WILLY’S HALLUCINATION ANALYSIS IN ARTHUR...
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CHAPTER IV
WILLY’S HALLUCINATION ANALYSIS IN ARTHUR
MILLER’S THE DEATH OF SALESMAN
A. Structural Analysis
Based on the theory that has been explained in the previous chapter, a
character has a main influence in the determination of the story and a
character also can be defined as a figure who takes along with the events of
the fiction story in order that the events can chronologically compose a story.
There are several characters which have contribution in Drama. They
are Willy Loman as a salesman who contributes as the main character. Then,
the supporting characters are Linda as a Willy’s wife, Biff and Happy as
Willy’s sons. In this structural analysis, the researcher only focuses on the
character and characterization of Willy as the main character of Arthur
Miller’s The Death of Salesman. It is used to show the problems of
hallucinations that occur in the main character that will be discussed in the
next chapter.
1. Analysis of Willy’s Character
Based on the Aminuddin’s theory, the researcher found that there are
several kinds of character of Willy’s character in this research.
a. Willy as Protagonist Character
Willy as the main character in drama The Death of Salesman is a good
person that dominated the story. He is a responsible man. This explanation
can be found on the quotation said by Linda below:
“But you are sixty years old. They can’t expect you to keep
traveling every week…”
(Miller, 1949:759)
Willy has responsibility to family and as a hard worker man, he tries to
present and carry out the best things to his family until in his old age. This is
done because of Willy has an obligation to provide for his family as a head of
family. It can be assumed in the quotation above as said by Linda that Willy
does not have more stamina to do his job in his old age and Willy’s job is a
kind of a hard job. But, as a head of family, Willy has to be strong and
presents the best effort to make their family needs sufficiently and can live
happily. In fact, an obligation is must to do by a man who is married. It is the
matter that is shown by Willy for his family.
Besides, Willy is also a care person. This statement can be found on
this quotation below as stated by Willy for his boy:
“He became a moody man. Did he apologize when I left this
morning?”
(Miller, 1949:759)
As a hard worker who works by doing travelling, Willy does not have
a lot of times to gather with his family especially his sons. However, Willy
always tries to pay attention for his wife, his children’s daily activities. Willy
tried hard to keep looking for his children’s growth that focuses on their
future. Because of a care is the most important thing to create a good
relationship in a family. Care can be presented through love by doing positive
thing guided by compassion. And by having a good communication can create
a harmonic family.
b. Willy as a Complex Character
There are a lot of problems that have been faced by Willy whether his
personal or his life problems from the beginning until the end of the story.
Therefore, Willy can be called as a complex character. This explanation can
be found on the quotation below:
“Willy: how can he find himself on a farm? ….. take a lot of
different jobs. But, it’s more than ten years now and he has yet
to make thirty-five dollars a week!”
(Miller, 1949:759)
As a father, he always tried to teach his children about how to be
succeeded as a reliable businessman. But, the fact is different from the reality
about what Willy expected to his children, especially to Biff. Biff that begin
being adulthood, he has not being anything yet. In this case, every parent
would want the best and give the right direction to the child, but it is
important for parents to understand about how the parents give a direction to
the children and what children’s desires in the future in order to cause
forcefulness where it will destroy the future itself.
In addition, Willy has problem with his job. This statement can be
found on this quotation said by Linda below:
“He works for a company thirty-six years this march….and
now in his old age they take his salary away.”
(Miller, 1949:772)
American life at that time, which prioritizes on wealth and prosperity
as a successful businessman give Willy an inspiration to be loyal to the
company where he worked. He believes that he will become rich, popular and
well-known. But, the important things in the business world are the company
needs regeneration of employees to create ideas and products, it also used to
develop their company. Someone’s loyalty is not enough without having
credibility. Actually, in Willy’s old age, he does not have credibility
anymore. His stamina also decreased. So, the Company does not want to lose
out by having an old employee who does not have enough stamina such as
Willy.
