anything (i.e., Biff's chronic stealing, stealing the football from the locker room; stealing the carton of basketballs; stealing the suits; stealing the lumber). This is a sad commentary on Willy's outlook on life; the fact that he was willing to excuse a wrong if committed by a person who was well-liked.Willy was obsessed with Singleman's experience and how personality paid off for him. Nevertheless, for Willy to survive in this environment he must live an illusory life, one filled with lies and a vivid imagination. Unfortunately, Willy succumbs to his fantasy and begins living the lies as if they were real. A clear illustration of how Willy's lies trapped him is in the scene when Ben arrives to take Willy to Alaska. Linda reminds him of how well-liked he is and how Mr. Wagner promised him a place in the firm. These lies were responsible for trapping Willy long ago and preventing him from accepting an interesting position. Sadly enough, Linda may have contributed to Willy's strange illusions by having never told him the truth when he found fault with himself. Linda simply told him it was not a fault, thus reinforcing Willy's illusions about himself. An excellent use of spectacle is seen here as Ben appears in a white suit with a white beard. This gives a ghost-like appearance, and feeling Willy's thought process is easy.Willy's world is now beginning to close in on him. He has nothing tangible. This leads him to a compulsive desire to get something to grow in the backyard (the tangible, the physical has captivated Willy: carpentry; the mixing of cement; the living room ceiling; the flowers). It is this feeling of inferiority that motivates Willy to commit suicide (I got the impression that he was such a failure that not even a single carrot wanted to be near him or associated with him that is why nothing ever grew in the backyard. It also said to me that everything Willy put his hand to failed: his salesmanship, his children, relatio...
