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Essay Comparing Willy Loman And A Raisin In The Sun

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Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman and Walter Younger Jr. from A Raisin in the Sun would undoubtedly agree on one thing: “money is life” (Hansberry 1207). Throughout their respective plays, both men pursue their financial dreams to the detriment of their families, mental health, and lives. Guided by their skewed ethics, hunger for money, and romantic ideals, Walter and Willy seem only to differ in their fates. Walter Jr. and Willy are both men whose dreams of greatness and wealth have eluded them. Indeed, at points in the plays, Walter Jr. and Willy seem as though they are continuations of one another’s narratives. Willy pays off his house, while Walter Jr. makes a payment for a house. Willy leaves an insurance check to his son …show more content…

also share some misconceptions about the relationship of their manhood with success. Willy states early in Death of a Salesman that he feels “kind of temporary” about his manhood because his father left him in his childhood (Miller 1078). He is obsessed with a romantic story that he tells himself about his father and brother, conflating the honor of authentic manliness with a heroic ideal. Willy then instills an assumption in his sons that manliness and charisma are excuses for lies and theft. The Lomans do not realize that there is no substitute for honesty and industriousness. Walter Jr. is also motivated to be the leader and provider for his family. However, he does not understand that his risky pursuit of wealth is endangering what his family truly needs. Once he realizes that the small gain of a home would give his family hope, he becomes willing to labor for small hopes instead of focusing on large risks. Walter Jr. is both proud of the work of generations before him and willing to combat the racism of their new neighborhood. He respects the humble dreams of his ancestors and realizes how hard they worked for the life that he found unsatisfactory. When Walter Jr. finally “comes into his manhood,” his mother finds faith in his leadership and allows him to make decisions for the family (Hansberry 1238). Unfortunately, Willy never achieves true manhood in his pursuit of his

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