Death Of A Salesman Illusion Vs Reality Essay
Illusion vs. Reality
In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman cannot decipher the difference of illusion and reality. He roams around in a dream-like state- confused, and unaware of reality. Due to his inability to remain focused on the truth, a constant struggle developed inside of him, engulfing Willy’s thought process. In the end, Willy’s inability to accept reality results in his death. Willy Loman, a salesman from New York, was an extremely confused man. He worked a job in which he was never able to sell things and was not able to provide for his family. However, he believed he was a good salesman. In the later parts of his life, the disoriented nature only became worse. From his conversation with people he encounters, to those with his family, Willy dwells in former things, thinking he is actually in that particular moment. He also sees his life as an extravagant one, in which only good things happen. Never willing to face the truth, …show more content…
Willy is constantly slipping in and out of reality. Each flashback is somehow related to the present. Each time Willy loses himself in the past, he does so in order to deny the present, especially if the present is too difficult to accept. The more fragmented and unsuccessful reality becomes, the more necessary it is for Willy to create an alternative reality, even if it requires him to live solely in the past. This is demonstrated immediately after Willy is fired. Ben appears, and Willy confides "nothing's working out. I don't know what to do." Ben quickly shifts the conversation to Alaska and offers Willy a job. Linda appears and convinces Willy that he should stay in sales, just like Dave Singleman. Willy's confidence quickly resurfaces, and he is confident that he has made the right decision by turning down Ben's offer; he is certain he will be a success like Singleman. Willy's memory has distracted him from the reality of losing his
In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman cannot decipher the difference of illusion and reality. He roams around in a dream-like state- confused, and unaware of reality. Due to his inability to remain focused on the truth, a constant struggle developed inside of him, engulfing Willy’s thought process. In the end, Willy’s inability to accept reality results in his death. Willy Loman, a salesman from New York, was an extremely confused man. He worked a job in which he was never able to sell things and was not able to provide for his family. However, he believed he was a good salesman. In the later parts of his life, the disoriented nature only became worse. From his conversation with people he encounters, to those with his family, Willy dwells in former things, thinking he is actually in that particular moment. He also sees his life as an extravagant one, in which only good things happen. Never willing to face the truth, …show more content…
Willy is constantly slipping in and out of reality. Each flashback is somehow related to the present. Each time Willy loses himself in the past, he does so in order to deny the present, especially if the present is too difficult to accept. The more fragmented and unsuccessful reality becomes, the more necessary it is for Willy to create an alternative reality, even if it requires him to live solely in the past. This is demonstrated immediately after Willy is fired. Ben appears, and Willy confides "nothing's working out. I don't know what to do." Ben quickly shifts the conversation to Alaska and offers Willy a job. Linda appears and convinces Willy that he should stay in sales, just like Dave Singleman. Willy's confidence quickly resurfaces, and he is confident that he has made the right decision by turning down Ben's offer; he is certain he will be a success like Singleman. Willy's memory has distracted him from the reality of losing his