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Essay / Willy Loman as the embodiment of the classic American
In Death of a Salesman, Willy is portrayed as an interesting character who dreams of being loved and making money by being loved. He was a good handyman and would have been happier working in Alaska with his brother. His wife didn't want him, and he resents her, which is why he treats her like trash and has fun with other women. He projected his dream onto Biff, who was well-liked in high school. Happy, on the other hand, is a reflection of Willy – a big talker and womanizer. Willy Loman is the epitome of the classic American. He had big dreams and wanted wealth and business. He wanted to be respected like he revered his brother Ben, and he wanted to be known to many people. He wanted to provide for his family, and this idea was passed on to him by his brother Ben and those around him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayWilly idolizes the idea of hard-earned wealth, it's what he sees as the American dream. It's the story of a man who lost himself trying to please people. He really strives to please his buyers and his family. He just wants to get out of the rat race, but that's no use, he wants to be appreciated, because that's what he believes will lead him to achieving his American dream. This is what ultimately leads him to project his own ideas onto his offspring, which brings its own set of consequences. Now take Biff, throughout the story he is clouded by so many influences that he doesn't know who to listen to or what to think of himself. It's only when he realizes that he must live his own life, regardless of what others believe the "American Dream" should be, that he truly steps forward and decides who Biff Loman really is. He believes that the true American dream is right in front of you, you just need to know what you want and have your own ideas, unlike Happy, who does the opposite and inherits much of Willy's being. Now Happy is a reflection of Willy, it's not hard to see. His business ideas appeal to Willy, and many of his ideas generally dispel Willy's temper during his tantrums, giving him something to look forward to. Happy wants to please Willy, who has filled him with big dreams and aspirations that seem impossible to refuse for someone as mentally malleable as Happy. This is proven true when it is revealed that Happy will try to accomplish what Willy could not. his funeral. He wants to take over the family business, facing the same complications but ultimately wanting the same thing. This will make Happy think, “What would my father do? What would Willy do? However, this thinking is wrong, because he will eventually fall into the same trap as Willy himself. A common denominator between these three characters is how they deal with the problems in their lives. This is something they both inherited from Willy. They deceive themselves and others into believing that everything is fine and everything will be fine when nothing could be further from the truth. We see this explained by Biff during his final confrontation with Willy when he states that Happy is not actually the assistant dealer and that he stole Oliver's suits and fountain pen. He eventually does his best to put a dagger in Willy's philosophy of life by saying that they weren't meant to be great, echoing his mother at the beginning when she says "why does every man want to rule the world ?". Willy is unable to accept this, leading to his final mutterings about how big Biff is with the money earned after his suicide. They are all wrong :.