The Pipedream of the Salesman
... away- a man is not a piece of fruit.”(Death of a Salesman, page 82). The audience feels pity for Willy’s predicament, because of his constant defeat and overall inability to become a success. The audience experiences the greatest catharsis when Willy realizes his failures and says to Charley, “Funny y’know. After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive” (Miller 98). Consequently, Charley has sympathy for Willy when he gives him money for his bills, and he says, “Willy, nobody’s worth nothing dead.” (Miller 98). This is very tragic and sad, alluding to his own suicide but more importantly showing his desperate last attempt for success, leaving seed money for his beloved son. Willy faces a superior force in the play that impedes his means of becoming a success. He struggles for success in a capitalist America with an ‘American Dream’, and a struggle with himself and his false pride. In a capitalist country, companies strive on sales. Ironically as a salesman that is what Willy dislikes very much when he says to Linda,” “I'm always in a race with the junkyard! I just finished paying for the car and it's on it last legs. The refrigerator consumes belts like a god dam maniac. They time those things.” (Miller 73). Sales have dried up and Willy Loman seems to have lost his way. He has a subconscious realization of his failures that are cause for his inner struggle. Unless Willy has Alzheimer’s, in its early stages, he is losing touch with reality and begins to have hallucinations and illusions. Willy speaks to Ben about the seed money, and Ben tells him,” That’s a point William. And twenty thousand-that is something one can feel with the hand, it is there” (Miller 126). In this scene, Ben is present only in Willy’s mind; he tells Willy what he wants to hear. Ben essentially says that Willy’s plan of suicide to validate his life insurance policy is noble and will help his sons be successful, thereby fulfilling Willy’s ambitions to become successful. In Willy’s early adulthood, he sees David Singleman at the age of eighty-four as an idol, and in so doing chose to follow the wrong dream. Willy is a family man, and is good with his hands. A salesman leads a lonely life and sells something intangible, which Willy never did well. Willy says, “Cause what could be more satisfying-to be remembered and loved and helped by so many people.”(Miller 81). Willy idolizes the fame and prestige of Singleman’s job as a salesman, thereby not following the correct dream, but Singleman’s dream. Willy’s fatal flaw is his inability to see things in a realistic perspective. Willy’s false pride has always been his ‘Achilles heel’ in all his ventures for success. Charley tries to ‘shoot some sense’ into Willy and says to him, “When the hell are you going to grow up?” (Miller 723). He exhibits many childlike qualities that have an impact on him and his family. Willy sees himself as a great man that is popular and successful (Achieved the ‘American dream’). Whenever threatened or subject to scrutiny by his sons or stresses from work, he hides behind his illusions. He values respect and pride more than hard ...