An Uncomfortable Truth Is Better Than a Comfortable Lie
Some people say that an uncomfortable truth is better than a comfortable lie. People do not want to live a life that is false, phony or somehow an illusion. This concept is explored in Peter Weir’s 1998 film The Truman Show and Arthur Miller’s classic play Death of a Salesman. The Truman Show explores one man’s struggle to uncover the truth about the world he lives in. In Death of a Salesman, the responder witnesses the unfolding of one man’s struggle as he comes to terms with an uncomfortable truth (one which he has avoided through fantasy & delusion for years). Both of these texts raise an important question; can the truth really set a person free?
In Death of a Salesman, the insecure Willy Loman is chasing a comfortable lie rather than facing the uncomfortable truth. He convinces himself that he is successful, well-like and attractive. He constantly exaggerates his success: “I averaged one hundred and seventy a week in the year of 1928.” He is under the impression that one must be attractive and well-liked in order to be successful, and that he and his sons are destined for greatness. When this lie is shattered, however, it becomes too much for Willy to bear. This is presented in the scene where he tries to get a raise and get taken off ‘the road’. This is a significant turning point in Willy’s life as his hopes are dashed and he begins to doubt his future as a salesman; “And there was a question in my mind as to whether selling had a future for me.” This is the beginning of the end for Willy, as he becomes even more depressed and emotionally unstable. The responder is able to see how Willy is delusioned about the life of a salesman and disappointed with the loss of camaraderie in his work. Willy’s experience of reality and illusion reflects the context within which the text was created, American during the late 1940s. This was a time when people were longing for order & control after having survived the Great Depression, World War One and World War
In Death of a Salesman, the insecure Willy Loman is chasing a comfortable lie rather than facing the uncomfortable truth. He convinces himself that he is successful, well-like and attractive. He constantly exaggerates his success: “I averaged one hundred and seventy a week in the year of 1928.” He is under the impression that one must be attractive and well-liked in order to be successful, and that he and his sons are destined for greatness. When this lie is shattered, however, it becomes too much for Willy to bear. This is presented in the scene where he tries to get a raise and get taken off ‘the road’. This is a significant turning point in Willy’s life as his hopes are dashed and he begins to doubt his future as a salesman; “And there was a question in my mind as to whether selling had a future for me.” This is the beginning of the end for Willy, as he becomes even more depressed and emotionally unstable. The responder is able to see how Willy is delusioned about the life of a salesman and disappointed with the loss of camaraderie in his work. Willy’s experience of reality and illusion reflects the context within which the text was created, American during the late 1940s. This was a time when people were longing for order & control after having survived the Great Depression, World War One and World War