The writer, Arthur Miller utilized the sense of imagination in his writing as a key tool for the character, Willy Loman to tell us his story and for the reader to relate to him and the other players in this story. Imagination allows Willy to relive several key moments in his past. In his flashbacks, Willy's mind torments provides a different point of view and is a tool that allows the reader to gain stronger understanding or significance of the moment. In Willy's mental regressions, we are allowed to view a moment in his past life. Imagination is a form of creating one’s own thoughts. Therefore, we then take from Willy's regressions how he viewed that moment and our imagination allows us to view it from a different perspective and understand the deeper meaning of that moment. I say that Willy used his imagination based of the fact that in his mind he filtered his memories and imagined them from his point of view. He never realized how the actions in his memories actually affected himself, his life and everyone else’s around him.
Imagination in reference to the reader is also key in allowing the reader to feel the emotions throughout the play. As a reader we must imagination how we would react and feel if we were those characters. How would we handle those situations being lived by the characters? In a tragedy, especially, I believe this is a key component to following understand and/or falling in love with a story. In Death of a Salesman, I found myself continuously feeling sadness and remorse and numerous other emotions. For example, when Willy spoke with Bernard regarding whey his son did not succeed, I as a parent imagined how that would feel, to know that at some point in my life I may look back and question the actions of my children and possibly blame myself for. How will I avoid this from happening? In this play, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman the hero in this story had an inner conflict. He struggled with the idea that his family, mostly his son Biff, had not been successful in life until the present in which the play is happening. He at that point had created a resolution to solve that dilemma. Throughout the reading of this play comparing and contrasting situation moments, character, characteristics, and emotions allows us to better understand what is happing in this play and explaining why the characters are behavior in certain manners. Willy would give his children and wife tall tales of who he really was. Willy Loman has created an unrealistic picture of who he is and what is important in life. He has exaggerated who he is in his mind and to all that surround him. The man he portrays is an opposite picture of how the world really views. His need for success clouds his choices in life. As you read you wonder how a man in his situation has lived so long without coming to the realization of who he really. Part of the misperception of Willy’s views of life is that he believes that success is defined by your network of acquaintances and your net worth.
Throughout the play, Willy on several occasions compares Biff to Bernard. He’s overall suggestions in the first part of the part is that of Biff’s superiority to Bernard. Ironically,