DEATH OF A SALESMAN Essay -- essays research papers

Death of a Salesman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Death of a Salesman, a play written by Arthur Miller, Miller reflects the theme that every man needs to be honest with him self and act in accordance with his nature by displaying success and failure in different lights. Miller embodies the theme through characters in the play by explaining how their success and failures in being true to themselves help shapes their fates. Strongest evidence of Miller’s theme is reflected in the characteristics of Biff Loman, Benard, and Willy Loman. Through out the play, these three characters never give way to other’s influence and what other’s view of being successful is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Biff Loman, son of Willy Loman, is a man who begins the play blinded about the nature of him self. Taught to be well liked and stand out by his father, Biff’s whole life goal is to live up to Willy’s expectations and make Willy proud of him. After a visit to Boston to see his father, a trip to confess his failure in math soon turns into Biff’s self-realization about his true nature once catching Willy with a mistress. In a argument with Willy, Biff states, â€Å"And 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 (1855).† Biff is confronting Willy about certain actions he has taken in his life after high school. Why he never graduated from high school, why he never became a successful businessman like Willy always wanted him to be, why he ran off out west and became a nobody in Willy’s mind. â€Å"I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neit her are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them! I’m one dollar and hour, Willy! I tried seven states and couldn’t raise it. A buck an hour! Do you gather my meaning? I’m not bringing home any prizes any more, and you’re going to stop waiting for me to bring them home,† Biff states (1856). Here Biff is finally laying on Willy that he is not a businessman, a super star, or a leader. Biff is attempting to clarify to Willy that Biff knows what he really is, what he really likes, and why he did the things he did after high school. Willy could not force Biff to be something he is not, and after Biff caught Willy with the mistress, Biff never again confused about the true nature of him self. Brought up ... ...nature can not allow him to throw himself at Charley for help, just as he was not able to tell Howard that he could not throw himself on his sons. This stubbornness behavior, although ilrash, was Willy’s way of acting in accordance with his nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Biff Loman, Benard, and Willy Loman all share something unique. In Death of a Salesmen, the theme that every man needs to be honest with him self and act in accordance with his nature by displaying success and failure is implied strongly through those three characters through out the entire play. Miller purposely embodied the characteristics in each of those men to show how a person beliefs or nature, can be the driving force and sometimes the reason for living in a persons life. Although, each of these men ended up with very different lives, Benard becoming extremely successful, Biff not as successful as his father hoped, but always true to what his true nature was, and Willy, giving his life up in the end to help his children, one thing is certain. No matter what anyone tried to tell these three men, or what ever obstacles they faced, they never once veered from the path that their true nature took them.