PERSONALITY + LIFESTYLE VS. CHARACTER + LIVING

A personality is the set born individual traits of a person, which can change throughout that person’s life. A person’s personality consists of attitude, behavior, interest, emotions, and other traits. Many different factors, such as environment, culture, and people, can influence a person’s personality. A personality is very important because it is part of what makes up a person’s identity.

Everyone has differing personalities and may have different definitions for what a nice personality is. There is no set rule that defines a nice personality but rather a general, although not unanimous, agreement in the matter. Most people tend to be attracted to those with nice personalities because it is usually easier to get along with them and they are likeable people. However, having a nice personality doesn’t necessarily mean that the person is a good person.

A good person, just like a nice personality, doesn’t have a definite definition because goodness is subjective. Goodness is one of the possible elements of the character of a person. Different people have different opinions on what a good person is like but generally a good person is someone who upholds the moral values of the culture that the person lives in. A good person may have a nice personality but a person with a nice personality may not be a good person because a person becomes good based on the moral decisions he/she makes in life. People make moral decisions everyday. A good person may not be liked by many people because sometimes, in this corrupt world, doing the morally right thing is wrong in the eyes of some people. People are intimidated by those who are better, morally or skill wise. In simple terms, personality is more of the outer appearance of a person while character is the heart of a person.

A nice lifestyle and living well are both similar to a nice personality and a good person in their differences. While a person may have a nice lifestyle that person may not necessarily be living well, but a person living well can have a nice lifestyle. A lifestyle is the way someone is living and living well is how well or happy a person is. A nice lifestyle is the kind of life everyone wishes to live, a luxurious life. Again, there isn’t a set definition for what a nice lifestyle is because differing people have different standards for a nice lifestyle but most people want to live rich, comfortable lives. A person can live well without having a nice lifestyle. Most people are greedy, and wish for more than what they have and/or need. Even in a nice lifestyle, a person may not be living well because they are not content with what he/she has. If a person was given the basic necessities to live and that person had the attitude to be content with what he/she had, then that person would be living well. The person wouldn’t be living a nice lifestyle as seen by this materialistic world but in his/her perspective he/she would be. Attitude and perspective are key factors for determining each person’s standard for a nice lifestyle and living well.

A person’s way of living is dependent on the person’s personality because a lifestyle consists of what a person’s behavior, likes, and other factors. Willy’s lifestyle is one in which he prefers not to have any changes. In the beginning of the play, Willy is shown to be upset by the change of cheese. Willy’s lifestyle consists of a constant type of cheese but when Linda buys a different kind, the balance is upset. This sort of lifestyle is because of Willy’s personality of not liking change.

SUICIDAL

Willy tries to commit suicide many times throughout his life. His many car accidents turns out not to be accidental but instead deliberate actions by Willy. The insurance inspector has evidence that shows that Willy tries to commit suicide. Linda finds out that Willy is also trying to kill himself by inhaling gas. In the end, Willy ends up committing suicide by crashing his car because he wants his life insurance money to go to Biff.

At the end of the play, Willy talks to Ben about Biff and money. Willy still holds onto his dream that he wishes Biff would achieve and decides to give Biff a boost towards the path by giving Biff the life insurance money. He commits suicide for his dream for Biff. Willy isn’t able to accomplish his American dream. He isn’t able to succeed in life and live as Dave Singleman lived. He is so enslaved by the idea of the American dream and being ahead in life that he feels a necessity to pass it off to Biff. Willy believes that the money will help Biff get ahead in life, including ahead of Bernard. However, at the funeral Biff shows his resolve of not following in the footsteps of his blinded father. Biff wants to find his own path and live his life his own way. He knows and understands his identity unlike Willy.

Willy’s suicide attempts show how the only way to escape the American dream is through death. In addition, Willy’s suicide attempts are for the American dream of another person, Biff, although Biff doesn’t accepts the path in the end. Willy’s life and death are both centered on the American dream. Willy is freed from it when he dies but the reason for his death is still focused on the American dream. With his death, Willy wants to support Biff so that Biff can accomplish the dreams Willy has for him.

Willy expects his death to contribute to Biff becoming the succeeding character Willy always dreamed Biff would become, the dream Biff followed at first but gave up after discovering the delusions of it. Biff doesn’t go the direction Willy wants so Willy dies in vain. On the other hand, Willy’s death led to Happy following in the same footsteps as Willy. Happy is also blinded like Willy and can’t see the falseness of the American dream. In a sense Willy did accomplish what he wanted but with a different person. Willy wants Biff to be successful in life and he believes that the insurance money can help Biff. Willy is wrong in thinking that the insurance money will lead Biff to success because Biff won’t accept it. Willy may be right in thinking Biff is going to be successful in life because Biff gives up on the American dream and walks down the path his identity allows him to choose. Biff may not be successful in the eyes of the world but at least he is free from the delusive idea that enslaves many and leads them to death.