Willy also has problem with himself. He suffered failures that caused
anxiety on him and it resulted in Willy committed suicide. This statement can
be found on the quotation below:
“Willy: I’m strapped, I’m strapped. I don’t know what to do. I
was just fired..”
“Linda: Willy, answer me Willy! (There is the sound of a car
starting and moving away at full speed.”
(Miller, 1949:784,796)
The wrong thoughts about how to be success and the result that is not
appropriate to the expectations made him get frustrated, His life in anxiety,
fight with his mind and causes hallucinations on him. It can be concluded that
every person has a different thought in determining success and in dealing
with the problems in his life. But, we also need to know that thoughts can be
resulted good thought that bring out succeed or bad thought that resulted
failures. Thus, in this case Willy had wrong thought from the beginning that
resulted in repeated failures in his life.
c. Willy as Dynamic Character
As a dynamic character, Willy has a change in his role from the
beginning to the end of the story. Willy is a man who has confident and
believing in his thinking about being success. Success for him is when a
person can be rich, famous and well known by a lot of people. It has changed
Willy to be a man who lives in anxiousness and hallucinated. This explanation
can be found on the quotation said by Biff below:
“They listen. Willy is mumblings in the parlor…Willy laughs
warmly…”
(Miller, 1949:763)
Failures had been experienced continuously by Willy that resulted in
his hallucinations about his past where he always lost any opportunity given
to him. He failed and ashamed for his family and he was afraid of losing the
love of his wife and his children. Therefore, changes that occur to Willy are
an absolute process happens to everyone. But, changes that happened to Willy
are a consequence of the wrong concept about the meaning of its own success
that made him unable to accept what is the reality.
2. Analysis of Willy’s Characterization
a. Willy as the main character
Willy is sixty years old. He is being old and he looks like his physical
condition began to decline. This explanation can be found in this quotation
below:
“Willy Loman enters, carrying two large simple cases..
“He is past sixty years of age, dressed quietly..His exhaustion
is apparent..”
(Miller, 1949:758)
From the quotation above can be assumed that age has big affect on
someone’s physic condition and someone’s stamina. Someone who being old
declined his stamina, they will be easier to become tired. As happens to Willy,
his exhaustion appears when he done his job as a traveling salesman in his
old. Because of doing a job as a traveling salesman needs more stamina.
Therefore, he can’t continue his job.
On the other hand, failure and anxiety had been experienced by Willy
during that time because what was happened is not in accordance with
expectation. It makes him unable to control his emotions. This statement can
be found on this quotation below:
“Willy: and who in the business world thinks I’m crazy? “Biff:
I didn’t mean it like that, Pop..
“Willy: Go back to the West! Be a carpenter, a cowboy, enjoy
yourself!”
(Miller, 1949:773)
As in general, when a person experienced a continuous failures
resulted in changes of the attitude and action. The attitude and action itself can
be realized by changing of good or bad attitude. As experienced by Willy, he
becomes more temperamental when he failed to direct his son to be a
salesman. He has bad chance in his attitude and his action. His temperamental
is an expression that shown as Willy’s refusal. This is because of lack of
readiness to accept the reality in thoughts and actions about making success.
This makes Willy cannot accept the reality where he always fights with his
own thoughts.
b. Analysis of Willy’s Environment
Environment also has important role in understanding person’s
character, as it was described by the author through to Willy’s environment.
This explanation can be found on the quotation below:
“Charley: you want a job?”
“Willy: I got a job, I told you that. (After a slight pause) What
the hell are you offering me a job for?”
(Miller, 1949:768)
From the quotations above, it has described that Willy is arrogant man.
