excuse as to why his son has not had the same success. Willy is obnoxious as he deems his family as more likeable than others, but endearing considering he is truly proud of Bernard’s success. Throughout the play the reader becomes uncomfortable with the pressure Willy puts on his relationship with his eldest son, Biff. During Biff’s younger years he would go the extra step, singling him out and praising him, â€Å"Terrific. Terrific, job boys. Good work, Biff† (1289). Willy goes back and forth having this deep and admirable love for Biff, calling him an â€Å"Adonis† (1291) to absolutely hating him and saying, â€Å"You vengeful, spiteful mutt!† (1337). Catching Willy with his indiscretion marked the end of the easy relationship the (or pair)father and son had shared. Biff realized his father was not the man he thought he knew crying, â€Å"You fake! You phony little fake! You fake!† (1332) leading Biff to question all of his father’s teachings. Biff understood the world did not revolve around â€Å"likeability† being everything, but he lived his life with this mantra anyway. However, confronted with his father’s att empts at suicide he was finally ready to face life, endeavoring to bring closure to the anguish betweenShow MoreRelatedWilly Lowman’s Tragic Misinterpretation of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman1176 Words   |  5 Pagesis just one more example that the American Dream is without a doubt achievable. Its pursuit is not easy; it requires undeniable hard work, modesty and optimism. Armed with these characteristics, seekers of this lifestyle will undeniably succeed. Success, though, is an interesting concept, for it can entail many superficial qualities. Willy Loman, the tragic hero of the play Death of a Salesman, sees only the superficial qualities of this dream. He views success solely as likeability (linked with attractiveness)Read MoreThemes Of Death Of A Salesman1286 Words   |  6 PagesA Blanketed Illusion Death of a Salesman is a tragicomedy centered on the events that take place at the end of Willy Loman’s life. From the opening act, we learn that Willy and his family struggle to behave as a united front when they face financial pressures and strained familial bonds. This causes Willy to become desperate for success and validation. Death of a Salesman has commonly been interpreted as an analysis of the American dream. Within the ideal American society, citizens believe that theRead MorePoem : The American Dream1037 Words   |  5 Pagesdoes the dream vanish and disappear. All of these images, while not entirely violent, have a slightly dark tone to them. Each image is potent enough to make the reader smell, feel, and taste these deferred dreams. A theme of them is that all the example of what happens after a discarded dream is that does not simply vanish, but undergoes an evolution. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel that shows what happened to the American Dream in the 1920’s through the lives of JayRead MoreWhat Do the Flashbacks Sequences in ‘Death of a Salesman’ Contribute to Our Understanding of Willy Loman’s Character?1459 Words   |  6 Pagesapplied to Arthur Miller as a playwright. This is relatively accurate as ‘Death of a Salesman’ features some of the early expressionist characteristics such as Miller dramatizing the sufferings of his characters. Willy is the character that suffers most and it is dramatized at different points in his life. For example when Willy is first made to work on commission and then is not even allowed to work on commission. Miller also likens his characters to mythic figures in history. An example of this is