The scene where Willy is left alone with the tape recorder and is unable to shut However, Willy is partly to blame, as heР”Вoes not accept change and wants to remain in the pas t. Instead of Willy, who i s fighting for his job. This is broughtР”Р„bout when Howard, Willy's boss and godson, shows the tape recorder to Willy andР”Р„ppe ars to be more interested in the sound and technology of the machine It also represents the end of Willy's career. The tape recorder signifies the change in Willy's life throug h the advancement And last but not least, Willy is more of 'a little man sentenced to discover his smallness rather than a big man undone by greatness.' In other words, he is too passive of a character to play a tragic hero.Р”Р„ similar denial is also evident when Willy isР”В¬onfronted with the tape recorder in Howard's office. Arthur Miller once stated that Willy 'is (just) a man who dies for want of some positive, viable human value (Drama Criticism, 313).' He is a common man who becomes the victim of a tragically harsh society (Steinberg, 296). Most people agree that Willy is not a tragic hero, although his story is a tragedy. Another argument critics make is whether or not Willy is a tragic hero. Thus, no one is really sure whether he is simple or complex.

Moreover, Willy calls his car 'the finest of its kind' then later refers to it as 'a piece of junk (Rollyson, 1340).' Willy Loman also has all of the modern conveniences that make him a product of society, but he does not want to be just another social component. On one hand, he is described as fat and unattractive, while on the other hand, he is 'persuasive and pleases people.' At times, he calls Biff a bum, while at others, he describes Biff as having greatness. To begin with, Willy is a walking contradiction. One of the first comments critics have is on Willy Loman as a simple character versus a complex character. After this point in the play, Biff no longer tries to be 'successful' like his father.Р”Р„lthough these symbols relating to Willy are of great significance, Willy himself probably stands as the most significant symbol in Death of a Salesman. One of the most significant scenes in the play is when Willy has a flashback of the hotel scene where Biff catches his 'faithful' dad with another woman РІР‚вЂњ this is what causes their father-son relationship to falter. The University of Virginia emblem on his shoes symbolizes his high ambitions that is, his ambitions before he and Willy drifted apart. In the beginning, Biff agrees with Willy that successfulness is everything. Because Willy favors Biff, he wants more than anything for Biff to succeed in life, and pushes him to do so. Although this may seem more of a good thing, it also plays a big part in fueling the conflict between the two. Biff, who is more capable of genuine humanity, represents the kinder and more realistic Willy he favors Biff over Happy (CLC Vol.

Happy, who often receives his consolation of unsuccessfulness through women, represents WillyРІР‚в„ўs more materialistic side.

Happy and Biff, WillyРІР‚в„ўs two sons, represent two sides of WillyРІР‚в„ўs ever-conflicting personality. Miller uses symbolism to expand on the conflicts within the Loman family.

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