Willy Is Suffering From Crippling Self Pity - 1395 Words

We first need to know that a good portion of story takes place in Willy’s (Salesman) home. In the past, the Brooklyn neighborhood, which the Lomans live in, is outside of the bustle of New York City. There was a space between the neighborhood for expansion and for a garden. When Willy and Linda (Willy’s wife) purchase the home, it represented Willy’s hope for the future. Later apartments and buildings surrounding all sides soon overrun their home. At this point Willy’s hope of his future home is slowly diminishing as the surroundings become more populated. Even with their house nearly paid off, Willy believes he will never experience the fame and fortune promised by the American Dream. Reality conflicts with Willy’s hopes. Throughout his life, Willy has held himself to such high standards that he refuses to accept denial and or failure. By the time the play opens, Willy is suffering from crippling self-pity. He is so focused on succeeding that he can’t maintain a constant fantasy. At one point Willy calls Biff (Willy’s son) a lazy bum and just days later proceeds to tell him that he’s anything but lazy. In another instance, he calls the family car a piece of trash one day and â€Å"It’s the finest car every Built.† Denying Biff’s laziness allows Willy to hold on to the notion that someday Biff will eventually exceed his fathers expectations. Willy is constantly changing his interpretation of reality based on his psychological needs at the moment. When Willy was much younger