Many characters in literature are the cause of their own misfortune. In the play Death of a Salesman by author Miller, Willy Loman is responsible for his misfortune as well as the misfortune of his two sons Happy and Biff. Willy creates his own small world in which he is the boss, everything goes around him, nothing will change and nothing will go wrong. But by thinking this way Willy causes his own misfortune.

Willy brags to his boys that he is well liked, that he is a "big man", but in reality he is not. He says that he went to Providence, met the Mayor, had coffee with him. Willy says: "And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England" (Death of a Salesman 30). This comment illustrates how Willy shows off in front of his sons. He says he can park his car in any street in New England, and the cops will protect it like their own. Willy believes that he is a "number one" man but at the same time he knows and says that he is not what he dreams about, but he just does not want to admit it. "You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don't seem to take me... They seem to laugh at me... they just pass me by. I'm not noticed" (36) says Willy. He knows the fact that he is a t

Willy chose the wrong career for him to get popularity and because of that he lost a great opportunity for success. He got neither success nor popularity. Willy went to the business world because of Dave Singleman. He saw how Dave at the age of eighty-four made his living and was popular. Willy was impressed by Dave's funeral; he saw a lot of people from different states who came to wish him a farewell. Willy wanted the same and that is the reason why he became a salesman. Ben begged to Alaska with him, but Willy made his choice to be a salesman and rejected Ben's offer. "Why didn't I go to Alaska with my brother Ben that time...What a mistake. He begged me to go" (41). Willy regrets his mistake. At the end he tries to prove Biff that he was a "big man". Willy wants to kill himself and in his dreams he sees his own funeral-a lot of people coming to it. Willy wants his funeral to be the same as Dave Singleman's. He wants Biff to see how popular and well-liked salesman he was. But again Willy does not prove anything to Biff because nobody came to his funeral. He did not get popular as Dave Singleman; lost his opportunity to be successful and did not prove anything to his son. By doing all this Willy causes his own misfortune and understanding it he decides to kill himself.

Willy tells everyone and believes in the dream that he is well liked, that he is a "number one" man. But in reality he is t

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Approximate Word count = 946
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)