Character Analysis: Willy Loman

He is insecure and self-deluded:

Except that in the perfect universe, when he was perfect, he admits to being a horrible father. The hero’s sorrow is characterized by the fact that he was plucked from his ideal setting and thrust into a terrifying reality in which his ambitions were shattered.

Willy’s mental health deteriorates more as his illusions disintegrate in the face of crushing truth in his existence. Willy is motivated by the enormous tensions created by this imbalance, as well as the societal ramifications.

Willy Loman is a tragic hero:

Willy realizes that sales promotion is not the noblest profession, and his readiness to devote his life just for his family is more than just a wish to retain his dignity by not proclaiming in public that everything he had planned had been shattered.

Willy Loman is a humble man who worked as a salesman but now aspires to live a more relaxed life due to his health and age issues.

Willy’s entire existence has always been meaningless and has yielded no results. Willy recognizes that salesmanship is not the noblest profession, and his willingness to commit his life for the benefit of his family is a desire to maintain his dignity by not publicly declaring that all he had planned had been broken.

Except for the ideal world where he was the finest, he recognizes he was a lousy father. The hero’s tragedy is defined by the fact that he was taken from his ideal world and thrust into terrible reality, where his ambitions were dashed.

Willy has been yanked from his ideal world, where his boys are outstanding salespeople, and plunged into reality, in which they have failed to attain financial success.