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Willy's Idea of Success is Misguided

Willy Loman, the main character in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, is idealistic, stubborn and has a false sense of importance. He exhibits skewed perceptions of society that have a negative impact on him and his family. Willy believes that his philosophy of life is one that will guarantee himself and his family a life of wealth and success. Willy cannot achieve this success because his perceptions and methods to obtain it are wrong.
Willy thinks that a part of a person's success is measured by how well liked and how many friends an individual has. This is illustrated when Willy says "It's who you know and the smile on your face! ... and that's the wonder, the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!" (Miller 86). The context of this quote makes it seem that this is applicable to anyone who believes Willy's philosophy that being well liked is in direct proportion to success. Willy......

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Approximate Word Count: 1057
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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