One must understand one’s identity to avoid ultimate death caused by the false American Dream to achieve the freedom in life.
In the play, Willy has made suicide attempts by inhaling gas and purposely getting himself into car accidents. His attempts are significant because it explains the theme statement (above) of the book. Trying to fit in a wrong sense of identity and failure to reach the American Dream leads an individual to death.
Selling wasn’t Willy’s identity. After all, to become a salesman was his wrong dream and it’s a real sorrow that his sons acknowledge this at Willy’s funeral. His fake identity has let the American Dream grasp Willy and hold him so tenaciously that it Willy became enslaved to it. It gets to a point where the American Dream suffocates Willy too hard that the only way for him to escape is death.
Moreover, Willy thinks that there would be more positive outcomes when he dies, or when he lets go of his American Dream completely, for his family will receive money from insurance company. He thinks that the money his family will receive will be a good enough to start anew. Also, Willy was able to escape the burdensome reality by death.
Biff: Why don’t you come with me, Happy?
Linda: I search and search and I search, and I can’t understand it, Willy…We’re free. We’re free…we’re free… (p.138-189)
Willy’s death caused by constrained reality and false American Dream resulted in freedom for his family. We can see this when Linda repeats the phrase “we’re free” in Requiem. Also, more auspicious future awaits for Biff since now he realizes how destructive a fake identity and false American Dream can be through his father’s life. We see that Happy is still did not realize that he isn’t meant to be a salesman when he says “I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It’s the only dream you can have – to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I’m gonna win it for him” (p.139) However, readers aren’t worried much because it is likely that Biff will take Happy with him to the West.
At least for Linda, Biff, and Happy, Willy did not die in vain for he showed the right way through his death.
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I agree to your idea about American Dream captivating Willy so excessively. It is really a sorrow that Biff recognized this but that Happy doesn’t. However, it is also problematic that Biff turned against Willy’s back and eventually leave.
A question that arises is that did Willy obtain true freedom by death? Willy’s funeral seems to show various possible interpretations. Fist time I read the book, I’ve also thought that Linda repeats “We’re free…” several times to show the point that Willy is truly free.
However, it also brings a sense that Linda is saying that they (the family) is free from Willy. Throughout the book, there were many problems and conflicts created by Willy. He was always making others anxious and worried. Maybe by Linda saying is that the rest of the family is free from troubles that Willy brought. What I saw is similar ending to the Metamorphosis. How the rest of the family can be free by losing one family member that created such troubles and worries. I hope that the author didn’t intend for the ending to mean that way, because Willy gaining true freedom in the end seems to be right. However, I think we shouldn’t limit ourselves to one solution and see other possible solutions as well.
I enjoyed your postings with beautiful images. I think you are very articulate about your ideas.
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