Loman, Willy

1 "Willy as a hero or a villain?" A large controversy that revolves around the play "Death of a Salesman" is whether or not Willy Loman was actually a hero or a villain in the story. It certainly cannot be said that he is really one or the other because of the evidence that is given throughout. At some times he seems the pitiful victim of other people's actions but at others he seems to have …

…It actually turned out to be a final humiliation for Willy Loman. The reader knew that Willy didn't really know anyone, but the Requiem proved it by telling what happened at the funeral. The formal definition of "requiem" is a mournful chant. The Requiem of this story seemed to fit that definition perfectly. Leaving Willy in final humiliation, leaving Linda an unhappy widow and leaving Biff and Happy doomed to the life of their predecessors.