Topic > How Willy Loman's Mental Illness Connects to His Failure in Society

One of the most common, yet misdiagnosed, mental illness conditions in the world is bipolar disorder. Many people around the world suffer every day from the lack of accurate diagnosis of their condition, leading victims to be unaware of their true mental state. Willy Loman, the protagonist of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, is a similar individual whose disorder went unnoticed and led him to act irrationally. Given his actions, it can be concluded that Loman is a mentally ill individual suffering from a mental condition more commonly known as bipolar disorder with psychotic features. When Willy Loman's mental state is thoroughly examined, the diagnosis can be divided into three parts: the hyper state, the depressed state, and the psychotic features. Through the character of Willy Loman, Miller shows how an individual's mental state is related to their success or failure in society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One of the ways Willy displays symptoms of bipolar disorder is through hyper mental state. The hyper mental state includes behaviors such as amplified optimism, absurd thoughts, impulsive and reckless behavior. Such characteristics are seen in Loman throughout the play as he is busy planning unrealistic future goals. An example of such behavior is when Willy truly believes that "he's going to get a little place in the country and raise some vegetables and a couple of chickens." The idea of ​​buying land and raising animals is overly ambitious and completely unrealistic since Willy is in terrible financial shape and doesn't even have a job. Another example closely associated with the hyperstate is Willy's impetuous behavior regarding his unusual activities. For example, at one point in the show Willy has a desire to start gardening in the middle of the night and he does so. Loman also hastily begins spending money on unnecessary items when in reality he should be using that money for household needs, such as bills and food. As can be seen, Loman's hyperstate causes him to become overly optimistic and plan unrealistic plans, as well as understand his irrational money spending habits. Such actions are what led to Loman's failure in society, and it can be seen that his mental disorder is the main reason for his failure. An individual's failure in many cases is more closely related to a serious matter such as mental illness, and in Loman's case, his illness is overlooked and ultimately leads to his downfall in society. The unrealistic optimism, impulsive behavior and rash decision making, all, validate the hyperstate Willy finds himself in and consequently divulges his mental health status (bipolar disorder)).