Willy is Beyond Help

Much of the discussion this week was devoted to trying to understand Willy and the impact he has on his family. Personally, I find Willy to be a completely revolting character, but in the interest of further understanding, I am curious as to why his life is a complete catastrophe. It seems that instead of having the perfect cocktail of personality traits for being “successful” he possesses a fatal mixture of greed, narcissism, and delusion.

Willy has an obsession with being well-liked and financially successful, yet he fails miserably at achieving these goals. Mediocrity chronically permeates every aspect of Willy’s life. In a vicious cycle, each facet of Willy’s life impairs another component of his existence. In business, Willy can not seem to embody the charismatic salesman who effortlessly networks and establishes a loyal base of clientele. This in tern instills a sense of failure that Willy hesitates to reveal to his family and wife. Willy’s insecurity is shown in his habit of exaggerating his accomplishments (lack thereof) at work for his wife. By attempting (unsuccessfully) to keep his wife unaware of his lackluster performance at work, Willy creates a lonely existence for himself. Willy’s self-induced seclusion prompts him to begin an affair to salve his feelings of isolation which then affects his parenting. When Biff walks in on Willy and “The Woman,” Willy sets an example for Biff that encourages cheating in all aspects of life.

It is surprising that a man so preoccupied with achievement could not accomplish anything worthy. I am still uncertain how Willy could not have foreseen or at least comprehended the source of his failures, which can be attributed to his lack of integrity and overwhelming feelings of self-loathing. In Willy’s mind he knows the formula for his perception of success, yet he continuously fails to embody his own expectations.