Willy Loman longs for the success of his brother Ben, but refuses to accept the drudgery in the work of his friend, Charley., Willy wants the freedom that Ben has, leaving for Alaska on a whim, ending up in the wrong place, and still succeeding on his own – without the responsibility and hard work that Charley puts in to be modestly and stolidly successful. The incongruity in Willy’s wishes – that Willy wants all the glory without any of the guts – leaves him in a place where, truly, he is still a child. And, like a child, Willy could never live like Ben because he needs the security of a job and life like the one Charley has. As the play winds on, Willy cannot wake up from his fantasized version of true American success and, ultimately, allows Miller to illustrate the shallowness of the American Dream.
Ben represents success based on the benchmarks Willy has created: that if a man has a good appearance and is well-liked, he will thrive in the business world. Yet, the amount of truth in Ben’s character is questionable. More likely, Ben has been idealized in Willy’s mind to become a mix between truth and fantasy – one who exemplifies the principles that Willy lives his life by and bestows on the Loman boys."William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich!"(Act 1, Page 52)
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