Characterization of Willy
The main protagonist Willy Loman of “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller is the most complex character in the drama. A clear developed split, dual personality was a consequence of him believing wholeheartedly in the American Dream which he never achieves, resulting him living in the American Nightmare and his mental health beginning to break.
The overwhelming psychotic situation of Willy caused by this disparity, especially him not being able to tell the difference between the past and the present, form the main conflict of the play. Not only does Willy let his condition show through the interactions with others, he also is not realizing his personal failure and the betrayal and lies throughout his whole life.
Willy Loman is a 60 year old travelling salesman who has worked at the Wagner Company for 36 years. He always “dresses quietly” (p.10 l.6), feels constantly exhausted and overstressed and lives in a tiny house with basic furniture, making him a weak, simple old man.
He lives with his wife and has two 30something year old sons. The younger son Happy lives with him, while the elder son Biff came back home during the play.
Even though the behavior, feelings and attitude and also the interaction with others of Willy changes during the whole play, depending whether he finds himself in the present or the past, the language he uses is the same. No matter if he is talking to others or to himself, he uses everyday colloquial English (p.32 l.32), symbolizing that he is an ordinary man from the middle class.
Willy´s memories are the key to understand his character, because his memories are often triggered by something that is happening in the present. His personality from the past shows a well-liked person with ambition (p.26 l.19), confidence (p.28 l.14) and belief (p.29 l.25, p. 25l.24-26) making him successful at his job.
But already in the past, Willy can be aggressive when he is mad (p.33 l.21).
Contrary to his personality in the past, he is exactly the opposite in the present. Instead of the optimist, loving husband, proud father, and once-successful popular salesman, he is now a pessimist, unfaithful husband, resentful father, and an unknown salesman who is a failure.
Willy behaves either depressed or angry. His mood swings, which sometimes is caused by his confusion of the past and present, develops even more confusion of the play (p.37-38).
Since he is not accepted at work anymore, he appears to be unsatisfied and depressed and also tired and therefore lets his frustration out on his wife and his sons.His pessimism shows when he realizes his thirty-something sons still haven't begun their careers (p.13 l.26).
He thinks Biff is trying to punish him for having an affair in the past he had with The Woman (p.91 l.30-33 p.97 l.11-25). His rudeness and disrespectfulness towards others is clearly seen when he is talking to (p.52 l.1, p.53 l.11), but there are also times where he appreciates whenever he was reminded of The Woman (p.33 l.5-14), with whom he had an affair with.
Using Willy´s mental illness that is caused by his strong belief in the American Dream, the author illustrates his critics, that this Dream is based on lies and therefore making Willy himself but also the people around him miserable at the end. Willy´s unacceptance of his fate makes this story even more of a tragedy.
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