Open Prompt 2008 response

2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.

Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, is about a family who attempts to live the American Dream. The main character, Willy Loman, is truly the one that drives the family to believe in such a goal.  Willy is driven by the thought of success and wealth. He is starkly contrasted with the character, Charley. Charley believes in honesty and hard work. Charley, unlike Willy, seems to understand that valuing words over actions to achieve success will only lead to self-destruction.

First, Charley greatly values honesty while Willy says what he needs to get by. Nowhere in the play is Charley ever seen lying, and Charley acts as almost a voice of reason. He helps Willy out when Willy needs it, lending Willy money and giving Willy advice, even offering Willy a job. Charley can generally be seen as a virtuous, generous character. Charley’s admirable traits serve to harshly contrast Willy’s lack of them. Willy believes success is money and wants to have both. He borrows money from Charley and gives it to his family, telling them that he earned it at work. He is too proud to admit that business is not going well and too proud to admit that this is not his hard-earned money. For Willy, it is enough for his family to simply believe, or at least pretend to believe, that he actually earned the money. As long as his family is happy and proud of him, they can pretend to be living the American Dream. What Willy does not realize, however, is that simply saying that he is living the American Dream or simply saying that he is successful does not give him anything, except maybe a large pile of debt. He leaves the house everyday, not looking for work or a way to better their lives. His valuing of words over actions slowly destroys himself (his pride) and his family.

 Similarly, Willy seems to think that telling his family that they are great will make them actually become great. He thinks that if he can convince himself and others that his sons are successful, they will become successful. For instance, Willy always talks about how wonderful his son Biff is. Biff is a local sports star and plans on going to the University of Virginia. Willy is so obsessed with the thought of Biff being some kind of amazing prodigy, that he doesn’t see it when Biff starts flunking school. By the time Willy realizes this, it is too late: Biff has already hurt himself so much academically that there really isn’t anything Willy can do about it. Charley, on the other hand, never deceives his son, Bernard in such a way. Charley instills in his son the value of hard work. Consequently, Bernard ends up as a successful lawyer. Willy is shocked when he finds out about this, because no one ever told him just how successful Bernard had become. Willy would have thought that someone would be bragging about Bernard. Willy just cannot seem to comprehend that talking about success gives a person nothing.

Miller’s Death of a Salesman contrasts the two characters, Willy and Charley, to portray the dangers of valuing words over actions. Willy wants people to like him and wants them to think of him as a successful man, so he talks about his successes all the time. Charley understands that talking about success will do nothing for him, so instead he works hard. The result is that Charley actually ends up successful and Willy ends up killing himself. Willy’s search of success through words lead to his ultimate downfall.