Death of a Salesman and the Subject of Success

During class discussion this week, we had a one quite-heated discussion that stuck out in my mind: success. Taking a cue from a question posed by Rob, my classmates and I took almost half our class time to discover a solid, concrete, and universal definition of success and in what ways that success could be measured, eventually channeling that into an agreeable answer as to why Willy was unsuccessful. Yet, much to our dismay, the class period ended before any reasonable solution could be agreed upon and the subject was left unresolved. Therefore, I would like to take this time here to contribute my two-cents upon the subject of success and its relation to "Death of a Salesman"

My answer is actually quite simple: success is ultimately based upon the interpretation of the individual in which that success is concerned. In other words, success can really only be determined on a case-to-case basis that almost entirely revolves around what drives that particular individual to become satisfied, meaning that one man's view of success is not necessarily the same view as another's. Just because a homeless man who spends his life on the street begging for money considers another man working at McDonald's successful does not necessarily mean that the McDonald's employee feels the same way and thus, this view of success is not universally accepted. Yes, it is probably safe to argue that the employee is more successful than the homeless man, but the homeless man's opinion of the employee does not directly tell us whether or not the employee is satisfied with his or her social condition and if he or she has reached the "favorable or desired outcome" in life (Webster.com). It is just as likely that the very employee the homeless man envies is completely unsatisfied with his or her job and is looking for something more out of life. As a result, it is quite likely the employee would consider himself or herself neither successful nor satisfied and would be continuously looking for new ways to obtain his or her goals in the future.Therefore, the only true way to find out if someone is successful or not is to gain insight into his or her own personal opinion on the matter.

In the case of Willy and Biff in The Death of a Salesman, the insight we gain into each of these characters through the dialogue that Miller presents gives us the ability to definitively judge whether or not these men are successful or not. For example, through the overall plot of the story and the vivid dialogue between Ben, Biff, Happy, Linda, and him at various part of the play, we as a reader can safely determine that Willy is unsuccessful. Consumed with suicidal thoughts, fed up with petty money matters, concerned about Biff's future, and trying to accept the fact he was fired from his firm after thirty-five years, Willy is clearly unsatisfied with his life and constantly regretting the decisions he made (such as not moving to Alaska with Ben). After trying everything he can to change his situation, from skewing the reality of his problems to helping Happy and Biff start up a new company, he meets failure and dismay, simply digging himself deeper and deeper into his eventual grave. In the end, he is pushed over the edge by an argument with his family that seems to have a happy ending, but only concludes when Willy crashes the car on-purpose and kills himself. Thus, due to unhappiness that leads to suicide and a complete unsatisfaction with his life, it is safe to assume that Willy would consider himself (and thus is) unsuccessful.

On a similar note, an adequate and informed evaluation of Biff's success can also be made through the book's plot and dialogue. Although a scholarly discussion could ensue about whether the he is successful or not, given the last scene where he finally admits his flaws and breaks free of his father's expectations, the play does give us plenty of info to make our respective case. For one, we know what Biff's perceptions are about the farm and how he doesn't really like any of the other jobs he has found. Furthermore, we also know much of the hardship he's been through, living half his life with the knowledge that his father cheated on his mother, an event that ultimately cost him his football scholarship at UVA and serves as the catalyst for much of Biff's social situation and disposition toward his family in the plot. As a result, Miller gives us the tools to judge him as a success or not, thus allowing us to make an informed and justified decision.

In the end, it thus seems that success is in the eye of the beholder and that finding it is a struggle different for each individual. The morals behind one's goals can be contested and the ways to pursue them can be suggested, but ultimately what defines success for that person can never be changed. Thus, Death of a Salesman teaches us the dangers of stubbornness on the road to success and what confusion and being overwhelmed can do to a man. From this, we learn that when finding success, achieving it is not whats important but rather the road one takes to get there because that will determine one's fate. (894, yeah, it's long)