Willy Loman Essay, Research Paper

Willy Loman Compared with other Fictional characters

Literary Journalists have spent tonss of clip researching different characters in Arthur Miller & # 8217 ; s Death of a Salesman, and have focused chiefly on Willy Loman, since he is the most complex character in the drama. There have been many different theories about the relationship between him and the other characters of the drama. Certain Journalists have gone beyond that point and have compared him with other characters. These comparings allow the reader to see Willy from a different position, which besides allows the reader to understand the place of Willy Loman. D. L. Hoeveler has explained Willy & # 8217 ; s standpoint to the other characters in Death of a Salesman as Psychomachia. From Milkman to Salesman: Glances of the Galut by Dan Vogel compares Willy to Tevye, another fictional character, while John S. Shockley has proved that Willy & # 8220 ; portions a figure of of import traits with the most successful American politician of the late 20th century, Ronald Reagan & # 8221 ; ( quotation mark ) . All of these writers have tried to demo and explicate Willy Loman in a different position by comparing him to other characters.

If one wants to understand a character in any kind of literature it is necessary to look at the other people who he/she has contact with. Hoeveler has analyzed Willy by looking at the other characters and has shown how they are affected by him during the drama. Harmonizing to Hoeveler, Willy & # 8220 ; has forced his household to play the parts that he has designed for them. They are all characters in a dream, Willy & # 8217 ; s dream of world & # 8221 ; ( 634 ) . All the characters in the drama represent a certain trait, merely as in the drama Everyman, written in the late fifteenth century. The reader is shown that the single characters & # 8220 ; represent facets of & # 8221 ; Willy & # 8217 ; s & # 8220 ; splintered head & # 8221 ; ( 632 ) . Linda is

a voice that ushers and Acts of the Apostless as a security for Willy. His boy Biff represents the failure of Willy to accomplish the American dream. Willy & # 8217 ; s other boy, Happy, is a personification of & # 8220 ; Willy & # 8217 ; s belief in success at any monetary value & # 8221 ; ( 635 ) . Ben, Willy & # 8217 ; s brother, represents the dreams of fiscal success. Willy is easier to understand if one knows what he is. He is a adult male that has enforced his thoughts unto his household and therefor has caused his personality to be divided among the other characters to an extent.

The Requiem at the terminal of the drama shows how all the characters are apparently freed of Willy, & # 8220 ; but each of the characters continues to incarnate the values that Willy demanded of them & # 8221 ; ( 635 ) . They are really non free at all because they have become Willy. He is best explained when the workss he has done to others is analyzed. This was what has been done foremost in order to acquire a better penetration on how Willy thinks and acts towards the characters around him.

One of the celebrated characters that Miller & # 8217 ; s Willy Loman has been compared to is Sholom Aleichem & # 8217 ; s creative activity, Tevye the milkman. This is a really rational comparing, which is discussed in Dan Vogel & # 8217 ; s article From Milkman to Salesman: Glances of the Galut, because it is easier to understand a character if another individual is in about the same state of affairs. Willy Loman and Tevye are both heroes that have to cover with & # 8220 ; life & # 8217 ; s enfeebling existentialist sarcasms and abuses & # 8221 ; ( 174 ) . The manner they deal with their jobs is non by beastly force on a conflict field. The difference is that Tevye is defeated with self-respect whereas Willy chooses devastation. There is an obvious difference between the strength of characters.

Both are salesman that have to cover with the bursting of their dreams. Tevye & # 8217 ; s girls all end up making something he does non O.K. . One commits suicide because of love, the eldest marries a seamster that dies immature and the 3rd one falls in love with an exiled Marxist. Tevye invests money in the stocks and ends up losing all

his money. Willy, who is used to a fantastic life is confronted with flat edifices all over the topographic point, a auto that can be thrown off, a boy that has run off and a loss of his occupation.

The existent of import differences and similarities between these two characters are noticeable when the reader looks at the manner they both deal with these jobs. Both have a major job with ego esteem. They are invariably in hunt of themselves. Tevye and Willy boast about themselves and so recognize that they are no better so anyone else. This bothers them a batch. & # 8220 ; Attention, attending must be eventually paid to such a individual & # 8221 ; ( 56 ) as Willy because & # 8220 ; he & # 8217 ; s a human being, and a awful thing is go oning to him & # 8221 ; ( 56 ) . This attitude is the same 1 that Sholom Aleichem has towards Tevye.

