Willy Loman, the dominant central character of the play, has defined morality in terms of his capacity to provide financially for his family. Frederick Karl (p. 329) states that Willy Loman is an outgrowth of a "Depression ambiance," which suggests that he defines "success" with respect to income, retaining a job, and fiscal security (all elements of man's work that literally disappeared overnight during the Great Depression). Loman is a "commercial cowboy," whose travels are days and weeks spent "out on the range" in pursuit of one more "big sale." Arthur Miller himself argued that Loman's situ

Nevertheless, Miller allows Willy one triumph also in keeping with his staunch belief in the American - financial - dream. His suicide does provide economically for his wife by ensuring her a roof over hr head. Although Willy's attempt to rescue Biff with his insurance money is generally regarded as an act of self-deception, Willy is not entirely deluded in his death (Perkins, p. 710). He has learned that Biff was aware of his marital infidelities on the road, and that despite this knowledge his son has not stopped loving him. This realization reflects Willy's tentative grasp if a special reality - that his son has not judged him a failure because he never made that final "big score" and Biff had continued to love him regardless of his self-imposed sense of failure.

It is Willy's tragedy that Linda responds to throughout the play. He is, she tells their son Biff, a "human being and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid (Miller, p. 56)." Willy is, as Linda knows all too well, a small man who, upon losing his salary as a salesman, can no longer understand the terms of his life. Her tragedy (a consequence of his "failure" as a husband) is that in spite of his shortcomings, his failures, his bombosity, and his arrogance, she loves him and her world revolves around him. Linda's fear is that he will go through with a suicide to save their home; this is a legitimate fear, which is realized when Biff and Willy have their final confrontation and Willy is told, once and for all, that he and his son are nothing "but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all of them (Miller, p. 132)." This confrontation between father and son serves to convince Willy that he has failed as a father - failed to inspire his son to greatness or even ambition, and

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Approximate Word count = 1213
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)