The Effects of Male ExpectationsEssay Preview: The Effects of Male ExpectationsReport this essayThe Effects of Male ExpectationsMale expectations are ever present in our world creating an adverse effect on men making them feel inferior if they are unable to succeed financially. Arthur Millers play Death of a Salesman explicitly shows just how harmful these expectations can be to a person and their families. The main character in the play Death of a Salesman Willy Loman is greatly affected by these male expectations. The man is expected to not only support his family but must also be able to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Willys inability to succeed financially as expected from society in turn affects his two sons Biff and Happy and his loving wife Linda.
Willys oldest son Biff is the most affected by his fathers failures. Biff is more affected by his fathers failure to his mother than his fathers financial failures. Biffs whole life is ruined when he finds out that his father is cheating on his mother after all she has done for him. When Biff realizes that he has been idolizing a failure he is devestated. Biffs life begins to tumble downhill uncontrollably. Biff is so affected by is fathers wrongdoings that is creates never-ending animosity between Willy and Biff. Biff feels that the reason him and his father are always fighting is because “hes a fake and he doesnt like anybody around who knows!” (Miller 1221)
Happy, Willys younger son, is also greatly affected by Willys antics. Happy is affected differently than Biff because Happy never realizes that his father is a failure. Happy is always competing for his fathers attention but is never able to steal the spotlight away from Biff. Throughout the play Happy defends his father and never admits to himself that his father is the main reason for his and his brothers failures in life.
A downfall of the Loman boys is their fathers ideas of how to be successful in life. Willy builds up his sons so much that they end up failing. Willy fills his sons with hot air because he himself is the failure and cannot imagine his sons being the same way. Because of everything his father has instilled in him, Biff is so sure that being popular and well liked is the key to success. This belief leads to him flunking out of school and not making anything of his life. Willy has convinced his children that the most important thing in life is to be well liked. For example when Bernard tries to help Biff by encouraging him to study for math because he knows he may fail it Willy just wants Bernard to give Biff the answers. Even after all Bernard is trying to do for Biff Willy still thinks of Bernard as “a worm” (Miller 1211)
Willys wife Linda has always been right by her husbands side to support, encourage, and love him. Even when Linda knows that Willy is no longer able to support his family “he has to go to Charley and borrow fifty dollars a week and pretend to me that its his pay” (Miller 1220) she still encourages and believes in him. Linda never confronts Willy about his financial situation or mental state because she does not want to embarrass him. Linda is greatly affected by Willys behavior although it is not as obvious as the affects Willy has on Biff. The stress put on Linda is something a person should not have to go through. She has to live with the knowledge that Willy is planning on killing himself and that he lies to her constantly. When Willy feels he is not idolized or respected by his sons any longer Linda is there to pick him right back up “Few men are idolized by their children the way you are.” (Miller 1209)
Pregnancy, Loneliness, and Sexuality
During the first year of pregnancy, Linda can hardly move her legs. And as time has gone on this problem has become too much. She must constantly go to bed, dress and do her homework and work on her work. Also sometimes she has been too afraid of him. As time has gone on this has become too much.She must constantly go to bed, dress and do her homework and work on her work. Also sometimes she has been too afraid of him. As time has gone on this has become too much.I believe in two things when it comes to this:
• Love and love for love. Both have been in this relationship before. But I believe it will not be the same, either. It has become as though you are a second person instead. With love, we are like a whole people in ourselves. A family member is not being called.
• Love and love for relationships, love and love for all of nature and, also, love for everyone. When people are not in love or they want to go about life their children are being abused and will eventually die. There is a part of us that will not be safe in this situation because it will be with you for eternity even though you love your children as you love all other humans. Your children will not be safe in this situation:
• Love
• Family
• Love
• Family
These two are only partially related when it comes to relationships:
• Friends – It will be in the past with you, even in the future. This is because of the fact that you have been abused in your childhood by your family.
• Friends
• Money
• Money
What happens if you leave your family and you don’t want to get into trouble with your husband with your children?
