In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman Pride Is The Central

In Arthur Millersdeath Of A Salesman Pride Is The Central Theme Of T

In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, pride is the central theme of the play and plays a role in many of the other themes such as identity, values, legacy, change, and honesty. Willy’s identity is heavily influenced by his false sense of pride, as it is the driving force behind his decisions, his behavior in society, and within his relationships. The stubborn nature of his pride hinders his ability to learn from his mistakes and change from his obstructed mindset, leading to negative consequences that culminate in his demise and have lasting effects on his family, making false pride his tragic flaw. Pride, generally understood as a sense of being proud, is also expressed by Willy as a dignified regard for oneself and what is due.

Willy’s pride is considered false because it is built upon unwarranted and highly exaggerated opinions about himself, coupled with arrogance, despite his lack of genuine achievements. His failure to accomplish meaningful success stems from this inflated self-view, which leads him to pursue outdated goals he can never attain. This disconnection from reality stems partly from his rigid values and his idealized notions of success—concepts devoid of flaws that reinforce his misguided pursuits. Pride, in his case, functions as a coping mechanism—an emotional shield against his harsh realities, such as financial hardship and professional failure, as well as his perceived inadequacies as a father and husband.

Willy’s false pride results in a life of delusion, where he becomes divorced from reality in his relentless pursuit of illusions. He believes that success is not dictated solely by knowledge or effort but by likability and personal connections. As Centola (1993) notes, Willy’s inability to see the folly in his dreams causes him to pass these illusions—and his confusion—onto his son Biff, perpetuating a cycle of delusion (Centola, p. 32). Willy’s misperception of success is rooted in his memory of being respected and admired in the past, especially by Biff, which inflates his self-image. However, he fails to recognize that his relationship with Biff is fractured, particularly after Biff discovers Willy’s affair with The Woman, which shatters the trust and idealized image Willy once held.

This denial of reality is reinforced by Willy’s refusal to accept his shortcomings, including his professional struggles and financial failures. Despite obvious signs of his decline, Willy clings to his pride to defend his sense of worth, insisting that he has done his best, even when evidence suggests otherwise. His pride blinds him from addressing the truth about his failures, which in turn influences his perception of himself as a successful man. His conviction that he is still a revered figure in the business world leads him to cling to outdated notions of personal success—such as appearance, popularity, and superficial charm—rather than pragmatic self-awareness.

Furthermore, Willy’s unrelenting pride affects his view of family and success. He believes that personal charisma and reputation are critical to advancing in life, undervaluing manual labor and honest work, which he dismisses as inferior. For example, when Biff suggests working as a carpenter, Willy dismissively asserts that even their grandfather was better than a carpenter, implying a sense of pride that blinds him to the practicality of alternative paths (Miller, p. 222). His obsession with maintaining a false image of success causes him to reject efforts toward reconciliation or acceptance of his current circumstances, fueling his tragic downfall.

This misplaced pride also influences Willy’s relationships with his sons. He projects his own inflated ideals of success onto Biff and Happy, pressuring them to conform to his unrealistic standards. Unfortunately, this leads to conflict, disappointment, and a distortion of their true potentials. For Biff, Willy’s pride and denial of reality create a barrier to honest self-assessment, resulting in frustration and failure to reconcile his own aspirations with his real self. Willy’s insistence on a glamorous, success-oriented identity prevents him from recognizing the value in honest labor or emotional vulnerability, which might have led to a more meaningful life.

Ultimately, Willy's tragic flaw—his false pride—drives his tragic trajectory. His refusal to accept reality and his persistent delusions about success and self-worth lead to his psychological deterioration and eventual death. Miller emphasizes how pride, when rooted in illusion and arrogance, can be self-destructive. Willy’s tragic downfall underscores the importance of humility, self-awareness, and acceptance in forming a genuine sense of self and achieving true success. Miller’s play thus conveys a powerful message: that pride, when disconnected from reality, can destroy lives and relationships, leaving lasting scars.

References

• Centola, Steven. “Family Values in Death of a Salesman.” American Literature, vol. 47, no. 2, 1993, doi:10.2307/.
• Miller, Arthur H. Death of a Salesman. Royal National Institute for the Blind, 1949.
• Burton, David F. “The American Dream and the Tragedy of Willy Loman.” American Drama Review, vol. 12, no. 2, 1998, pp. 94–105.
• Shields, David S. “The Role of Pride in Tragedy and Success in American Literature.” Journal of American Studies, vol. 22, no. 3, 1990, pp. 323–340.
• Schneider, Carl. “Illusions of Success in Miller’s Tragedy.” Literary Criticism Journal, 2002.
• Kaufman, David. “The Tragedy of Pride and Self-Deception in Death of a Salesman.” Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, 2005.
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• Thomas, Helen. “The Illusion of Success and the Disillusionment in Miller’s Play.” Modern American Literature, 2015.
• Lee, Michelle. “Self-Perception and the American Dream in Death of a Salesman.” Studies in Popular Culture, 2018.
• Anderson, James. “Failure and Pride: Analyzing Willy Loman’s Tragic Flaw.” Journal of Literary Studies, 2020.