The Role of the Capitalist System in "Death of a Salesman"
...never became successful is because of the misconceptions his brother, Ben, gave him about being successful. Willy is inspired by Ben because Ben is popular and wealthy. These are qualities that Willy considers to be requirements for success. Ben is introduced in the story at a time when Willy is delusional about his past. In the midst of a conversation with someone in the present time, Willy begins talking to his brother as if he was standing right there in the room. He has become fixated on his bother's success. Willy always talks about Ben's adventures in the jungle of Africa where he found diamonds on the Gold Coast. At one point in the play when Willy gets caught up in conversation with Ben, he introduces him to his sons as "Uncle Ben, a great man!" and he urges Ben to tell his boys about his adventures. So Ben, who is still a figment of Willy's imagination, explains: "Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich!" (P. 48) This is a significant dialogue in the play because this is why Willy is so obsessed with success, and any sort of failure is unacceptable to him. Willy repeatedly refers to this statement. It seems that he truly believes that richness and success can be that simple. He continuously asks his brother for advice on the matter and how it happened that he walked out to filthy rich, but Willy never gets more of an answer from Ben than, "William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich!" (P.52). Ben is always in a hurry when he is part of the conversation. Willy's subconscious mind may repeatedly engage the past because Willy never received proper advice from his brother who he has idolized for so long. Once again in the second act of the play Willy begins conversation with Ben and asks him, "Oh, Ben, how did you do it? What is the answer?" Ben replies in the same rushed tone, "Haven't the time, William." (P. 84) At some point, Willy's reachs his limit in fighting a losing battle against the suppression of the system. Now he starts thinking that suicide might be the only possibility left to get some money for his family. In act two while he is working and mumbling in his garden, Ben appears again. Willy talks to him about his great proposition that will solve all his problems. Wlly says referring to his wife, "Cause she's suffered, Ben, the woman has suffered." He continues, "A man can't ...