Death of a Salesman

A tragedy is defined as a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that elicits pity or terror. (Merriam-Webster). Many people in the world experience tragedy on different levels, some more serious than others. A tragedy can range from the death of a love one, to losing a job or realizing you are not living the life you had always dreamed of. In the movie, Death of a Salesman Willy Loman is seen as the tragic hero for failing to recognize his flaws and committing suicide. After he kills himself his wife and children are left to deal with the heartache and suffering from his death. While tragedies are different from one person to another, everyone is likely to experience one in their lifetime. A tragedy that I have experienced in my life was the death of my dog. While experiencing a tragedy there is always a loss, whether it be physical or emotional, and many people will deal with their loss in different ways.

Tragedies happen everyday in this world. Some examples of common tragedies people are experiencing today are war, unemployment, hunger, poverty, death of loved ones, and natural disasters. One person may feel affected more strongly by a tragedy going on in the world than another does. While some people are not directly affected by war, poverty, etc. they may have a personal tragedy that is only felt by them. When a tragedy is personal like the loss of a loved one or a terminal illness in the family, it is very personal and takes a toll on that person. In the movie Death of a Salesman, the protagonist, Willy Loman struggles with his personal tragedy. Throughout the whole movie Willy tries to manage the stress from the tragedy.

Willy Loman was extremely focused on living out his American dreams. His unrealistic and impractical life goals led him to obsess over having a perfect life. There are two problems in Willy's life that he views as tragedies. The first problem is that he is obsessed with his job, and as he ages he is realizing he cannot work like he used to when he was younger. Willy has been passionate about being a salesman his whole life, so when he was fired for not being able to work as hard as he used to, it was extremely hard on him. Willy was no longer able to support his wife, Linda and had lost his pride. The second problem in Willy's life that was tragic to him was the effort he put into making sure his son's lives were successful. Willy had always dreamed that Biff would grow up and be a successful salesman like himself. When Biff goes to Boston to see his father about a math class he had to take over and finds him with another woman, Biff decides not to retake the class. Willy holds himself responsible for the rest of his life, feeling guilty that he was not there for his son when he needed to be. Willy feels that these events in his life are tragic, and he is now worthless. His guilt