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The story Pauls Case by Willa Cather, and the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller both feature characters discontented with reality. Consequently, these characters, Paul and Willy Loman, respectively, exhibit similar behavioral patterns and elicit comparable reactions from their environment. Paul and Willy strive for an unattainable dream of wealth, power, and elegance, and fill their lives with lies in order to mislead themselves and others into believing they possess these attributes. The main protagonists in these literary pieces battle an ongoing tendency to create delusions within the world in which each reside. Willy Loman constructs an atmosphere where he feels that he is powerful and important.
He thinks of his sons as well liked, unique individuals who have the ability to awe others; he sees himself as a successful businessman who never has to wait in line (2. 1237). His false confidence in himself shelters him from realizing the low man that he really is. Similarly, Paul surrounds himself with beautiful things and loses himself before symphonies and paintings (198). He has a strong aversion for the flavorless, colorless mass of everyday existence; a morbid desire for cool things and soft lights and fresh flowers (200). Both characters share a desire to be amongst the upper class and opulent people. As a result, they continually fuel their delusions by losing themselves in fantasy and misleading perceptions of reality.
When Paul steals the money, he goes to an affluent part of New York where he spends recklessly and surrounds himself with lavish items (205). These were his own people, he told himself and he muses that he has never known a placed called Cordelia Street where commonplace folk and ugliness exist (208). In moments of desperation, where Willy finds cold hard reality crashing down upon him, he loses himself in flashbacks of a better time and place where his hopes and dreams still held their promise. Biffs dramatic outpouring to Willy of the years pointlessly wasted in misleading themselves to believe they are above the dime a dozen status is met with a deluded that boy is magnificent (2. 1309). Willy continues to believe the Loman name carries with it a certain prestige long after Biff has renounced all participation in proving himself to the world. Amidst their delusions, Willy and Paul fail to claim accountability for their actions.
When Paul steals the money, he doesnt fully realize the magnitude of his misdeed until he sees the headline in the paper (210). He shows no sympathy towards his teachers for he believes that they are at fault for his troubles rather than seeing their response as a direct consequence of his inadvertent attitude. I didnt mean to be polite or impolite either. I guess its a sort of way I have of saying things regardless he says in response to being asked to explain himself for acting rudely towards a teacher (196).
This response lacks any sort of attempt to assume responsibility for his behavior because he feels no guilt within him. Willy encourages Biff to be unaccountable by telling him coach probably congratulate you on your initiative when Biff steals the football (1. 1235). Additionally, he refuses to take responsibility when Bernard brings up the night Biff went to discuss his algebra teacher with him as a possible cause for Biffs erratic behavior (2. 1281). Reality and truth are too harsh for him; hed much rather deal with lies instead. Money is an important issue for both characters. Willy Loman tortures himself by constantly reliving the success of his brother to achieve wealth in contrast to his own fruitless efforts.
The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and hes rich (1. 1241). Thus, Willys illusions continue. When Paul finds that he is left without a dime, he realizes that money was everything, the wall that stood between all he loathed and all he wanted (211). They believe that only through wealth, will they achieve prominence in society. These superficial inclinations drive both men to the brink of madness where eventually one kills himself for the insurance money, and the others conflict with the law leads him to the same fate.
Both characters feel a necessity to lie to others in order to distinguish themselves from the pack. Paul deceives others of his extravagant exploits and his involvement with the rich and famous (204). Willy gloats about his sons physical abilities and revels in Biffs football skills despite the fact that this attribute fails to bring him success in the ensuing years (1234 - 1238). He considers himself an influential salesman, yet when he counts his weeks earnings, he finds that he has to make excuses for coming up short. The lying has become so consistent that Biff has forgotten that he was working just as a clerk and not a salesman for Oliver.
Unsubstantiated boasting is usually a sign of insecurity or a deeply imbedded need to feel special and distinct. It is this very need for exclusivity that leads both men towards a self-destructive path. Another common trait in Will Loman and Paul is the inclination to label others as ordinary or inferior. The former continually tries to distinguish between people who are liked or disliked by their peers.
It is imperative to Willy that his sons and he achieve public endorsement. He looks down upon Bernard and calls him an anemic simply because he doesnt share his sons physical traits or interests (1. 1237). He feels that his sons popularity, in contrast to Bernard's academic leaning, is indicative of their superiority. He also insults Charley claiming that a man who cant handle tools is not a man (1. 1245). Paul rebukes his teacher when he sees her attending the concert because he believes that someone of her stature has no place amongst all these fine people and gay colors (197). He continually makes insulting comments in classrooms in order to convey that he regards people of their rank as ordinary and dull (195).
Conversely, both characters demonstrate a greater respect for people of affluence and higher ranking. Paul expresses admiration for a woman because of the plush image she portrays with her elaborate crown and tiara (198). Willy has more respect for Bernard in later years when he sees that he has achieved success and is now a big shot lawyer (1281). Pauls and Willys definition of human worth is highly superficial and restricted. They divide society into the categories of haves and have-nots and show respect towards them accordingly. Reverence towards nature is another common theme in both stories.
Willy reminisces of a time when he could plant things in his garden, whereas now, the soil no longer supports growth (1. 1226). He vows to Linda that someday theyll acquire a plot of land and farm for their remaining years. Additionally, after inquiring about a place to buy seeds in the restaurant scene, Willy begins to plant them frantically in his yard. Paul frequently wears a red carnation in his lapel and finds comfort in having beautiful flowers in his hotel.
He also buries this red carnation in the snow at the end of the story to foreshadow the tragedy that will soon follow (212). The flowers and seeds have symbolic meanings in these stories. They represent the fragile nature of the two characters and their need to be nurtured and cared for as special blooms rather than common weeds. They also provide comfort for both characters by taking them away from their harsh realities. In the end, both characters encounter the same tragic fate suicide.
Their inability to withdraw from their deluded realities and their failed attempt to conform to society rather than defy it causes their eventual downfall. Paul and Willy Loman meet their demise still believing that their place in the world was much more significant than their ordinary counterparts. They die without ever finding their rightful place in society. Works Cited Willa Cather Pauls Case Literature a Pocket Anthology. Ed. Gwynn R.
S. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers 2002. 194 - 213. Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman Literature a Pocket Anthology. Ed. Gwynn R. S.
New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers 2002. 1221 - 1314.
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Research essay sample on Willa Cather Willy Loman
