Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman follows protagonist Willy Loman on his quest to improve his and his family's lives. Over the course of Willy Loman's career, his mind begins to fray, causing difficulties between his wife, two children and close friends. Willy's descent into madness is slowly but surely taking its toll on him, his work and his family. They can't understand why the man they've trusted all these years is suddenly going crazy. Along with his descent into madness, Willy's actions become more aggressive and strange as the show goes on. Despite the “family feud” between Willy and Biff, his two sons Happy and Biff are really worried about their father's transformation, Happy saying: “He just wants you to do good, that's all. I've wanted to talk to you about dad for a long time, Biff. Something is happening to him. He – speaks for himself” (Miller 21). Willy, as a father, cares for his children but would like them to do better. He believes Biff should have been an athlete. According to Harrington, "Even figuratively, Willy is haunted, and particularly by Biff's failure to achieve success as a sports figure" (108). This restlessness is part of what led Willy to slowly descend into madness. As Willy's career in sales fails, so does he, disappointing even his family. Heyen adds, “He had nothing of real value to give his family, or if he did, he didn't know what it was” (48). Her debilitating flashbacks and delusional hallucinations with Uncle Ben cement her terrifying realization that she has failed her family. Willy Loman blames the economy for his career failure. In one of his most extreme shots he exclaims: “There are more people! This is what is ruining this country! The population is spiraling out of control. ...... middle of paper ...... Shmoop.comShmoop University, Inc. February 25, 2012.Miller, Arthur. Death of a salesman. Dallas, PA: Viking Press, 1949. Print. "The Coward Revealed in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman." 123HelpMe.com. February 27, 2012.Harrington, Gary. “Enrich the seller's historical context.” Bloom's Guide: Death of a Salesman. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York, NY: Chelsea House, 2011. 108. Print.Heyen, William. “The Death of a Salesman and the American Dream of Arthur Miller.” Modern Critical Interpretation: Death of a Salesman. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1988. 48-9. Print.Phelps, H.C. "Miller's Death of a Salesman." Explainer 53.4 (Summer 1995): 239-240. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. vol. 179. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 14. 2012.