“Death of a Salesman”, a play by Arthur Miller, focuses on the final days of Willy Loman’s life. In the play, Willy spends his life trying to live the American Dream.
He wants a prosperous lifestyle for himself, his loving wife, Linda, and his two sons, Biff and Happy. The problem is in the way he tries to pursue his dream. This makes it unattainable to him. His unrealistic vision of success causes crippling feelings of inadequacy. When success eludes him it leads him down the path to self-destruction.
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A lack of education shapes his worldview
A lack of education shapes Willy’s worldview and his view of himself. Willy lives by the motto “It’s important to be well-liked”. He constantly needs the approval of others. His character, motivations, and emotions come through his interaction with others. He looks to his brother Ben as a model of success. Ben was a rich man at the age of 21. iff, frustrated with his father’s failures, says that he had the wrong dream and never knew who he was.
Lack of career opportunities
Willy lacks a formal education and this limits his career opportunities. He becomes a salesman although he feels the profession is beneath him. He has 34 years of working for the same company. He faces a firing and a pay cut in the play. Willy is a mediocre salesman at best. He drives long distances and works long hours with little to show for it. It’s only in his imagination that he makes great sales. Biff sees the truth about his father and this frees him. Willy’s ignorance and inability to face reality shape his decisions.
Literature students at college or university often have to write essays about plays like “Death of a Salesman”. They can access free essay examples online that can give them insight into the characters. A Death of a Salesman essay can give them inspiration on how to structure their essays. There are also online professional writers they can hire to write an essay for them. They can give a writer instructions and get work done fast and at affordable prices.
Education can help to create self-awareness in students. A teacher in school knows the importance of cultivating self-esteem and self-awareness. It can influence the future choices students make.
Financial instability
Willy doesn’t attend classes to further his education and his definition of success is skewed. He is deluded about the power of wealth to bring happiness. He lives paycheck to paycheck and accumulates debt. He never has money to save towards his future. His financial instability creates desperation in him to make sales. He is tortured by stress and anxiety.
Since he can’t earn a reasonable living, he has to borrow money from his neighbor, Charley. When he loses his job, Charley offers him a job but he responds that he already has a job. He not only lies to others so they will think better of him but to himself as well. He sees himself as a victim of bad luck and does not take any responsibility for his failures.
Unrealistic expectations
A lack of education affects Willy’s relationship with his sons, Biff and Happy. He places great importance on physical appearance and popularity. He determines his own self-worth and value by how many friends he has and how much money he makes.
Willy has unrealistic expectations for Biff. Biff is not interested in the business world. His father’s vision for him sees him becoming a thief and constantly losing jobs. He eventually confronts the shame buried in his sense of identity. He recognizes Willy’s tendency to reconstruct reality. This lesson he learns ultimately helps him to see the truth for what it is and empathize with his father.
Happy is charming and charismatic but he becomes an ambitious philanderer. He picks up the delusions of his father and doesn’t face an epiphany like Biff.
A tragic end
By the end of the play, Willy can’t deny his failures. However, he can’t face up to the reality of the choices he has made either. In the end, he decides to commit suicide. He’s convinced this is the right solution for his family who can collect the insurance money. He even believes Biff will consider him a martyr and respect him when many mourners turn up at his funeral.
Conclusion
Willy Loman’s lack of education shapes his worldview. It influences the choices he makes throughout his life. It distorts his view of reality and affects his relationships with his wife and his sons. He somehow thinks that if he is well-liked, he will attain success and never lack anything ever again. His delusions and inability to face up to reality ultimately lead to his tragic downfall.
