Why is willy loman the protagonist

He lives thinking about his past and ironically tells Biff that he has not grown up yet. In fact, it is Willy, who refuses to move on with his present life, recognizing its realities, and holds on to his past. In the play, Willy frequently talks about his rich brother, Ben. It is not clear if such a brother actually existed.

This might be another image of his hallucinating mind. It is probably due to his failed dream of becoming rich that makes him think that he has a brother who is very rich.

Similarly, he still thinks of Biff as a great basketball star and talks to him about sports and his coach. Besides, Willy attempts suicide because of his desperation. He comes to know about the insurance money which his family would receive on his death. He even mentions it in the play. He says that it would be beneficial to Biff, who, like him, is on the verge of failing in life. He purposefully creates accidents in his attempts to suicide.

He rather acts as a tragic hero, though all his character traits are not good. He has never remained loyal to his wife throughout his life. In the past, he had another affair, and thoughts about that irritate him. His attempt at suicide, however, proves that he loves his family and especially his son, Biff. The play makes the audience think about the lost, unfulfilled dreams of thousands of people in America, who find it difficult to cope with the realities of life and accept failure.

I wanted to talk to you about dad for a long time, Biff. Literature Resource Center. Martin, Robert A. The result is the anti-hero, Willy Loman. He is a simple salesman who constantly aspires to become 'great'. Nevertheless, Willy has a waning career as a salesman and is an aging man who considers himself to be a failure but is incapable of consciously admitting it. As a result, the drama of the play lies not so much in its events, but in Willy's deluded perception and recollection of them as the audience gradually witness the tragic demise of a helpless man.

In creating Willy Loman, Miller presents the audience with a tragic figure of human proportions. SPH International, n. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality.

Willy Loman continued to want his recognition and his reputation but never forgets about his family. These characteristics describe him as a tragic hero in Death of a Salesman.

His grand error of wanting recognition drove him crazy and insane and lead to his tragic death. Willy Loman caused the reader to empathize with him because before his tragic death he did everything he could for his family. Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?.

Willy perceives himself as a failure: He is not Dave Singleman. He is just a mediocre salesman who has only made monumental sales in his imagination. Now that he is growing old and less productive, the company he helped to build fires him.

He regrets being unfaithful to his wife, even though he will never admit the affair to her. He is no longer a respectable man in Biff's eyes.

Biff recognizes Willy's tendency to exaggerate or reconstruct reality and is no longer a willing participant in Willy's fantasy. By the end of the play, Willy is overwhelmed; he can no longer deny his failures when they become too many to deal with.

Instead, he seeks a solution in suicide. Willy reasons he can finally be a success because his life insurance policy will in some way compensate Linda for his affair. Additionally, Biff will consider him a martyr and respect him after witnessing the large funeral and many mourners Willy is sure will attend.

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Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller.