Barely into the 19th century, the young western nation underwent several dramatic adaptations in response to the overwhelming force of industrialization during a time of both technological and social reformation. Literary scholars and authors began transitioning away from the artistic era of romanticism into the truthful realm of realism. Romantics saw life through a lens of distorted beauty, full of deep emotion and detailed scenery. Its writing is frequently characterized by the exaggeration of nature, whimsical fantasy, and strange interest in sentiments. Realists, on the other hand, depicted life as it was through a "realistic" perspective. They perceived life with the utmost accuracy, paying heavy attention towards the dull truth behind society. Its themes and motives often explore concrete and common ideas or troubles shared by the population and are expressed through prosaic stories. Renowned for its ideal representation of these ideas, "Death of a Salesman" is an American classic, effectively reflecting the realistic characteristics and contending against its predecessor, romanticism. Despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum, both romanticism and realism (in this book) share some common ground, both found within the main character.
Willy Loman is an insecure man, lost in a sea of fantasy, motivated by false romantic standards disguised as success. He lives his life endlessly chasing happiness through the comfort of wealth, misinterpreting his goals and failing to approach them from the right angle. Plagued by vanity, Willy refuses his social standing and denies reality as it exists around him. He believes that he is both "well liked" and a successful salesman. He would return home having "sold a nice bill there" (19), ultimately reinforcing his false confidence. However, his victory and enthusiasm live a short life. Linda, his wife, often pulls him away from his "success," reassuring him that, with the payments on mortgage and household utilities, they are "a little short again" (51) when it comes to finances. These moments pull him away from his dreams briefly, knocking the air out of him, merely a blow to the ribs. Of course, being the moody man he is, Willy quickly returns to his illusions, using them to mentally block his failure. The narcissism in his personality is reflected by his many actions and dialogue, especially when talking to his children: "Go to Filene's, go to the Hub, go to Slattery's, Boston. Call out the name Willy Loman and see what happens! Big shot!" (43). As the truth seeps into Willy's mind and the voice of reality whispers to him, he falls further into mental deterioration. Now in Willy's head, everyone surrounding him has become a failure, victim to their own poor decisions and actions. Charley, his neighbor and one true friend, is a respectable business owner, embodying his many ideas of success and the American dream. Willy, once again, immerses himself in a fake pride, arguing that Charley is "liked, but he's not -- well liked" (19). Bernard, Charley's only son, is both intelligent and diligent, expressing true characteristics of an efficient businessman. However, he lacks the social fluency and the friendly personality that both Biff and Happy possess. For this reason, Willy defends his children's future success: "That's just what I mean. Bernard can get the best marks in school, y'understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y'understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him" (21). But of course, his ideas are fairly short lived. As it turned out, Bernard breezed through school, achieving great success, ultimately becoming a well-known, fortunate lawyer. When he next talks to Willy, he is preparing to present a case to the Supreme Court.Contrasting Bernard with his own children, he is sent into a deeper depression, coming to the realization that his family shares failure. Faced by both truth and this failure, Willy succumbs to the pressure and loses contact with reality, spiraling into hallucinations and delusions. Though perceived in a much darker light, these dreamy illusions can be related to the dramatic fantasies of romanticism.