Willy’s refusal based on the quotation above is a form of Willy’s attitude. He
feels that he does not need help from others. It also means that his refusal is
an expression of disappointment, anxiety, Willy’s inability to accept his
condition where he actually wants to against the fact. A fact that is Willy
failed to achieve his dream.
c. Analysis of Willy’s Attitude
Willy is an introvert man. He does not have a braveness to tell the
truth. He prefers faces and solves his problem by his self. Those statements
can be found on this quotation stated by Willy below:
“…At least while I’m in the house. It gets me nervous. I can’t
tell you. Please…”
(Miller, 1949:777)
Willy always hides away problems from his family. He does not have
the courage to reveal his mistakes in the past which had betrayed his wife.
Even to look for a solution in every problem, he solved it himself which
resulted in every decision is always wrong because he only considers his own
thoughts, without knowing what is the others opinion. This is assumed that
Willy’s anxious because of his affair and Willy’s afraid if he will lose the love
of his family when they realized that they had lied by Willy and Willy has
failed in any cases.
d. Analysis of Willy’s Opinion About Himself
Willy thinks himself as a well-liked man. He feels that many people
praised about him as a famous person. Those explanations can be found on the
quotation said by Willy below:
“Be liked and you will never want. You take me for
instance.”Willy Loman is here!” that’s all they have to know,
and I go right through.”
(Miller, 1949:765)
In his social life, Willy pretends himself as a man who has a high
prestige. He thinks that the man who makes an appearance in the business
world is the man who creates a personal interest. The man who is always be
known by people around him. He thinks that an achievement in an education
system is not really important than people who gets out on business world. In
fact, what was on his mind is a wrong thought that is used to reach his
ambition in a business life.
e. Analysis of Willy’s Thinking
Willy is an ambitious man. However, he finds a difficult to recognize
the fact that is different to his dreams. This explanation supported by Willy’s
statement that can be found on this quotation below:
“…that I won’t make a living for you, or a business, a business
for the boys… there’s so much I want to make for…”
(Miller, 1949:766)
When someone has a dream and ideals then he will make every effort
to reach it, where an effort can be done through the right and wrong process.
As mentioned in the quotation above that Willy has a big ambition in his life.
There are a lot of things, he want to create. An ambition is someone’s desire
to reach their destination. It is important to have an ambition which can helps
someone to do efforts. However, there are constraints to reach an ambition by
considering environment, moral values, ethics, and also someone’s condition.
f. Analysis of Other Character’s Opinion to Willy
1. Linda’s Opinion to Willy
As Willy’s wife, Linda thinks that Willy is a man who is needed to be
cared, especially cared by his children. This explanation supported by the
quotation stated by Linda below:
“... But you don’t have to be very smart to know what his
trouble is. The man is exhausted.”
(Miller, 1949:772)
As mentioned in the quotation above can be explained that Linda
really loves and admired Willy. Linda really cares and understands about what
Willy thinks and Willy feels where Willy begins to exhaust. As a father, Willy
has many responsibilities in his family and it is not an easy thing to do. It
caused Willy does not have a lot of time to have a communication with his
family, especially his children. It makes Willy’s children underestimated him.
It can be concluded that Willy needs a care by his family. A care has
important meaning where it makes someone feels appreciated and it also
support someone to always have spirit in reaching his dream.
2. Biff’s Opinion to Willy
As Willy’s son, Biff thinks Willy never care about what Biff opinion
and what Biff wants to be. Willy just wants his son to be what he dreamed.
This explanation can be found on this quotation said by Biff below:
“…Pop, I’m nothing! I’m nothing, Pop. Can’t you understand
that? I’m just what I am, that’s all...”
(Miller, 1949:795)
Every parent wants the best to his children. But, every child has
different desire and passion, especially in a future. If parent force his children
for the future, it appears bad effects on the future itself or the relationship
between parent and children. Biff thinks that Willy is not a good father in
their family. Willy is a father who never wants to understand about what Biff
wants to do and wants to be. Therefore, it caused bad relationship between
Willy and Biff.
g. Analysis of How the Other Characters Talk to Willy
1. Linda to Willy
Linda has strength of calms communication when she talks to Willy.
