Death Of A Salesman Illusion Vs Reality

Families always have their share of problems. Some may be minor such as having to cope with a disobedient teenager or an irritable child. Others may be more serious and sometimes beyond repair, like having to deal with lack of communication, secrets being kept from one another or possibly a temperamental father. An example of this dysfunctional family can be found in the tragic play Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller. The family presented in this play is the Loman family. They drown themselves in each others lies and dreams in hope of solving their problems, only to cause the destruction of their family. Until you are ready to face reality, living in an illusive world, will lead your life to be full of misery. Willy Loman, the father, is a distressed man who is unable to see the truth in his misleading life. His wife Linda does nothing but worsen his problems by making excuses, when she knows very well the dilemma her husband is in. Willy's teachings and ethics have caused his two sons, Biff and Happy, to lead illusive lives as well.

Willy's life is built around dreams and illusions that cause him to miss the truth and reality in his misleading life. This is best exemplified in the career Willy chose for himself. In reality, Willy loved to work with his hands. He had completed large improvements on the house, and prior to his suicide, he planted a garden. However, Willy denied himself of the pleasure of using his hands to make a living because of his dreams to be like Dave Singleman and be so loved that his buyers all came to his funeral. Willy's blindness made him believe that it was more prestigious to be a less than adequate businessman than a content handyman. He had also blindly decided that he would commit suicide in order to receive money from his life insurance. Yet, he failed to recognize that the insurance policy would not cover a suicide. Even when his brother Ben tried warning him that they might not honour the policy, Willy refused to face the truth. "How can they dare refuse? Didn't I work like a coolie to meet every premium on the nose? And now they don't pay off? Impossible!" (Miller, pg. 126). Willy led an illusive and deceptive life that was filled with tension and anxiety. He had many opportunities to face reality and admit his faults, but his pride got the best of him.

Linda Loman had many opportunities to end her husband's distress but instead contributes to Willy's illusion by filling his head with false hope. Linda is a passive woman who loves and trusts everything her husband said. She might not have believed his lies but she let him continue to believe them. In the first scene she encourages him to ask for a transfer to New York, causing him to lose his job. She was fully aware that her husband was not as successful as he had portrayed but said nothing because she did not wish to crush his dignity. She was also aware that Willy's car "accidents" were actually intentional. Even when Willy himself said that he was unable to properly drive any more, Linda did not try to help Willy face his problems:

Willy, after a pause: I suddenly couldn't drive any more. The car kept going off onto the shoulder, y'know?

Linda, helpfully: Oh. Maybe it was the steering again. I don't think Angelo knows the Studebaker.

Willy: No it's me, it's me. Suddenly I realize I'm goin' sixty miles an hour and I don't remember the last five minutes. I'm - I can't seem to - keep my mind to it.

Linda: Maybe it's your glasses. You never went for your new glasses. (Miller, pg. 13)

Linda made excuses for Willy, when she should have helped him confront his problems. She too can be blamed in part for Willy's deterioration and destruction. Her excuses have prevented Willy from escaping his misery and realizing reality.

Biff and Happy Loman were victims of Willy's misconception of life. They were taught many improper morals. Although both start from the same point, they end up going in different directions with Happy still living in his world of lies and Biff, being set free by the truth. Happy was the less-favoured son of the two. Due to his being over shadowed by his elder brother, Happy tried desperately to be successful and finally get the appreciation he wanted from his parents. Although Happy grows up to become more financially