Reality VS Illusion Hoen and Yong Qin

Learning points Reality VS Illusion Where particular scenes can be found in the novel. More about the Drama Many more!

Task Essay questions related to our topic, can be found on pg 116 of the book. ( Please look through and think about it, don’t have to do ) Take down notes at the last page of the handout

Through this lesson, we hope that you can make use of whatever we taught you to answer the following questions. (For reference only) Q1: Willy hides behind his visions of the world and fails to realise the truth about himself and his family. How does he achieve this? Q2: City life is seen by Miller as artificial and damaging. What is Biff’s alternative to this way of life and why does he consider it to be superior? Q3: Biff is destroyed by Willy’s illusions. Explain how this happens.

Reality? Definition of reality: the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. Reality in the novel: The classic American dream typical Americans are achieving. Such as Ben, Charley and Bernard(indirectly).

Illusion? Definition of illusions: a false idea or belief Illusions in the novel: The Lomans are all extremely self-deceptive, respective , they fuel and feed off of one another. Willy convinces himself that he is successful, well liked, and that his sons are destined for greatness. Unable to cope with reality, he entirely abandons it through his vivid fantasies and ultimately through suicide. Linda and Happy both believe that the Lomans are about to make it big. Unlike the other members of his family, Biff grows to recognize that he and his family members consistently deceive themselves, and he fights to escape the cycle of lying.

Willy loman? This will help you understand better on the points we are going to explain later Willy Loman is a hard working salesman who failed to achieve success. He travels throughout the week and is barely makes enough money to support his family. He has two sons that he is proud of and he hopes that they will also be successful. Willy Loman failed to realize that he was never a successful salesman. He has an illusion of himself as being a successful businessman that everybody respects, but in reality its clearly otherwise.

Illusions in willy (Brief) Willy Loman lives his life in the illusion that he and his sons will be successful. However, he truth is that Willy is just another overworked salesman and his sons just wonder from job to job never making any good money. Sadly Willy decides to commit suicide to ‘’help’’ his family out. He has nothing to show for his life after all his work and still upholds the illusion of Biff being successful in business. This play has a tragic ending and is very sad throughout. The reader can really feel how much Willy wants success for himself and his boys. Unfortunately he never pushes himself or his boys to do more with their lives. He is too prideful to see the reality.

scenes How is Reality vs Illusion being portrayed in the drama? Willy is the victim of the theme Many situation in the drama that is happening are all the opposite to what Willy thinks. Willy is afraid to face up to the truth, thus falling into hallucinations and trapped in illusions He becomes mentally ill when pressure of reality crushes his illusions

Idea Reality Illusion (Willy) Ben Dead Still alive(imagination) Linda Supportive Restrictive Biff Unsuccessful(Worse than Happy) Successful(Better than Happy) Happy Better than Biff Worse than Biff Charley Helpful to Willy(even offers a job) Looking down on Willy Bernard Smart and rather successful Will not succeed in life Dream Wants to be a farmer Must achieve the American Dream

Elaboration(Ben) Who? Why? Ben is Willy’s decreased brother (Reality) However, Willy thinks otherwise. He “creates” Ben in his mind, and imagines that Ben is always beside him.(Illusion) Why? He creates Ben for self-assurance(Illusion) Pg 63: “Ben, am I right? Don’t you think I’m right? I value your advice.” Ben is there to make Willy feel more assured to what he is doing. Willy is trying to use Ben as a barrier from the truth, to hide from the REALITY.(Reality)

Elaboration(Linda) Who? Linda is Willy’s supportive wife, who stands by him through everything he does.(Reality) However, Willy makes use of this fact to condemn Linda and blames her for his plight. Reality: Giving, nice, timid, supportive Illusion: Restrictive, at fault, to be blamed

Elaboration(Linda) Linda, also appears in Willy’s illusion. Willy thinks of what Linda will tell him, and imagines her stopping himself from achieving. Willy is using Linda as an excuse for his rejection of going to Alaska, although the truth is that he rejected the offer to Alaska as he wanted to chase his American Dream.(But he fails) Upon failing, Linda takes the blame All these is purely to convince himself that Linda is at fault and not him.

