Reality and illusion in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller In Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, one of the main themes and the source of conflict is the Loman family's inability to distinguish between reality and illusion. This is especially evident in his father, Willy Loman. Willy has created a fantasy world of himself and his family. In this world, he and his sons are men of greatness who “have what it takes” to make it in the business world. In reality, none of them can achieve such greatness until they face and deal with this illusion. Willy believes that being well-liked is the key to success, exclaiming “Be loved and you will never want…” (Klotz, A 1998 ). It is unclear whether Willy's "flashbacks" to past business dealings recall when he was once well-liked or simply imagine that he was. However, the mere fact that this is no longer true reflects his inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. This ultimately leads to Willy's death. He figures that he is worth more dead than alive and that the insurance money from his death will be the catalyst for Biff's success. Willy has also blinded himself to the success, or lack thereof, of his children. He believes Hap is an “assistant director” in his job, but Hap's position is little influential, if at all. It elevated Biff's past work experience with Oliver to that of a major salesman, when in reality he was simply a shipping clerk. Another significant theme that recurs throughout the play is that it is okay to be dishonest when it suits their purposes. Willy continues to send his children mixed signals on this issue. It all started with Willy finding... in the middle of the paper... the old socks. The woods and jungle that Willy and Ben constantly refer to seem to represent the struggle of life. The “diamond” in the jungle is the reward at the end of the struggle, which would be the materialistic success for which Willy constantly strives. However, Linda makes the last house payment on the day of Willy's funeral, which represents the futility of that fight. Willy's final suicidal act is also symbolic, but it is unknown whether his suicide is an act of cowardice or a final sacrifice on the altar of the American dream. ReferencesKlotz, A., with Richardson. Arthur Miller “Death of a Salesman”. Literature, seventh. Saint Martin print. (1998). pp. 746 - 822.Klotz, A., with Richardson. (1998). WH Auden “The Unknown Citizen”. Literature, seventh. Saint Martin print. page. 448 - 449.