Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's famous drama Death of a Salesman features protagonist Willy Loman, a washed up salesman whose delusions make him believe he is still highly skilled and in demand. Willy maintains a number of illusions that ultimately he can no longer believe. When he can no longer believe in these illusions (the "American Dream," his son's abilities, his sales skills, etc.), he commits suicide so his wife can have his life insurance money. Despite Willy victimizing a number of individuals in the play, he is also a victim. It is his roles as both victimizer and victim that ultimately motivates Willy to take his own life, believing he is worth more dead than alive.

Willy Loman exhibits behaviors in Death of a Salesman that make him a victimizer. He cheats on his wife Linda, which devastates his son and causes him to lose faith in his father. He tortures his wife by her knowledge that he is trying to commit suicide. He encourages deviant behavior in his sons, either justifying their thefts of athletic equipment and lumber supplies or viewing the thefts as the actions of "a couple of fearless characters" (Miller 51). Willy believes in appearances but those appearances quite often are based on delusions. He tells his sons about personality that "the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want" (Miller 33). Even though he preaches such philosophy,

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