Willy Loman: Tragic Dreamer in Essay

Willy also wants to be a successful father so that his sons will be successful as well. Willy especially wants his son, Biff, to succeed. Biff has inherited some of his father's dreamy nature and has never followed through on anything since he graduated from high school. Biff cannot keep one job for very long and he appears to be bored with no direction. Willy wants him to succeed but has given him bad advice and set a bad example over his life. Willy has made Biff believe that he can do anything without putting forth much effort. This has caused Biff to become lackadaisical when it comes to making educated choices for his future. Biff becomes increasingly aware of how his father has influenced him and tells him, "I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody! That's whose fault it is!" (1108).This outrage, however, does nothing to improve his lot in life because his father set an example of laziness and blaming others.

Willy Loman wants to be a success in life. His two primary concerns are being a successful salesman and a successful father. Stemming from the dream of successful fatherhood is raising two successful sons. Willy fails on both accounts because he never musters up enough courage to be honest with himself about who he is and what he does best. His delusions are passed along to his children and they ultimately ruin his family.

Work Cited

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. An Introduction to Literature. Sylvan Barnet, ed. Boston: Little,….....