DAVE SINGLEMAN

Dave Singleman is Willy’s role model and inspiration for living the life of a salesman. He can be considered to be a mythical person because of the unreliability of Willy’s memory but Willy, in his conversation with Howard, says he has met Dave Singleman before in the Parker House. Dave Singleman is a successful, renowned eighty-year old salesman. He makes his sales through the phone without having to ever leave his room, because he is well-liked and well-respected. Willy indicates that Singleman lives an easy going life with everything going well for him. When he dies, many salesman and buyers attend his funeral showing once again how well-liked he is.

The legendary salesman, Dave Singleman, has an interesting last name that can give some insight as to the life of a salesman. The name, Singleman, gives an idea of loneliness and self-interest. He doesn’t seem to have any family. A salesman must travel frequently by himself to sell his products in other cities so he is lonely on these trips as is the same case for Willy. There is no one there to guide or help the salesman in what he does. He is all by himself with no one to depend on. Also, the salesman must look out for his own self-interest in this business to succeed. Therefore, his “friends” are false, because in this business world it isn’t about truth and trust but instead about getting ahead in any way possible including befriending those who a salesman can use to his advantage. Willy’s experience with the Woman may be an example of Willy using the Woman’s position to get ahead.

Willy strives to live the successful life Dave Singleman lived. The main thing that attracts Willy to Singleman is Singleman’s success and his popularity. Singleman is respected and known by many buyers, which allow him to successfully sell his products. Willy’s formula to success in life and achieving the American dream is having a good personality. He believes that without a good personality, no matter how intelligent or skilled a person is, that person will never succeed in the business world. Singleman’s life, shown by Willy, supports Willy’s theory.

Willy admires Singleman’s whole lifestyle as a salesman as shown in Willy’s flashback. The luxurious, laid-back life that all people dream to obtain, the American dream, that Singleman has successfully fulfilled is what Willy wants. Singleman is Willy’s living proof that the American dream can be accomplished, giving Willy a false hope in life. Whenever he questions why he continues the salesman profession, Willy is reminded by Dave Singleman’s success as a salesman, which continuously feeds Willy’s illusion of possible success.

Dave Singleman represents the false success of the American dream for Willy. Singleman’s success is too fictional because only his final product of success is shown. His hardships, trials, or any obstacles aren’t mentioned at all. Singleman is portrayed, by Willy, as a salesman who successfully accomplishes the American dream and lives a perfect life without troubles. The accomplishments of the American dream are distorted by those who believe that there is no struggle after becoming wealthy and successful. If the American dream is the final step of the process where there aren’t any hardships, just a perfect life, then no one will be able to achieve it.

There is no perfect person who can accomplish a dream requiring perfection. There will always be difficulties in life, although it may differ between individuals; it is the attitude and perspective a person chooses to have that allows that person to overcome the situation. People can always be dissatisfied with one thing or another no matter how much money they have or how much their needs are met. A person can see a cup of water as being either half full or half empty. Everything depends on that person’s perspective in life. People can either be dissatisfied with their lives and what they are given or they can accept it and make the most out of it.

Willy repeatedly mentions the grandness of Singleman’s funeral in his talks with people, and he emphasizes Singleman’s death as a death of a salesman. A funeral, being the last episode of a person’s life, shows the results of a person’s life. The scene of Singleman’s funeral indicates that people coming to someone’s funeral proves that that person was well-liked meaning that person was successful in the business world, according to Willy’s theory. Willy wishes to have the same kind of treatment at his funeral when he dies. He wants there to be many people coming to pay their respects to him at his funeral because he believes he is well-liked and successful in life. Willy believes the death of a person is significant.

Willy’s motivation for joining the salesman career was Singleman’s success presented by his way of death, a luxurious, peaceful death. This kind of death, dying peacefully with no worries, appealed to Willy. Ironically, Willy dies a death opposite of what he hoped for. Singleman’s life itself and the process of success aren’t mentioned by Willy. Only the final product is mentioned. Willy is more focused on the result, which is a death of a salesman like Singleman, than on the process, which is the life of a salesman. The life of a salesman is hard because of the uncertainty of the income and the hardships of travelling. The income depends on the amount of products the salesman is able to sell in his travels. However Willy only focuses on one man’s success which is why he wanted to join the salesman profession because he saw the result to be so extravagant and appealing. The result is presented in the death of a salesman, so that is why Willy is focused on the way of dying more on the way of living.