Sunday, January 11, 2009

What is the role of illusion versus reality in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller?

In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, one of the main themes is illusion versus reality.  Willy Loman has difficulty differentiating these two things (illusion and reality). One example is how, at times, Willy remembers the past and confuses it for the present. He remembers the woman he had an affair with, only to see his wife Linda in front of him, mending stockings. Another example of illusion versus reality is how Willy imagines himself and his sons to be well-liked, when in reality, they are viewed in a negative light. Willy is seen as washed up by his boss and colleagues and his sons are seen as worthless and despicable, even by their own mother. 


Willy's ultimate demise is caused by his inability to reconcile illusion and reality. When he can no longer pretend that he can be successful at work and support his family, he commits suicide. Because he is not grounded in reality, he can't take the proper steps to move his life forward in a positive way. Sadly, much of his life has been spent caught up in the illusion of how he'd like his world to be instead of acknowledging the reality of it.

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