This explanation can be found on this quotation below:
Linda: “he was crestfallen, Willy. You know how he admires
you. I think if he finds himself, then you’ll both be happier and
not fight anymore….
(Miller, 1949:759)
It can be explained that Willy’s stubborn, his arrogant and his
temperamental makes the others have to be careful when talks to him,
therefore as Willy’s wife, Linda understand about the way of how she have to
make a communication to Willy. She always speaks softly and calmly, she
also gives a meaningful communication to propitiatory Willy. As mentioned
in the quotation above that Linda tries to makes Willy calm down. Linda tries
to influence Willy to have positive thinking about Willy’s problem with his
son. Therefore, the different character of a couple is strength to complete the
deficiency each other. To that end, Linda really understands how Willy’s
character and how to talk to him. It can appear a good and meaningful
communication.
2. Biff to Willy
Biff is getting a trouble when he is doing communication to Willy
caused Biff against to Willy. This explanation can be found on those
quotations below:
Willy: “why do you always insult me?”
Biff: “I didn’t say a word. (To Linda) Did I say a word?”
(Miller, 1949:774)
The difference on their thinking and their opinion appears a
controversy when they are doing communication. Because of they have the
same character as a stubborn men, it causes them difficult to understand each
other. So, they do not have a good conversation until they understand their
desires and succumb to each other.
h. Analysis of How Other Characters Respond to Willy
1. Linda to Willy
Linda always pays attention to Willy. Linda always shows her care to
Willy by serving him well at home. This statement can be found on this
quotation below as stated by Linda:
“They’re sleeping. Get something to eat. Go on down… take
an aspirin. Should I get you an aspirin?”
(Miller, 1949:759)
It can be assumed that Linda understands enough about how Willy felt
when he came back from work. She gives attractive reaction to Willy. As a
wife, Linda presents the best for his husband. She serves anything to her
husband. It is important thing which has done by Linda to create a harmonic
relationship in a family. Besides, it is as a configuration that Linda admires
Willy. She cares him and tries to make him feel better. .Linda tries to serve
perfectly as a wife.
2. Biff to Willy
Biff reacts to Willy as a boy who wants to be understood and known
what he wants to do. This statement can be found on this quotation below:
“Dad, you’re never going to see what I am, so what’s the use
of arguing?
(Miller, 1949:794)
It can be explained that Biff admired his father, loved him very much.
But, Biff feels that his father never understand what he wanted is not as a
business man. It makes his father responds poorly. He was indifferent and
underestimates to his father. He wants to be cared and to be known by his
father. But, as a child surely he wanted to make proud hid parents, especially
his father. He only was not able to continue to his father wish, that is not his
desire.
i. Analysis of How Willy Responds to Other Characters
1. Willy Responds to Linda
Willy loves Linda so much. Willy tries to make his wife happy. Those
statements can be found on those quotations below:
“You are my foundation and my support, Linda…”
(Miller, 1949:760)
It can be concluded that Linda is Willy’s strength to be able to survive
the problems. Willy thinks that he cannot face the problem without Linda
besides him. A wife has big influence in husband’s life. Besides, as a mother
of her children, a wife can be a power in achieving what husband wants to
reach. Therefore, Willy needs Linda to accompany him, give him a power to
face and solve all of the problems in his life. Willy also needs Linda to help
him in find a solution in order to make the family could be happy.
2. Willy responds to Biff
Willy always gives bad responds to Biff where Willy disappointed to
Biff caused he does not follow as Willy wants. This statement can be found
on this quotation stated by Willy below:
“Go back to the West! Be a carpenter, a cowboy, enjoy
yourself!”
(Miller, 1949:773)
Willy always said rude and underestimate Biff who has not got a job.
