Willy Loman

Physical Dimension

SUBCATEGORY
Attitude towards others appearances

Willy: Thats why I thank Almighty God you are both built like Adonises...And that's why I think you will be way ahead of Bernard in five years. (Miller, 15)

Both these instances help us understand the importance Willy holds for good looks. In the first instance he believes that his kids are going to go far in life because of their good looks. In the second instance he is reminiscing about Biff's high school days and how kids used to follow him around, which according to Willy was due to Biff's appealing appearance. This positive reaction that Willy has towards superficial things is a negative reflection of his character.

Willy: My God! Remember how they used to follow him around in high school? When he smiled at one of them their faces lit up

Willy: Hey, looka Bernard. What're you lookin' so anemic about Bernard?

Willy calls Bernard anemic, because Bernard does not fit Willy's flawed concept of a good looking person. Due to this, Willy thinks that Bernard is not going to succeed in life.

SUBCATEGORY
Attitude towards objects

Willy: Remarkable. Ts. Remember those days? The way Biff used to simonize that car? The dealer refused to believe there was eighty thousand miles on it. (Miller, 8)

Willy holds things that make him appear a desirable man close to his heart which can be seen in him talking about his chevy quite evidently. Anything that "beautifies" a person is essential according to him

Social Dimension

SUBCATEGORY
Willy's love for public acceptance

Willy: Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. be liked and you will never want. (Miller, 21)

Willy explains how merely by being accepted by the people one works with, one can easily get far in life. The path to an easier life starts with being widely accepted.

Biff: I crossed my eyes and talked with a lithp.
Willy (laughing): You did? The kids like it?
Biff: They nearly died laughing.

Upon hearing something amusing that Biff had done in class, Willy's primary reaction was to ask about the reaction of Biff's peers to his deed. This reinforces our belief that people accepting what you do and positively reacting to it mattered a lot to Willy in his life. He was always anxious about whether or not people responded well to him.

SUBCATEGORY
Being liked is essential for success

Willy: That's because he likes you. If somebody else took that ball there'd be an uproar. So what's the report boys, what's the report?

Willy tells Biff that the coach likes him and is going to let Biff stealing the ball slide because of that. As much as being accepted for what you do important to Willy, on top of that one needs to be well liked. Willy assumes the coach would not be mad at Biff merely because Willy thinks the coach likes him. Despite this being true, Willy's assumption tells us about his ideology of the correlation of success and being liked.

Willy: And that's the wonder, the wonder of this country, a man can end up with diamonds here on the basis of being liked.

Willy has a flawed idea of how his brother came to be rich, because Willy holds being liked rather importantly. This importance to that virtue leads him to the conclusion that his brother found his way to all those riches just because he was liked and this is largely a misconception that Willy has birthed because Willy thinks people like him and that is why he is rich whereas the truth is that people only like Ben because he is rich.

Spiritual Dimension

SUBCATEGORY
Willy's belief that wealth is an important measure of a person's character

Willy: Ben was rich! That's just the spirit I want to imbue them with!

Money mattered a lot to Willy because that is what success meant to him. Growing up in a family that was not well off and seeing his brother get all the riches in the world made Willy understand the power that money gets a person. The same power he wished for his kids to have.

Willy: Don't say. His own tennis court. Must be fine, people I say.

SUBCATEGORY
Willy's acceptance of the American Dream

Willy: What's the mystery? The man knew what he wanted and went out and get it! Walked out into a jungle, and comes out at the age of twenty one, and he's rich! The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress!

This is when we learn Willy idolizes Ben because he is the embodiment of the success of the American Dream, wherein he came from nothing and struck gold.

Willy: You wait, kid, before its all over we're going to get a little place out in the country, and I'll raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens... And (Happy and Biff) will get married, and come for a weekend. I'd build a little guest house... I could build two guest houses so they both come.

This dream of Willy might never come true but that is the beautiful irony of "the American Dream." Putting himself in a position where he could call himself successful has always been Willy's goal in life and that is why he has always been seen conceptualizing that idea.

Psychological Dimension

SUBCATEGORY
Denial or ignorance as a way of coping with his problems

Willy (not looking at it): What is that?
Willy (caged, wanting to escape): I never saw that.

This depicts his denial of seeing it rather than accepting the truth for what it is.

Willy: I was fired and I am looking for a little good news to tell your mother... The gist of it is that I haven't got a story left in my head, Biff. So don't give me a lecture about facts and aspects. I'm not interested. Now what've you got to say to me?

By telling his wife "good" news instead of telling her the truth and dealing with it as a family Willy is choosing to ignore his problems so that he could live the lie of a life that is how he always dreamt it to be.

SUBCATEGORY
Flawed and biased opinion of himself in his mind

Willy: They don't need me in New York. I'm the New England man. I'm vital in New England.

Both these instances depict Willy's misconception or failure to see what is true. Willy built an ideal world for himself, and anything that did not fit into this worldview of his was either ignored or denied, leading to the creation of a sad but hopeful protagonist.

Willy: They laugh at me, heh? Go to Filene's, go to the Hub, go to Slattery's. Boston. Shout out the name Willy Loman and see what happens. Big shot!