Death Of A Salesman Is A Tragedy In The Sense That It...

Death of a Salesman is a tragedy in the sense that it displays the consequences of commitment of one s life towards an idealistic goal such as the American Dream. Willy Loman fails to see that he is an unsuccessful salesman and to escape that harsh reality, he constantly reminisces his past. Which beg the question, is Willy Loman a tragic hero? He may not be a conventional tragic hero but he indeed had a downfall however, he wasn’t in a distinguished position to say the least. He was everybody yet simultaneously, nobody. It could be argued that the author Arthur Miller, made him a â€Å"hero† when society decided he was useless. Thus, it leads to his death. â€Å"I don t say he s a great man. Willie Loman never made a lot of money. His name was†¦show more content†¦People could’ve also argue that Biff Loman was a tragic hero who was also worth no more than â€Å"a dime a dozen† but he undergoes to a form of emotional release upon Willy’s death as he is rid of his father’s hopes for him and is at a position of greater understanding and is empowered. â€Å"Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be †¦ when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am.† (Miller). Willy was not able to achieve his dreams of success, and so he projected his dreams onto his son Biff. But Biff was beginning to see the reality and the deception involved in the system. If Biff s disillusionment were to become universal, then a c hange would take place in the system. I believe that Willy Loman can be considered a tragic hero, and was intended by his author, not in the sense as his individual self but as a representative. Willy Loman represents millions of working American men who end up on the when they become too old to be of value to their employers. Willy Loman by himself is too insignificant of a character to be considered a tragic hero, but if we think of him as being multiplied by the millions who preceded him and who will follow the same path, then his fate becomes tragic by the sheer weight of numbers. It becomes obvious that Arthur Miller intended Willy to symbolize workers under capitalism. They start off full of hopes, dreams, and enthusiasm when they are young, but most ofShow MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman Tragedy Essay1365 Words   |  6 PagesDeath of a Salesman is a tragic play written in 1949 by Arthur Miller. The story is about a salesman who lost his identity after having an affair with another woman and can’t seem to a ccept the changes in his life since the event. The story has been performed in theaters and shown on film for many years. 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