It is a kind of Willy disappointment to his son. Biff is Willy's greatest hope in
order he can continue his dream as a successful business man. But in reality,
Biff desire is not to be a salesman. It causes Willy feels so disappointed to
Biff. It resulted in many disputes between them, so they are disparaging with
one another.
B. Psychological Analysis
In the drama “the Death of Salesman”, there is a big dream wanted to
be realized by a salesman who is 60 years old. A dream is a human’s beyond
imagination which related to the human needs. The way of human thinking is
influenced by human needs with environmental conditions automatically.
Dreams that arise because of the desire want to be achieved in order to certain
satisfaction. However, when a desire or ambition could not be realized then a
person will go through an unhealthy situation where that situation is called as
hallucinations.
In this case, the main character "Willy" has a dream to become a
successful salesman, who is liked, respected and honored by a lot of people.
Meanwhile, if dream is too big, it leads that person feels difficult to reach it
and causing severe hallucinations that appear in him. In this study, the
researcher explains failures as causes of hallucinations in Willy’s character as
follows:
1. Failure in directing the Future of Willy’s children
Willy always tries to teach their children of how to become a
successful salesman, teach their children about the value in the business
world, especially her son named Biff. As a boy who has responsibility in the
future, Biff becomes Willy’s the biggest expectation which he is Willy’s
reflection. A reflection that will reflect the success achieved by Biff is the
success that also achieved by his father. This can be seen on the quotation as
stated by Willy below:
“Because the men who makes an appearance in the business
world, is the man who creates personal interest, is the man
who gets ahead. Be liked and you never want….”
(Miller, 1949:765)
From the quotation above can be explained that Willy is very
ambitious with his desire to be a success man. He is just thoughts that being a
businessman is the only way to be success. For that, Willy always directed
Biff to become a salesman, continuing his father's dream. Where a father
would teach about the values and directing the best for their children in
accordance with what has been experienced in his life and the dreams that
cannot be achieved. It also accordance with the way of someone’s thinking
which influenced by environment. Here, Willy is no longer able to achieve the
dream that gives his hope to biff. A hope becomes a successful salesman.
However, expectations are not always appropriate with the fact where
Biff passion is not as a salesman. So, it actually resulted in the failure of
Biff’s future because of doing a thing that is not accordance with his desire.
This is can be seen on this quotation stated by Biff below:
“…what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to
become what I don’t want to be? I say know who I am!”
(Miller, 1949:795)
From the above quotation, it can be assumed that Biff experienced
turmoil in his life where he did things that he did not want to do, it is only for
his father for the sake of happiness. So, it can be conclude that Willy has
failed in his directing. He is too ambitious to his desire that he does not
consider what the child wants for his own future. It actually causes biff
insurgency on his father as a result on Biff thoughts that his father is not
understand about his own dreams and resulted in disharmony between them. It
resulted in hallucinations within Willy as regret for the failure to reach
expectations. Willy experienced a situation where it's like looking back at the
past life with his family. This can be found on the quotation of Willy’s
hallucination of his past below:
“I am taking one play for Pop. You watch me, pop and when I
take off my helmet, that means I’m breakin’ out. Then you
watch me crash through the line..”
(Miller, 1949:764)
It could be explained that Willy feels he lives in his past when Biff
was still a football athlete, he is very proud of his son. He has always been
overshadowed by the situation in which more and more to revive and make it
regret. He realized that Biff passion is as an athlete and he has not an ability to
be a salesman. This Situation affects on internal conflict within Willy. Internal
conflict affects on his relationship between him and Biff become worse. A
different reality causes Willy experienced hallucinations due to his inability to
accept the reality.
