The Inner Conflict in Death of a Salesman

Dreams versus Reality

Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" dives deep into inner conflict through Willy Loman's life. Now, who’s Willy? He's this middle-aged salesman trying to grab success and happiness, but boy, is it a struggle. A big part of Willy's conflict is between his dreams and reality. He buys into the American Dream—thinking anyone can hit it big with just some hard work and grit. But as the play unfolds, we see that's not really true for him.

The tension between Willy’s dreams and what’s real comes out especially in how he deals with his sons, Biff and Happy. Willy wants them to be everything he couldn’t be—big shots. He pumps them up with talk about greatness even though he knows deep down things didn’t pan out for him. This whole dream vs. reality thing messes with their heads too, making them disillusioned.

You also see this theme in Willy’s job situation. He thinks being a hotshot salesman will make him happy. But reality? He’s barely getting by. He flip-flops between bragging about his bright future and admitting failure when talking to his wife, Linda.

This clash shows that Willy's dreams are not just unrealistic—they’re harmful too. His obsession with success blinds him to what's actually happening around him, leading to his downfall. It's sad but kind of eye-opening.

Feelings of Inadequacy

An important part of Willy's inner turmoil is feeling like he's not enough. Despite trying hard to provide for his family as a salesman, there's this nagging sense inside him—like he's just not good enough.

This hits home when you look at how he sees his brother, Ben. Ben’s got money and success written all over him, so Willy constantly feels like he’s falling short compared to him. Flashbacks show Willy always looking for validation from Ben.

The same thing happens with Charley, his neighbor who does well in business and offers help to Willy financially, but guess what? Pride stops Willy from accepting it. So he keeps feeling inadequate.

Miller uses these moments to show how dangerous these feelings can be if they consume someone completely, which they do in Willy’s case—it leads right to his downfall.

Longing for the Past versus Accepting the Present

The last piece of this inner conflict puzzle is how Willy longs for the past instead of dealing with now. He reminisces a lot—especially about times when his sons adored him or chances he missed back in the day.

This longing pops up during talks with Linda where he drifts into better times gone by instead of facing what's happening now.

But here’s where it bites: Not accepting present reality keeps happiness at bay for him—trapping him in memories instead of seeing current opportunities (which honestly sucks).

Conclusion

"Death of a Salesman" digs into inner conflict using every bit possible through Willy Loman’s character arc—the fight between dreams/reality; battling inadequacy; choosing past over present—all adding fuel onto an already burning fire inside himself until nothing remains except ashes left behind by choices made long ago without understanding their weight on shoulders today.

References

• Miller, A., & Bigsby C.W.E (1998). "Death Of A Salesman". Penguin Books Ltd.
• Parker G.F (2014). "Willy Loman: Tragic Hero?" The Explicator, 72(1), 49-52.
• Bloom H (2009). “Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations: Death Of A Salesman”. Infobase Publishing.
• Cohn R.L (1988). “Modern Drama” Journal Volume 31 Issue 2 – Exploring Themes Within Plays Like DOS & More!