Arthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman - 1159 Words

People have different identities because they all make their own over the course of their lives. Identity development is the outcome of different experiences and situations people encounter throughout their lives. Views, beliefs, activities, and conflicts have an impact on how individuals form their identities. People go through life trying to recognize their character traits, the act of which leads them to their identities, but over time can lose the identities they have through society, through a marriage, or through one’s own self. Willy Loman, a delusional salesman, in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman; Minnie Wright, an unhappy and lonely housewife, in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles; and Oedipus, a king with excessive pride and†¦show more content†¦Lois Tyson writes, â€Å"The protagonist believes that being well liked is the necessary and sufficient currency for purchasing success in the business world.† Society’s interest is in the man w ho makes a name for himself and his family through hard work and dedication, not being well-liked. Willy believes his only possible identity lies in his occupation and allows selling to become his identity instead of his occupation. He praises Dave Singleman’s career to Howard: â€Å"And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want† (1876). Willy’s belief that his brother Ben makes a fortune by the same dream of success he pursues and fails to achieve further damages his identity. Ben reveals, â€Å"Why boys when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich† (1860). Ben represents what Willy hopes to achieve in life. Tyson explains, â€Å"Willy’s failure to see the obvious unscrupulous underside of Ben’s financial success . . . is not the result of innocence or ignorance, but of selective perception.† Willy struggles to adjust to the change s of his job as a salesman. He is unable to establish a business relationship with the new generation of customers because he believes his old style and techniques of selling is successful. Willy fails to live up to his version of the American dream to achieve success and falls victim to society’s demands and expectations. He