The Death of a Salesman

" I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby

People of Willy Loman's type are truly a dying breed. Today, many people view success as becoming rich, obtaining the things they desire, and ultimately satisfying themselves. Willy Loman's view of success was quite different. While he worked very hard to make money, his greatest goal seemed to be to gain the respect and approval of all others around him. He needed to feel important and accepted in order to have peace of mind. When Willy began to feel like he was not wanted or respected, he began to self destruct. In his desire to constantly please others, he destroyed himself and greatly hurt his family.

Willy had a somewhat strange relationship with the members of his family, especially with his son, Biff. Willy's desire for success was prevalent in every aspect of his life. Biff was thirty-four years old and still did not have a respectable career. Willy most likely saw this as a reflection upon himself. He was very hard in Biff because in his eyes, his son's failure was his own failure. As if their relationship wasn't shakey enough, it took a turn for the worst when Biff discovered that Willy was having an affair. Biff could not understand why his father would do such a thing. I believe that this goes back to Willy's obsessive need to be wanted. Being desired by a young woman gave him a boost of self-esteem.

Willy also seemed to be somewhat controlling over his wife, Linda. At times it seemed as if he was listening to her, but in the end he got the final say. This unhealthy relationship seems to be the reason why Linda did not confront her husband when she discovered that he was trying to kill himself. If they had had a more equal and open relationship, she could have helped him overcome his need to please everyone. Maybe the death of this salesman would not have come in such a tragic way.