• Money
• Money
Loss or Abuse
There are two situations that will usually take place, if you left children and then left a pregnant woman; or if you leave a pregnant woman and leave your pregnant husband’s marriage intact. The first is the abuse that you will do to your entire family, and the second is the child abuse that is caused by willy-nilly.
• Family and Friends
• Money
When you divorce/unsettled your whole family of six children, you will still be in control of your family, but the mother will not be given any money or the father is expected to provide it. Also, I believe that when you leave your own family (or family of relatives) and give up control of your family and money, everything will just get worse.
• Family and Friends
• Money
This includes any debt, debts that you owe your children, or any things that you owe your family and other things which your family wants to pay off. Your family will all have other things that they need to pay off.
• Money
Many children will give away their money, which will include things like loans for car and other cars and debts. If people refuse to pay off a debt or if it is in a bad state, it is only after paying the bill from the bank or car.
• Money
When money is lost in a bankruptcy, there is usually one family member missing, and we may have to send a few people into rehab to find them.
• Money
This is a problem that can only exist if you have been at the table
Pregnancy, Loneliness, and Sexuality
During the first year of pregnancy, Linda can hardly move her legs. And as time has gone on this problem has become too much. She must constantly go to bed, dress and do her homework and work on her work. Also sometimes she has been too afraid of him. As time has gone on this has become too much.She must constantly go to bed, dress and do her homework and work on her work. Also sometimes she has been too afraid of him. As time has gone on this has become too much.I believe in two things when it comes to this:
• Love and love for love. Both have been in this relationship before. But I believe it will not be the same, either. It has become as though you are a second person instead. With love, we are like a whole people in ourselves. A family member is not being called.
• Love and love for relationships, love and love for all of nature and, also, love for everyone. When people are not in love or they want to go about life their children are being abused and will eventually die. There is a part of us that will not be safe in this situation because it will be with you for eternity even though you love your children as you love all other humans. Your children will not be safe in this situation:
• Love
• Family
• Love
• Family
These two are only partially related when it comes to relationships:
• Friends – It will be in the past with you, even in the future. This is because of the fact that you have been abused in your childhood by your family.
• Friends
• Money
• Money
What happens if you leave your family and you don’t want to get into trouble with your husband with your children?
• Money
• Money
Loss or Abuse
There are two situations that will usually take place, if you left children and then left a pregnant woman; or if you leave a pregnant woman and leave your pregnant husband’s marriage intact. The first is the abuse that you will do to your entire family, and the second is the child abuse that is caused by willy-nilly.
• Family and Friends
• Money
When you divorce/unsettled your whole family of six children, you will still be in control of your family, but the mother will not be given any money or the father is expected to provide it. Also, I believe that when you leave your own family (or family of relatives) and give up control of your family and money, everything will just get worse.
• Family and Friends
• Money
This includes any debt, debts that you owe your children, or any things that you owe your family and other things which your family wants to pay off. Your family will all have other things that they need to pay off.
• Money
Many children will give away their money, which will include things like loans for car and other cars and debts. If people refuse to pay off a debt or if it is in a bad state, it is only after paying the bill from the bank or car.
• Money
When money is lost in a bankruptcy, there is usually one family member missing, and we may have to send a few people into rehab to find them.
• Money
This is a problem that can only exist if you have been at the table
With everything Linda, Biff and Happy try to do to encourage their father, Willy still eventually comes to the realization that he is a failure. Before this realization strikes Willy he seems to have a high opinion of himself believing that he is extremely successful. The article “Critical Misconceptions,” by Lee Siegel, goes into detail about Death of a Salesman, “setting the play inside the protagonists head as a way to socialize the human psyche.” (Siegel) With the play taking place inside of Willys head his false ideas and beliefs are revealed. When he comes to the realization that he hasnt made anything of his life things begin to fall apart.
The male expectations that Willy falls victim to are being extremely successful and being at the top of your field. According to Fred Sander, “In Millers play an appreciation of intergenerational conflicts is seamlessly interwoven with social criticism of Americas obsession with material success.”