Willy Loman Is The Cause Of His

Own Misfortune Essay, Research Paper

Willy Loman is the cause of his own misfortune

Many characters in literature are the cause of their own misfortune. In the play Death of a Salesman by author Miller, Willy Loman is responsible for his misfortune as well as the misfortune of his two sons Happy and Biff. Willy creates his own small world in which he is the boss, everything goes around him, nothing will change and nothing will go wrong. But by thinking this way Willy causes his own misfortune.

Willy brags to his boys that he is well liked, that he is a big man , but in reality he is not. He says that he went to Providence, met the Mayor, had coffee with him. Willy says: And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England (Death of a Salesman 30). This comment illustrates how Willy shows off in front of his sons. He says he can park his car in any street in New England, and the cops will protect it like their own. Willy believes that he is a number one man but at the same time he knows and says that he is not what he dreams about, but he just does not want to admit it. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don t seem to take me They seem to laugh at me they just pass me by. I m not noticed (36) says Willy. He knows the fact that he is a total failure and he never admits it. Then Willy mentions that he cannot sell anything and when Linda says that he is the handsomest, he disagrees with her, says he is fat, foolish to look at. Willy tells everyone and believes in the dream that he is well liked, that he is a number-one man. Thinking that way Willy creates his own little world where he is the boss and he does the things which he should not do causing his own misfortune.

Willy believes in and follows his wrong ideas. And the worst part is that he teaches them his sons Biff and Happy. He thinks that appearance is everything. Willy says: Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want (33). This comment illustrates Willy s belief in the wrong idea that appearance is everything. Another wrong idea is to come out a number one man. To make a good living and have a great family you do not have to be well liked, as he wanted. Good example of this is Charley. As Willy says Charley is not well liked but he succeeds in life and Willy does not. Willy teaches his sons to steal and does not understand it. And that is right he never told them to go and steal something but Biff and Happy learned it from Willy s orders like this one Boys! Go right over to where they re building the apartment house and get some sand (50). These are all wrong ideas, in which Willy believes and teaches his sons. In order to be successful you do not have to be a number one man; appearance is not everything; do not ever steal anything. He followed these ideas and caused his own misfortune.

Willy chose the wrong career for him to get popularity and because of that he lost a great opportunity for success. He got neither success nor popularity. Willy went to the business world because of Dave Singleman. He saw how Dave at the age of eighty-four made his living and was popular. Willy was impressed by Dave s funeral; he saw a lot of people from different states who came to wish him a farewell. Willy wanted the same and that is the reason why he became a salesman. Ben begged to Alaska with him, but Willy made his choice to be a salesman and rejected Ben s offer. Why didn t I go to Alaska with my brother Ben that time What a mistake. He begged me to go (41). Willy regrets his mistake. At the end he tries to prove Biff that he was a big man . Willy wants to kill himself and in his dreams he sees his own funeral a lot of people coming to it. Willy wants his funeral to be the same as Dave Singleman s. He wants Biff to see how popular and well-liked salesman he was. But again Willy does not prove anything to Biff because nobody came to his funeral. He did not get popular as Dave Singleman; lost his opportunity to be successful and did not prove anything to his son. By doing all this Willy causes his own misfortune and understanding it he decides to kill himself.

Willy tells everyone and believes in the dream that he is well liked, that he is a number one man. But in reality he is totally opposite. He is not well liked and he is definitely not a number one man. Willy has wrong ideas and the worst part is that he teaches then his sons. In order to be successful you do not have to be a number one man; appearance is not everything; do not steal anything. Willy followed his wrong ideas and caused his own misfortune as well as the misfortune of his sons. He chose a wrong career for him to get popularity and because of that he lost and opportunity to try something else. He did not get popular as Dave Singleman, lost his opportunity to be successful and did not prove anything to Biff. Understanding that he cannot do anything in his life anymore Willy kills himself.