Death of A Salesman :: essays research papers

Amidst Willys late-night yelling, Charley, a neighbor and friend of the family, enters from outside, inquire what all the commotion is about. He starts a card game with Willy in order to settle him down. Out of friendship, he offers Willy a job later hearing about his problems as a salesman. Willy is quick to take abhorrence at this offer, saying that he already has a good job. Later, when Willy brings up the subject of Biff, Charley advises Willy to give up on his son. When a deposit nursing bottle is broken you dont get your nickel back, Charley asserts. Yet Willy is not willing to allow go of his illusions about his sons potential for success. Soon, Willy begins to confuse Charley with his brother, Ben. This leads to a flashback of sorts to a icon with Willy and Ben. It seems Ben and his father left to make their fortunes sometime in Willys early childhood, go away Willy and his mother behind. Its obvious that Willy idealizes Ben because he has made it in the world. Willy is remorseful that he didnt take his brother up on his offer to run his wrinkle in Alaska. That was an opportunity of a lifetime, Willy admits. Yet Ben has little time to cash in ones chips with his little brother. Willy, excited that Ben is there to give advice to his sons, forces Biff and Happy to get word to their Uncle Ben, hoping that they will learn his business techniques and strike it rich themselves. In this way, Willy sees the potential success of his sons as the only remaining hope of being fortunate himself. It all seems quite simple to Ben. He tells Biff and Happy, Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich. This ideal, however, proves to be unattainable by Willy and his sons when Willys desperate struggle for success and felicity is never achieved.