Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" shows a man whose inability to accept the change within himself and the reality of his life has led to the loss of his identity and his and his family's understanding of the truth. This man is Willy Loman whose fear of abandonment, failed career, and failed home life are the product of his past; leading to his current dilution of a successful life and subsequent downfall. Willy's past experiences with his father and brother have created a fear of abandonment that has manifested itself in the form of a fictional present in which he ignores the fact that his children have also abandoned him. This concern is evident in the constant questions from Willy to Ben about the whereabouts of Willy's father. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Act One Willy asks “WILLY [pushing Ben away from her impatiently]: Where's Daddy? Didn't you follow him? How did you begin?" (1472). Willy's abandonment by his father and brother at a young age leaves him with many unanswered questions and worries. This secret fear eats away at his character, making him a desperate person. Ironically, this desperation ultimately leads both Biff to abandon him and Willy to abandon his family through suicide. The past has marked his present, and because the truth was too much for Willy, he chose to live in an alternative world to what could have been. , but the intersections of truth that often broke down the wall of lies gave him a glimpse into his reality. Both of these things combined worked in perfect harmony to destroy Willy's life; he died living in the past that could have been and he abandoned his family in the present that should have been. The success of a flute salesman and a jackpot winner inspired Willy's drive to succeed without struggling. Willy believes he can succeed with charm. However, the world does not function as such, leading to the downfall of a gullible salesman whose past experience with glorious success has created the irrational definition of a fulfilled life. The dilution of Willy's successful career was what kept him going, he could never accept being a jobless, indebted loser and since black can't be hidden with white, his real life sometimes was dissolved by the image of Linda darning socks. “WILLY (noticing her mending) What is it? LINDA: I'm just darning my socks. They are so expensive! WILLY (taking them angrily) I won't let you darn socks in this house! Now throw them away!” (1468). Willy lashes out at Linda for darning socks because it reminds him of his affair and inability to provide for his family. He has a distorted perception of the past; he believes he was a successful salesman and therefore his wife shouldn't have to darn his socks. However, the truth is that he failed at his job and had to repeatedly turn to Charlie, his only friend, for money. In addition to being unaware of his failures, Willy was envious of those who had what he lacked because despite the wall he had built between himself and reality, deep down he knew he was absolutely nothing. Willy's past relationship affects his entire family, but it had a more significant impact on his relationship with his son Biff. Because Biff knew about the affair, the mirage his father had built for him and his family was broken, and Biff was able to see his father for who he truly was. This had a huge impact.