An Overview of Ben Loman Character Analysis

Ben Loman is Willy Loman’s adventurous brother. The storyline of the play begins with his death in afrri9ca. During periods of great self-doubt and distress, Willy usually hallucinates and imagines himself talking to ben’s ghost. According to Willy, ben is the perfect American dream embodiment. This is the dream of instant riches, i.e., attaining great success without putting in the requisite years of hard work that is typical of genuine success. The notion that an individual can venture off into the wilderness on his own and return a wealthy man. Loman regrets not following a path similar to the one taken by Ben and putting himself to the test against rugged natural environments. Nevertheless, he had very little knowledge about ben. Furthermore, during his rare visits to Willy’s home, ben shows contempt towards him.

One of Ben’s famous quotes in act 1 is “the man was aware of his wants, and he went out and achieved them! Ventured into the jungle, and emerged, 21 years of age, and he is wealthy! You can view the earth as an oyster, but you cannot break it on a mattress.

Ben’s character is a representation of the unrealistic expectations held by Willy as well as the sad reality of his life. Upon the audience’s first encounter with Ben, he is the physical manifestation of the success Willy strives to attain. At first, he appears on stage accompanied by a mystical motif that is idyllic.

In later fantasies, ben’s motif appears to be more sinister than idyllic. What this symbolizes is that ben also had some peculiar behaviors. He never totally abided by the rules of fair play, justice, and honesty. He used some cruelty, opportunism as well as cheating.

Therefore, within the play, he is somewhat a physical manifestation of everything that Willy seeks in his life. He believes he can achieve his mission in the same manner that ben did. He also believes that heating, manipulation, and opportunism are part of the ingredients for success.

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