Why Willy Loman is not a Good Role Model

Was Willy Loman, a good role model for his family? What were his teachings, virtues, and shortcomings as a father? Has he helped his boys or has he destroyed their lives? In Arthur Miller's ​Death of a Salesman​, he introduces us to Willy Loman’s and their views on raising children. The way Loman sees life has a great influence on the children as he describes in the play. Willy has such a false perception of the reality that misleads him and he has injected these false beliefs into his sons. The life that his family believes and the value that Willy claims to have in society is untrue, and the father asks a constant ignorance of the truth. The main point is that the sons inherit their father's behavior and personality. A common saying that one upbringing shapes their behavior. Willy's actions reflect the true understanding of influence a father passes to his descendants. 

In the play, Willy shows his passion for success an illusion that he is a very well-known salesman with a great reputation in the business. Whereas other seeing Willy as a failure in his dream of a salesman​ 'They laugh at me, heh? Go to Filene's, go to the Hub, go to Slattery's. Boston. Call out the name Willy Loman and see what happens! Big shot”. Willy does not recognize that he has failed to become the salesman that he has always wanted to be. He does not acknowledge that he is no longer successful at doing his job. Willy strongly believes in the fake image that he has built upon himself and does not understand they make fun of him. However, in reality, Willy's perception of reality is false. When Linda (Willy’s wife) explains to Biff that his father 'He drives seven hundred miles, and when he gets there no one knows him anymore no one welcomes him. And what goes through a man's mind, driving seven hundred miles home without having earned a cent? ‘When he has to go to Charley and borrow fifty dollars a week and pretend to me that it’s his pay. However, Willy's values and beliefs have a great impact on Biff’s life. Where Biff believes that the only way he is going to become successful is by having a lifestyle similar to that of his father. As a result, Biff said “Well, I spent six or seven years after high school trying to work myself up. Shipping clerk, salesman, the business of one kind or another. And it's a measly manner of existence’. Hap, I’ve had twenty or thirty different kinds of jobs since I left home before the war, and it always turns out the same.’ I suddenly get the feeling, my God, I’m not gettin’ anywhere! What the hell am I doing?”. “Willy: the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interests, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want”. Therefore, Willy has been traumatized by his wife, his sons and the entire family with his pretending that he is someone the value. 

Willy Loman is not a good role model. He​ should have taught his sons that being honest is a social norm of respect for himself and for others around him. Willy treats people poorly which in return children learn as he does. He claims that he loves his sons and his family by projecting a false image on them. Not what we expected as a good father to teach failure views to his sons. For instance, ​Biff informs Willy that he borrowed a football from the locker room to practice. Willy laughs knowingly. Happy tries to get his father’s attention, but Willy’s preference for Biff is clear. Willy whispers that he will soon open a bigger business than his successful neighbor Uncle Charley because Charley is not as “well-liked as he is. Charley’s son, Bernard, arrives to ask Biff to study math with him, but his father distracts him by showing him the University of Virginia on his sneakers, impressing Willy. Biff is close to failing math, which would prevent him from graduating. Bernard states that the sneakers do not mean Biff will graduate. After Bernard leaves, Willy asks if Bernard is liked. The boys reply that he is liked but not “well-liked.” Willy tells them that Bernard may make good grades, but Happy and Biff will be more successful in business because they are “well-liked”.

Willy encourages Biff to be a good football player rather than a good student. Willy pays so much attention to Biff and puts so much pressure on him to succeed. One can understand Willy wants his son to be successful but always make sure that your child is well educated because anything in life you want to achieve you need to be honest and respectful. Willy is refusing to face the reality of is an unsuccessful path, prefers to dream than to face the impossible in his life. Where Biff presents himself as the one to drive the family in a good direction and can save his father. 

Also, Willy puts so much consideration on Biff’s success that he neglects Happy. What kind of father does that it is obvious that any parent has a preference over their child ts related to me; my mom uses to do that in my family, she always makes sure that my older sister has everything and even give her more food. Back to the story, as a result, Happy feels the need to follow in Willy’s footsteps in order to gain a level of respect and attention from his father that is given to Biff. So Happy feels this neglect as a teenager and feels the need to satisfy his dad.” On his back, pedaling again: I’m losing weight, you notice, pop?”. Happy wants to be popular and well-liked in order to get some positive attention from Willy. Even as an adult Happy holds on the need to impress his dad and to keep him content with his life.

In conclusion, it is hard to stretch the image of Willy Loman and assign it to within some kind of greatness. Also it is hard to present him as a good father. Besides, he takes his time by comparing himself to successful people, instead of working hard to improve his life and his personality. We can assume that even if Willy was successful and well-liked; he would unable his sons to do better. Because his fantasies are so strong that being popular means a lot for him than his family. It is hard to draw a good picture from the setting of the ​Death of a Salesman. ​It is evident that Willy Loman was not a role model for his sons. Sadly, he committed suicide instead of facing real truth success.