Who Was Responsible For Willy's Downfall
‘A man is worth more dead than alive’ (Willy Loman, Act II). Willy Loman is a man on the verge of mental breakdown which will culminate in his eventual suicide. His ultimate destruction can be blamed on a number of factors, social pressure, family and friend influences, and his psychological and emotional state of mind. However, we are all subjected to the aforementioned issues to some degree throughout our lives and most of us take responsibility for our actions and by doing so endeavour to create reasonable happy, contented lives for ourselves and our families. So, some questions must be asked. Where and how did Willy Loman lose track and focus? To what extent is he responsible for his own downfall? To enable us to understand Willy Loman’s
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We know that Willy’s father left him when he was a very young child and Ben became an idol for Willy because of his business acumen. However, even though these two characters visit the play only as figments of Willy’s mind, the fact that their presence is acknowledged is indicative of the importance of their role in the construction of Willy’s life. Notably, the portrayal of Willy’s father is depicted by flute music, (his father made flutes) and is present throughout all of Willy’s hallucinations. This maybe an allusion to his yearning for his absent father and perhaps Willy’s idealistic and misplaced admiration for him. Ben, however, is much more prevalent and Willy is very anxious for his approval and praise. Ben’s visits are always very flighty and although Willy is overjoyed at his appearance, he is left frustrated when Ben leaves. Willy has a great need to prove himself successful, yet there is no substantial support evident from these dominant characters in Willy’s endeavours. They both left him when he was very young and the vague encouragements from Ben are just figments of Willy’s own imagination. Yet the result of these desertions have a profound effect on the formation of the young Willy and it is of no surprise that the repercussions that this abandonment at an early age has contributed to the serious flaws we witness in the old Willy. So, we must concede that some guilt has to be accepted on the part of his father and brother in creating and establishing this quite flawed
We know that Willy’s father left him when he was a very young child and Ben became an idol for Willy because of his business acumen. However, even though these two characters visit the play only as figments of Willy’s mind, the fact that their presence is acknowledged is indicative of the importance of their role in the construction of Willy’s life. Notably, the portrayal of Willy’s father is depicted by flute music, (his father made flutes) and is present throughout all of Willy’s hallucinations. This maybe an allusion to his yearning for his absent father and perhaps Willy’s idealistic and misplaced admiration for him. Ben, however, is much more prevalent and Willy is very anxious for his approval and praise. Ben’s visits are always very flighty and although Willy is overjoyed at his appearance, he is left frustrated when Ben leaves. Willy has a great need to prove himself successful, yet there is no substantial support evident from these dominant characters in Willy’s endeavours. They both left him when he was very young and the vague encouragements from Ben are just figments of Willy’s own imagination. Yet the result of these desertions have a profound effect on the formation of the young Willy and it is of no surprise that the repercussions that this abandonment at an early age has contributed to the serious flaws we witness in the old Willy. So, we must concede that some guilt has to be accepted on the part of his father and brother in creating and establishing this quite flawed