ELABORATION(Linda) Pg 62 (Willy is reminded of the deal in Alaska) Willy: “No, wait! Linda, he’s got a proposition for me in Alaska.”(he feels that he can achieve more) Linda: “But, you’ve got-(to Ben) He’s got a beautiful job here.” Willy: “But in Alaska, kid, I could-” Linda: “You’re doing well enough, Willy!” *Rest of pg 62 further elaborates this point.* The above conversation is actually just an illusion created by Willy.

Elaboration(linda) When Willy is reminded of the Alaska deal, to comfort himself, he brings in Linda to take the blame. The two lines that Linda said is to convince Willy that Linda is obstructing him from going to Alaska and not that he wasted his opportunity willingly. All these is just what Willy thinks Linda will do and might not be true after all.

Elaboration(Biff&Hap) Biff and Happy are Willy’s sons. In reality, Biff is unsuccessful unlike Happy. Willy thinks that Biff takes his throne, but rather in fact, its Happy who really owns it.(Reality) Biff, being “well-liked”, suits Willy’s idea of being successful, unlike Happy who is not as well-liked.

ELABORATION(BIFF&HAP) Turns out, at the end of the novel, Happy is more like Willy than Biff. This proves how Willy is living in an illusion and not in reality.(Illusion) Pg 107, Requiem. “I’m not licked that easily. I’m gonna beat this racket! (He looks at Biff, his chin set) The Loman brothers Happy is the real successor of Willy.(Reality)

ELABORATION(Charley) Charley is Willy’s neighbour, and his only true friend. He is sympathetic towards Willy and his family, lending them a helping hand whenever Willy’s desperate. However, later on he can only stand and watch as he cannot help. From pg 71-73, Willy borrows money from Charley and their conversation tells a lot about Willy.

Elaboration(charley) The conversation: Willy: “I need a hundred and ten dollars.”(rejected by Charley) Charley: “I offered you a job. You can make fifty dollars a week. And I won’t send you on the road.” Willy: “What’s the matter with you? I’ve got a job.” “I don’t want your goddamn job!” “I- I just can’t work for you, Charley.’

Elaboration(charley) The quotes in the previous slide shows how Willy rejects Charley’s kind job offer and is rather agitated when Charley presses him to accept it. This shows Willy’s strong ego and unwillingness to accept help from others. Willy thinks that when Charley offers him a job, he is looking down on him, He suffers in the illusion that Charley thinks lowly of him and refuses Charley’s help. As such, Charley can only stand aside and watch.

Elaboration(Bernard) Charley’s son, and Biff’s schoolmate Bernard provides a contrast to Biff, just as Ben does to Willy. He achieved the top of his profession, and all the goals and things Willy wanted for Biff to achieve. However, despite the fact that Bernard is the ideal Biff that Willy wanted, Willy still said that Bernard is not successful, but rather, Biff.

ELABORATION(Bernard) Pg 68, is where Willy criticised Bernard and say that he will never make it. Willy: “(after a pause) I’m-I’m overjoyed to see how you made the grade, Bernard, overjoyed. It’s an encouraging thing to see a young man really…”. Willy is continuously living in the illusion that whatever he teaches Biff is right, and the real way to achieve the best is through being “well-liked”, although the reality is that Bernard is the real example.

Willy’s real inclination Throughout the drama, we realised that Willy, all this while, actually really wanted to be a farmer, and not any businessman. However, why did it end up as such? In essence, Willy’s main illusion and fate is being controlled by his idea of being “well-liked”, and that it is the only way to make it the top. Although dreaming to be a farmer, he wanted to achieve the American Dream, thus, changing profession to being a salesman.

Willy’s real inclination The reality is that he is not cut out, or tailor-made as a salesman, and he was just fighting a losing battle. He is fated to lose it from the start. It is because of his persistence in believing in his own ways and living in his illusions that he ended up in such a sorry state.

Thank you for your attention!