Besides, both have raised a kid that becomes a renegade. Biff runs off to go a worker on farms and Chava converts to Christianity. Tevye and Willy are really sad and still long for their kids even though they have been betr

ayed. When the renegades return place they are embraced with the household once more. The male parents act really similar towards their kids. The premier difference is that Tevye would ne’er travel every bit far as perpetrating self-destruction because of his jobs. Willy has a weaker character and therefor is more prone to perpetrate self-destruction, which he does. This failing can besides come from the difference in both beliefs. Tevye believes in God and is non forced to confront the devastation of this belief. Willy, on the other manus witnesses the complete devastation of his belief, the American dream, through Biff. Hence, he is much less stable than Tevye. “For Willy, acculturated to the American Galut, there is no Messiah to trust for, merely to be liked if non good liked by the boies of work forces ; and no God, merely the bitch goddess Success” ( 177 ) .

The reader has come another measure closer to to the full understand Willy and his behaviour by seeing how his Acts of the Apostless have been compared to the characters in the drama

and another fictional character bing in another topographic point and clip. Hence, the last measure is to compare Willy to a historical character that most people are familiar with.

In the article Death of a Salesman and American Leadership: Life Imitates Art John S. Shockley has compared Willy to & # 8220 ; the most successful American politician of the late 20th century, Ronald Reagan & # 8221 ; ( quotation mark ) . The first similarity is that & # 8220 ; both were selling themselves and the American dream & # 8221 ; ( quotation mark ) . They dreamed this dream and believed that the fulfilment of a adult male should non be hindered.

To believe the American dream and unrecorded by it both work forces had to deny certain facts. Willy tested really hard to still believe that his boies were non failures and that he was besides non neglecting as a salesman. He merely had to deny these facts. Linda invariably gets to hear prevarications from Willy about how popular he is and how much money he is doing. Ronald Reagan who grew up with an alcoholic male parent who had failed to accomplish success. & # 8220 ; As Willy loved stating gags to foreground his personality, Reagan loved entertaining others & # 8221 ; ( quotation mark ) . The denial of unpleasant facts continued throughout Reagan & # 8217 ; s whole life. These denials had a bigger consequence on Willy because he was non every bit successful as Reagan.

The hunt for close friends was really difficult for both characters, and they ne’er were able to accomplish this end. In the terminal, the lone people that stood by them were their married womans. Willy and Reagan had the same job with kids. Reagan had great jobs with his adopted boy and girl. This is partially due to the fact that both had no male parent figure to assist them out.

The differences of the two compared characters are besides really of import in finding what Willy is non. Ronald Reagan had a better opportunity in going a

success because he inspired people and made them experience good about themselves. Another disadvantage of Willy is that he does non cognize what is go oning to him, whereas Reagan has a really good thought about himself and the place he is in.

Reagan besides faced calling jobs but was rescued by friends and protagonists. Since he & # 8220 ; was rather willing to accept aid and financess from anyone & # 8221 ; ( quotation mark ) he was able to maintain his assurance. Cipher tried assisting Willy which caused his self-worth to fall in. & # 8220 ; Ronald Reagan, in amount, was what Willy Loman wanted to be: well-liked, at least in a superficial manner ; entertaining without being a dullard ; successful ; handsome ; and non fat & # 8221 ; ( quotation mark ) . Hence, & # 8220 ; Willy Loman committed self-destruction. Ronald Reagan became President of the United States & # 8221 ; ( quotation mark ) .

Looking and analysing a character is ever of import to understand the character in any type of literature. The reader must compare the character to other people and happen out what is indispensable. Many Literary Journalists have done this to see Willy Loman from many different positions. The reader so draws a decision that he/she is satisfied with. These three writers have exhibited how a character is to be seen, which should do all the readers really happy.

Plants Consulted

Bibliography

Brucher, Richard T. & # 8220 ; Willy Loman and The Soul of a New Machine: Technology and the Common Man. & # 8221 ; American Studies 17 ( 1983 ) : 325-336.

Ferguson, Alfred R. & # 8220 ; The Tragedy of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman. & # 8221 ; Thought 53 ( 1978 ) : 83-98.

Hoeveler, D.L. & # 8220 ; Death of a Salesman as Psychomachia. & # 8221 ; Journal of American Culture 1 ( 1978 ) : 632-637.

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin, 1976.

Rosinger, Lawrence. & # 8220 ; Miller & # 8217 ; s Death of a Salesman. & # 8221 ; Explicator 45.2 ( 1987 ) : 55-56.

Shockley, John S. & # 8220 ; Death of a Salesman and American Leadership: Life Imitates Art. & # 8221 ; Journal of American Culture 17.2 ( 1994 ) : 49-56.

Vogel, Dan. & # 8220 ; From Milkman to Salesman: Glances of the Galut. & # 8221 ; Studies in American Jewish Literature 10 ( 1991 ) : 172-178.