Eben, Blanche, and Willy are fighting to survive any way possible in an âunwinnableâ battle of their own making
Willy, Blanche, and Eben refuse to deal with their struggles, which in turn make them have strained relationships with the people close to them, further worsening their internal struggles because they proceed to lead lives full of lies and delusions, with catastrophic results for themselves and those close to them.
All the three aforementioned characters are involved in personal battles that seem to never end, partly because the characters refuse to acknowledge their deficiencies. In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy, at sixty-four years of age, has reached the end of his career with nothing concrete to show for his years as a salesperson. He refuses to take advice and instead hides behind lies and fabrications of successes with his job. When his wife suggests that he take up a post in New York so that he may reduce his sales trips, he states that âThey do not need me in New York, Iâm the New England man, I am vital in New Englandâ (Miller 4).
He is not vital for the company because he is soon sacked. Therefore, Willy Loman’s struggle for relevancy in a fast-changing world makes him exaggerate his sense of worth even to his family. Similarly, Blanche Dubois, in the play A Street Car Named Desire, refuses to accept the reality of the fading ideals of the South, which she steadfastly clings to despite the circumstances. Her battle with the changing social views on family life, love, and sex depicts her struggle with accepting social change. Eben Cabot, in Desire under the Elms, also refuses to reconcile his hatred for his dad at his mistreatment of his mother, with the love that he has for his father Ephraimâs new wife Abbie.
Willy, Blanche, and Eben, due to their continued denials and persistent hurtful behaviors, seem to be unable to win their various personal battles, to the detriment of those close to the â families, friends, and relatives. For instance, Willy Loman perfects the habit of lying to cover his weaknesses instead of confronting them squarely.
In frustration, his son, Biff Loman, cries out âWe have never spoken the truth for 10 minutes in this houseâ (Miller 74), indicating the level of desperation within the family due to the continuous lies and delusions perpetuated, encouraged and practiced by the father. Similarly, Blanche does not deal with her alcoholism and she refuses to confront her past misdeeds, making her a virtual prisoner of her actions. On the other hand, Eben, instead of confronting his father and stating his opinions to his face, he (Eben) engages in an affair with Abbie, which further perpetuates his miseries because of the likely outcome of the affair does not appear safe from any angle.
The actions of these characters lead to catastrophic results for all of them. A common thread in these struggles is that they are all self-made for the characters. Willy could choose to stop lying and subsequently put his house in order, instead, he begins visualizing his suicide, which in the end occurs (MiIler100). Blanche on her part continues with her delusions of grandeur stemming from her refusal to approach her life pragmatically. In the end, she is committed to a mental facility. Similarly, instead of ending his affair with Abbie, Eben chooses the tougher path of continuing the doomed affair, and their child ends up dead and he and Abbie end up in jail.
In conclusion, the failure by Willy, Blanch, and Eben to deal with their struggles leads them to a path of self-destruction courtesy of their self-made woes.
Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Viking Press, 1949. Print.