The main
messages that the audience gets from most of Willy Loman's actions can be summarized in the
following:
- inconsistent
- contradictory
- incomplete
This is
because, as it is evident throughout the play, Willy Loman has never really had a backbone that
would provide him with the self-assurance that is so needed to make good choices and move on
through life. Part of this lack of back-bone comes from the fact that Willy was abandoned by his
father so early in life. Also, right as he is left with his elder brother as his main keeper,
his brother also leaves. Willy never really had the male role model that he very much needed to
understand his role as a son, a father, and a husband. This is the main reason why he basically
failed at all three.
The result of a living without guidance leads Willy to
double-guess himself all of the time. On one hand, he calls himself "vital" and
"well-liked" while, on the other hand, he has to ask his mistress whether he is funny,
or whether he is likable. Likewise, while he feels sure that he is ready to go explore Alaska
with his brother, he again double-guesses himself and asks Linda what she thinks about the
possibility. Willy just is not capable of making an educated decision and create viable choices
from them. He simply has no clue who he is, or what he has to offer.
Then
there is the Chevy. When the car was first purchased it was a sign of great times to come. The
car was one of Willy's prized possessions, and having come to own it represented a sign that his
American Dream was well on its way to come true.
However, time has passed, and the
Chevy no longer does the job it once did; like Willy, the car is outdated and needs a lot of
fixing up. Yet, despite of all this, the mixed emotions that Willy has about it shows Willy's
own inability to think objectively- he simply goes with what he feels at the time. This huge
flaw is what leads his life on a road to nowhere.
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