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  • Essay / How Willy Loman's mental illness is linked to his failure in society

    One of the most common, but misdiagnosed, mental illnesses in the world is bipolar disorder. Many people around the world suffer every day from the lack of an accurate diagnosis of their condition, leading these victims to be unaware of their true mental state. Willy Loman, the protagonist of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, is a similar individual whose disorder went unnoticed and caused him to act irrationally. Given his actions, it can be concluded that Loman is mentally ill who suffers from a mental disorder more commonly known as bipolar disorder with psychotic features. When Willy Loman's mental state is examined carefully, the diagnosis can be divided into three parts: hyperstate, depressive state, and psychotic features. Through the character of Willy Loman, Miller shows how an individual's mental state is linked to their success or failure in society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the ways Willy exhibits the symptoms of bipolar disorder is through hyperstate of mind. Hypermindset includes behaviors such as amplified optimism, absurd thoughts, impulsive and rash behaviors. Such characteristics are observed in Loman throughout the play as he is busy planning unrealistic future goals. An example of such behavior is when Willy truly believes that he is going to "find a little place in the country and raise some vegetables and some chickens." The idea of ​​buying land and raising animals is too ambitious and completely unrealistic since Willy is in a very precarious financial situation and doesn't even have a job. Another example closely associated with the hyperstate includes Willy's impetuous behavior regarding his unusual activities. For example, at one point in the play, Willy wants to start gardening in the middle of the night and he does. Loman also hastily begins spending money on unnecessary items when he should actually be using that money to meet household necessities, such as bills and food. As can be seen, Loman's hyperstate causes him to become overly optimistic and come up with unrealistic plans, while encompassing his irrational spending habits. Such actions are the root of Loman's failure in society, and it can be seen that his mental disorders are the main reason for his failure. In many cases, an individual's failure is more closely linked to a serious problem such as mental illness, and in Loman's case, his illness is overlooked and ultimately leads to his downfall in society. The unrealistic optimism, impulsive behavior, and rash decision-making all validate the hyper state Willy is in and therefore reveal his mental health condition (bipolar disorder).