1. Who is "Dave Singleman"?

1.
Dave Singleman is a ‘well-liked’, successful, and infamous traveling salesman. Even by the time he is in his eighties, he makes money by just phoning his buyers without ever leaving his hotel room. His last name, “Singleman”, is significant because his name has negative connotation unlike his infamous and ‘well-liked’ life. The word “singleman” literally means “a lonely man” who has no close family members and sells goods until his death. Although Dave Singleman has these disadvantages, Willy still loves and admires the life of Singleman and even talks about Singleman as if he is an idol. There are many attractions that surround the figure of Singleman and his salesman profession. Such attractions are high income, earning money even when in his eighties, inconvenience of not traveling but making money just by phone calls, and being ‘well-liked’ by all the people. In addition to these attractions Willy is really eluded by the “death of a salesman”; in Singleman’s funeral, many businessmen and other people attend and mourn for his death, showing his fame and well-liked nature. Willy, thus, wants this kind of attention from other people when he dies and wants to be remembered and loved like Singleman. He, however, doesn’t realize that the people who came to Singleman’s funeral weren’t his close friends or the loved ones. Singleman actually dies on the job and actually is a pretty lonely man, but Willy fails to realize this tragic life of Singleman.

At the end of the play, we see Willy’s motivation for going into salesmanship related to a way of dying rather than a way of living. The reason that Willy goes into salesmanship is its limitless potential and its honorable nature; he even quotes “selling was the greatest career a man could want.” The salesmanship has been his ideal American dream, in which he is disillusioned and fails to grab onto his own identity. He tries to imitate Singleman as a salesman, not realizing that it is a false American dream. He, however, doesn’t realize that and assumes that he is a successful salesman. In the same way, Willy is totally disillusioned by his American dream even until his death. Willy probably expects his funeral to be like that of Singleman’s. He thinks that many people from the region he has sold his goods will attend his funeral and illuminate his respected and honored nature. His funeral followed by his suicide, however, fails to portray Singleman’s funeral like he fails to be a successful and well-liked salesman. Nobody except for Willy’s family members and Charley attend his funeral unlike what Willy has expected. Willy not only fails to be a successful traveling salesman, but also loses his identity and lives in a false American dream.