| The play, Death Of A Salesman, is a tragedy | | | | |
| not only in the liberal sense of the Greeks, | | | | When Willy Loman finally realizes to sell the |
| who thought that any play that was serious | | | | real self (not just the mask), by actually |
| and dignified was tragic, but also because | | | | dying for the money, he is not there to share |
| the main character of Willy Loman qualifies | | | | the joy. Willy says "Oh, Ben, I always knew |
| as a tragic figure. | | | | one way or another we were going to make it, |
| | | | Biff and I!". This is true and tragic irony. |
| The stories of monarchs are stirring, but the | | | | |
| story of the common man Willy Loman is more | | | | The true value conflict for Willy Loman is |
| stirring because his problem of "having the | | | | that of materialism versus inner happiness. |
| wrong dream" is more alarming because it can | | | | Willy Loman could have had inner happiness |
| happen to anyone. For a man to marry his | | | | had he chosen to follow his heart, by doing |
| mother such as Oedipus did is much more | | | | carpentry work and living in the country, |
| remote than for a common man to make the | | | | instead of chasing after money for its own |
| wrong career choice. | | | | sake and living in the city to do it. |
| | | | |
| Willy Loman works hard to provide for his | | | | Willy did have the wrong dream. Working with |
| family and to give his son Biff a good start | | | | his hands, as Ben says, is "Not like an |
| in life. Willy believes that if he keeps | | | | appointment at all. A diamond is rough and |
| selling he will be liked and, therefore, | | | | hard to the touch.". Willy needed to work at |
| rich. Willy says "...It's not what you say; | | | | something, such as carpentry, that he could |
| it's how you say it - because personality | | | | put his hands on. He needed to create, but |
| always wins the day.". Willy has been | | | | was stifled by his environment. He would |
| selling himself by putting on his personality | | | | have been much happier working with his hands |
| everyday of his whole life. Charlie tells | | | | and living where the earth was open and |
| Willy that "The only thing you got in this | | | | clean. |
| world is what you can sell. And the funny | | | | |
| thing is that you're a salesman, and you | | | | We can learn a lot from the play Death Of A |
| don't know that.". | | | | Salesman. It is so important to do what you |
| | | | love to do. Make sure you're selling the |
| If Willy had sold his carpenter work he might | | | | right product or service and also be proud of |
| have been more successful, but, instead, he | | | | it. Do your due diligence including checking |
| has been suffering a downward spiral by | | | | out the forum and calling the owner before |
| trying to sell his personality. The irony is | | | | you sign up. If you're working at home it's |
| that he has wasted his life by trying to sell | | | | important to have the right tools, programs, |
| the wrong product. He worked so hard to gain | | | | and services at your disposal so that you can |
| wealth "...on the basis of being liked!...". | | | | really enjoy what you're doing. You don't |
| that his own family suffered. | | | | need to "die trying". |