It is Willy who is not sure in himself and his manhood. However, in reality, the situation is totally different. In the tragedy, Willy accuses Charley of not being a real man. The author of the tragedy tried to demonstrate how one’s jealousy may prevent one from recognizing the value of true friendship.
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Their conversation during a game of cards becomes so intense that it does not matter what exactly Charley says, Willy finds a possibility to reinterpret the words in his own way.īesides, he continually rejects Charley’s offer for a good job that is better suited for him. Consequently, considering that the jealousy takes place, Willy is just unable to enjoy Charley’s company regardless of what they do. Nevertheless, through the quotes, it becomes evident that Willy is merely jealous of Charley’s greater success and is not ready to accept this fact. Besides, he demonstrates the interest in whatever Willy talks about as the hero appreciates their friendship. Charley is one who has worked truly hard all his life to achieve what he has. Even though he is not a family member to Willy, the heroes know each other for quite some time.Įven more, their sons were growing up together. In the tragedy, Charley is presented as a role model who provides a great example of success. JealousyĪnother significant theme in Death of a Salesman is the problem of jealousy and how it shapes the relations between individuals. However, Willy will never be ready to realize that his son Happy, unlike Biff, so desperately craves to get the life he wants. In one scene, when Willy struggles because of his endless flashbacks, Happy lets him know that he will take care of his father. Nevertheless, because of own biased opinions about the son, Willy’s quotes and behavior make it clear that the hero merely refuses on multiple occasions to acknowledge the Happy’s success. In turn, Willy knows that his son thinks of himself as a person who has already achieved moderate success in life and became a highly accomplished workaholic. Consequently, he makes a lot of efforts to grab father’s attention both being a child and adult to prove that the father’s biased judgments are mistaken. In fact, Happy wants to be everything his father has expected all his life of Bill. While Willy’s son Biff is shown as a person, who is not able to live up to father’s expectations, Happy struggles throughout the story with the opposite problem. In Death of a Salesman, this theme addresses the issue of parents and children.
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Unfortunately, the problem of biased attitudes very often leads to injustice and unfairness. Even more, Willy’s life path is the story of thousands of truly hard-working Americans who have failed to find their way to making the American dream a reality. The ability to “live the American dream” is shown in the tragedy as a privilege that is difficult to achieve. However, after a few decades, his dreams fail.Įven though Willy has the opportunities to live happy, namely a wife, two sons, and a house, he finds little pleasant moments in these things. Besides, he possesses the dream of a successful business. Throughout the tragedy, the man pictures the future where he would be working hard and spending mindfully, playing the role of a caring father and a loving husband. In fact, Willy’s dream is a typical example of how the American dream may rule one’s life and mindset. The notion of the American dream has been an important theme in the literature for centuries.ĭeath of a Salesman quotes in the text allow the readers to realize that the main hero’s American dream has completely collapsed. Hence, living in a world of own illusions, Willy and his sons never accept who they really are. The reality is totally different from the dreams the heroes started out with. In the end, Biff finally recognizes that both he and his father are just ordinary people, not as exceptional as Willy believes.
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Nevertheless, everything has turned upside down, and the plans have never really materialized. His quotes on this subject can be seen throughout the tragedy.Īlso, from the very beginning, the man hopes that his children, especially his son Biff, will do great things in their lives and will accomplish all his aspirations. First of all, Willy has wanted all his life to become a successful entrepreneur and have a prosperous business. His personal life story is a tragedy of unrealized hopes and illusions of the hero and his two sons Biff and Happy. The theme revolves primarily around Willy Loman, an old salesman, who is extremely tired and depressed as his life did not turn out to be all you were hoping for. One of the central themes of the play Death of a Salesman is the ways unrealistic illusions shape one’s perception of reality, and how they affect the mindset and life of individuals.