Komm, süßer Tod - Death of a Salesman
By David Taehee Lee
Ah, death! The inevitable end all must meet. No man shall evade the grip of the withered hand. However, not everyone dies the same death: they all have their stories and matters behind the curtains. Therefore, one shall not deem death merely a tragedy but more as the finale of a turbulent life. For some, death even serves as an eternal remedy to pain and suffering that liberates the troubled soul to rest in peace. Death of a Salesman invites us to appreciate the art of death from a fresh angle in the passing of Willy Loman. Skeptical folk may say that the old man died in vain, calling it the tragedy of the common and impoverished. However, I view Willy’s death as a masterpiece, even a blessing. The troubled man’s death beautifully embellishes his imperfect and “dime-a-dozen” life with vivid colors anew.
One may well start by posing the question: “Why did Willy Loman die in Death of a Salesman?” A slight change in the wording of the question gives away the answer: “Why did Willy Loman have to die in Death of a Salesman?” God, though almighty and omniscient, decides to intervene in life and puts an abrupt halt to the pumping of the heart. Oh, the great feats constitute each and every man all but an ephemeral endeavor! Although one may not decide their own destiny, the venture one takes steers one towards great dreams and aspirations. Take a look at ol’ Willy: those fantasies of going into the wilderness and walking out with diamonds at the age of 21. Sky-high expectations for his heir, the legacy of an old man to be remembered by history. None of them came to life. Not a single one. But did Willy not endeavor to accomplish his goals? He tried his guts out for 34 years. He traveled hundreds of miles to get his sales done. He dedicated his life to the well-being of his family and his dreams. But in the end, not all men could strife their way to dreams. All the disappointed dude can do is come up with desperate excuses to make up for his lack of success and impact. The old father even loses his beloved son in a heated argument on the fateful day. For a salesman, there is no rock bottom to life… A man’s endeavors go unnoticed even mocked for lack of impact. Had he not died in Death of a Salesman, the poor old man would have gone lower, if that is even possible. How could we let this diligent, passionate champion-of-the-common deteriorate like this? Death puts a forceful yet relieving end to Willy Loman’s loop of failure and disappointment. It prohibits the troubled old folk from losing even more than what he has already suffered- no man needeth die twice in a lifetime. God, out of pity and love for humanity, gives his blessing of death to Willy Loman and delivers the wandering soul from evil.
This leads us to yet another crucial point that must be addressed: “Even so, Willy had other choices, did he not?” The unemployed salesman could have taken Charlie’s job offer and provided financial support for a family in need. The grumpy husband could have forced himself to face reality and satisfy his inflated dreams in that house he and Linda finally finished paying off their debt. However, such solutions merely circumvent the undeniable past. How could Willy Loman, so headfast and proud, who always deems himself the center of attention and influence, possibly even accept that loss? A desperate move of a coward and an opportunist, too afraid to look back and reflect and reconcile but living on with that sliver of hope that everything would go in his favor. Regardless, any other alternative meets the same end: the ever-looming shadow of death. The one and only true relief from all thoughts. Although no man can leap over the pit of mortality, the final path they take leaves their mark on this world. Why take any road crossing steep mountains and murky valleys when such a simple, straight, and neatly polished path shines so brightly, reflecting the ancient, mystical moonlight that led countless other wanderers to this majestic end? By keeping his head high and embracing death, Willy Loman proves to the world he’s made of more than flesh and blood and bone: A heart of diamond, formed only by the pressure one bears to the end, appreciated only by the people who dig deep into the earth.
Work cited
Miller, Arthur, 1915-2005. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.
