Willy also has too much pride and this leads to his disillusion. Another instance of his pride showing through is that he won’t work for Charley, but accepts money from him on the premise that it is a loan and he can pay him back.
Willy has lived his entire life in a world of illusions. These Illusions include Willy's belief that being well liked is the key to Success. He worked hard but not at the right things, this shows us that Willy is ignorant. Originally, Biff shared Willy's illusions of success and greatness, but by the end of the play he has become completely disillusioned. Once Biff comes to fully understand his place in life, he says to
Willy, "I'm a dime a dozen, and so are you." Willy, however, has lived too long in his dreams and cannot understand what Biff is trying to say. If Willy had to face reality, he would then be forced to examine the affair he had in Boston, his philosophy, and all of his illusions. Instead, he prefers to live in the past. And now Biff, who is trying to confront the truth about himself, finds that he is completely unable to communicate with his father, unless it is on his terms. Willy cannot see the change in the world around him he is lost in a modern era of technology. He says, "How can they whip cheese?" and is constantly "In a race with the junkyard."
Another one of the themes in Death of a Salesman is the old order of pride and nobility versus the new order of industrialization. In the beginning of the play, Willy foreshadows this theme by criticizing the changes brought about by industrialization. "The street is lined with cars. There's not a breath of fresh air in the neighbourhood." It is this conflict between the old and new orders that contributes to Willy's downfall.
Willy's father, a pioneer inventor, represents the Traditional values and way of life that Willy was brought up on. So does Dave Singleman, the eighty-four year old salesman that inspired Willy to become a salesman. Howard, the young boss of Willy's company, represents the impersonal and ruthless nature of capitalist Enterprise. When Willy goes in to ask Howard if he can be transferred to a job in New York, Howard refuses to help him even though Willy has been working for the company for several decades and was good friends with his father. When Willy asks why he cannot be reassigned, Howard
replies, "It's a business, kid, and everybody's gotta pull his own
weight," thus demonstrating Howard's cold indifference to Willy's
situation and concentration on profit.
Inadequacy is another one of the themes in the play. Happy constantly feels that he is inadequate, but only because his father is constantly comparing him to Biff, Willy ‘favourite’. So he comes up with stories of how he will get married and that he has lost weight, just so he can get some attention ahead of Biff.
