Death of a Salesman

As Bill Cosby once said. "In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." There are very many different opinions on how one may achieve success and what success is. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, a theme used throughout the play is success and how Willy's interpretation affected how his family members perceived and achieve success.

Miller's character, Willy Loman, believes that the key to success is being well liked. Willy, compared to a child, does not have an exact work ethic in life, his job, or his family which, in return, contributes to his lack in success. After a dreaded day at work, Willy arrives home to his loving and supporting wife Linda, who asks him, after going the bills, how they will be able to afford everything. Willy replies with "Oh, I'll knock 'em dead next week. I'll go to Hartford. I'm very well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don't seem to take to me."(Miller 23) Willy believes that although he has not made any money recently, because he is "well liked" in Hartford that he will make money. Another example of his views on success is when Willy would give advice to his kids. When his son Biff was in highschool, Biff was a very successful football player, but his grades were very poor. Willy led his children to believe that being well liked and popular was more important than being smart. After failing math, Biff was not able to pass high school but Willy did not care. As Willy is talking to his older brother, Willy explains to him that "without a penny to his name, three great Universities are begging for him, and from there the sky's the limit, because it's not what you do, Ben. Its who you know and the smile on your face! its contact, ben contacts!" (Miller 65) Not only does this show Willy's view on success, but it also shows how his trait of being well liked got passed down from him to his children.

Because of Willy's popularity both of his children, Biff and Happy, became familiar with his well liked trait and somewhat adopted it themselves. In his early thirties, Biff is single and living with his parents. When Biff talks to his mom about his life, Linda asks him what his plans are for the future and Biff responds with "I don't know , I want to look around, see what's doin!"(Miller 38) Biff shares the common trait with his father on his lack on living