2. Failure to maintain the trust given by Willy’s wife
As a salesman who works traveling from one place to another, it
results Willy cannot always be with his wife. It affects on Willy’s difficulty to
control himself, but it is also an environment that encouraged him to have an
affair with another woman. This is can be seen on this quotation stated by the
woman below:
“You just kill me, Willy. (He suddenly grabs her and kisses her
roughly)”
(Miller, 1949:767)
Based on the quotation above can be explained that Willy failed to
control his self. He has betrayal his wife. It is a commitment to guard a pure
relationship in order to create a harmonic family. He has dissolved a trust that
is given by his wife and his children where a trust is an expectation and an
attention which is given by someone to accept what is the hope. A hope that
does not disappointed anyone.
In fact, Willy realizes that he has betrayed his wife and destroyed a
trust that is given to him. The problems that he hide from his wife and he did
not have a braveness to tell the truth. This situation causes Willy feels
frightened, depressed and began to worry which appears hallucination on
Willy. A hallucination of a woman who is had an affair with him. This
statement can be found on the quotation below:
“From the darkness is heard the laughter of a woman. Willy
doesn’t turn to it, but it continues through Linda’s line…”
(Miller, 1949:766)
Willy’s regret and Willy’s guilty result he cannot escape from the
woman’s shadow who is ever flirt with him where he continues to be haunted
by whispers and shadows of the woman, especially when he was with his wife
named Linda. It occurs because of Willy’s inability to resolve his problems.
He suffered anxiety and unpreparedness to face the bad fact that would
happen if he told the truth. This decision is even more aggravating in his
hallucinations where the shadow of a woman haunts him. It can be found
based on the prologue below:
“The woman bursts out laughing, and Linda’s laughter blends
in. the woman disappears into the dark. Now the area at the
kitchen table are brightens..”
(Miller, 1949:767)
It is can be explained that Willy feels so guilty because he realized that
he had betrayed his wife, so that he continues to be overshadowed and
hallucinate about a woman who had an affair with him. He reminds his affair
and looks like seeing the woman when he was alone and laughs at him. In
fact, an affair occurs because of the inability of a person to maintain the trust
of his wife, in controlling himself and also as a form of ego-gratification by
the American environment at the time that seemed to be a culture for someone
who worked as a salesman. It can be assumed that Willy is very anxious,
depressed and embarrassed by his past mistakes. So that, it cause
hallucination which is annoyed him. Hallucinations that arise because
someone’s unprepared to accept the fact that is not in accordance with
expectations and also someone who is hard to forgive the mistakes that have
been done in the past.
3. Failure of Willy’s career in the era of the American Dream
Willy’s desire is to be a successful salesman. It is obviously very
influenced by the environment that would support Willy’s thoughts where
Willy’s environment at that time was the era of the American Dream.
American people at that time believed in freedom of achieving happiness,
fame, prosperity and success regardless of their background. They only pay
attention to competed for the status of common sense. Most people will be
more interested in the concept of ego gratification offered by the American
dream.
To that end, it is that made him very determined to achieve his dream
of becoming a successful salesman who is famous for many people. This is
can be seen on this quotation of prologue below:
“The life of the salesman has given Willy a sense of dignity and
worth, and he imagines that the modern world has corrupted
that sense…”
(Miller, 1949:756)
From the quotation above, it can be explained that the lives of
Americans in that era who wanted a better life from another salesmen, that
become rich, famous, respected and happy, indirectly affects Willy thoughts
to have the same dream, regardless of background or ability to achieve his
dream. This caused Willy becomes very ambitious with his desire.
His belief that he can achieves his dream. It showed by his loyalty to
the company where he worked as a salesman until his old age. In fact, the
arrival of young immigrants salesman in that era were more competent to
make Willy eliminated and terminated from his job in vain. This is can be
seen on this quotation stated by Linda below:
“He works for a company thirty-six years this march, opens up
unheard-of territories to their trademark, and now in his old
age he take his salary away..”
(Miller, 1949:772)
From the quotation above, it can be explained that his loyalty to the
company where he works does not guarantee his well-being. This would be
the beginning of the destruction of his life in which he lost his job. Wrong
thoughts about insurance makes Willy wrestles with his thoughts. Anxiety,
restlessness and remorse in him where there are a lot of inner conflict causes
hallucinations reappeared in Willy that is hallucination of Ben shadow.
Here is explained a little bit about Ben figure as a Willy’s brother who
success in his career. Willy had been offered a job to work with Ben, not
being a salesman. But, Willy refuses and chortled in his belief. This regret
causes Willy is having hallucination again. This is can be seen on this
quotation based on the prologue below:
“He goes off into darkness around the right corner of the
house..”
“Ben is gone, but Willy is still speaking to him..”
(Miller, 1949:771)
From the quotation above, it can be explained that Willy’s soul exists
between the real world and in the past of his hallucination. He is really in a
situation where he wrestled with his inner conflict. He experienced failure and
regret that he passed on the opportunity. It makes Willy seemed to live again
his past and can talk with the figure of Ben. Willy experienced confusion and
anxiety. It because of Willy does not have a friend to tell all of his problems.
Therefore, it is encouraging Willy that he seemed to be able to communicate
with Ben and Ben seemed to provide a solution on what Willy’s problems,
particularly the failure that he experienced in directing Biff’s future. This
statement can be found on this quotation below as stated by Willy:
“Oh, Ben, I always knew one way or another we were gonna
make it, Biff and I! (he move slowly off into the darkness)”
(Miller, 1949:796)
From the quotation above can be assumed that Ben is only on Willy’s
hallucinations, Ben is only a shadow. It is only Willy who can feel and see
Ben’s shadow while the other people are not able to see it. However, Ben is
Willy’s brother to tell all of his problems. Hallucination experienced by him
due to the anxiety that always had in mind. So, it resulted in internal conflicts
and increasingly severe hallucination. It can be called as psychosis
hallucination. It occurs when hallucination that is experienced by a person
will be growing because of the increasing problems and negative thoughts.
This statement can be found on the quotation of the prologue below:
“Ben appears in the light just outside the kitchen..
“Ben: the jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy.. (Willy
turns, moves, listening to Ben”
(Miller, 1949: 795)
Based on the quotation above can be assumed that Willy condition is
already in a condition where he experienced severe hallucination.
Hallucination arises because of anxiety, bitterness and frightens of failure that
is experienced by him. From the quotation above can be concluded that Ben
seemed to be able to provide advice or warning to Willy about what Willy
have done. But, when a person is already through the situation of the peak of
great anxiety or depression, then they do not know anymore what to do. They
like losing their minds. So that, they do not realize what the next decision is
right or wrong. Such as that happens to Willy, in the inner conflict that caused
him to end his life by committing suicide.
By the end of his life who decides to commit suicide in order to get
insurance for his family's future is an act which is the result of wrong thought
where his death was is in vain. This is can be seen on quotation stated by Biff
below:
“he had the wrong dreams. all, all wrong…”
“all right boy, I’m gonna show you and everybody else that
Willy Loman did not die in vain”
(Miller, 1949:797)
From the quotation above, it can be assumed that Willy is despair. He
is actually failed in any case he has done for himself and for his family. But,
in this case, Willy cannot be blamed because he was just trying to have a
dream and make it happen. But, Willy just did not know whether he was able
or not to reach it. He was just trying to offer the best for his family, for the
sake of success in his future despite the way and the erroneous belief that after
his death by suicide, he will get insurance. But, the fact is it further adds to the
burden on his family.
It can be concluded that the ambition is too big, it makes someone cannot control
himself. Moreover, it will make a person depressed because of always
thinking of how to achieve what could be reached in his desire. Sometimes,
someone cannot distinguish whether reasonable and unreasonable ambitions.
Failure which has been experienced by Willy results in anxiety and uprising.
It is caused by his inability to accept the reality that is not in accordance with
expectations. A dream which appears hallucination will disturb his
consciousness, his soul and his mind.