Hiding the Truth Many people like to live in an illusory world, which they know is not true. An example is when a lazy, obese man looks in the mirror and sees a different, well-built man. This illusion is obvious to him, but he uses it as a cover for reality. This is Willy Loman, the main character of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Willy invents many illusions that hide the truth of reality. Willy lives in a world of illusions, including the belief that he is well-liked, that his son Biff is destined for greatness, and that Bernard, his neighbor's son, is unsuccessful now and later. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Willy's belief that he is a well-liked and popular person turns out to be an apparent illusion in the story. An example of why this is an illusion is when Linda, Willy's wife, says to Charley and Biff during Willy's funeral Why didn't anyone come? But where are all the people he knew? (P.137). So the quote shows that Willy wasn't as popular as he thought. If many people had really liked Willy, there would have been more people at his funeral. Willy finally realizes that he is not well liked and says so himself when speaking to Charley: you are the only friend I have (p. 98). The quote implies that Willy doesn't have many friends, as he points out in the story. If Willy was liked by everyone, then he would have more friends, not just Charley. Believing that Biff is destined for greatness is just another illusion in the story. He is not destined for greatness due to his poor performance in educational studies. Bernard, one of his friends, tells him that you should study with me today if you don't start studying mathematics he will fail you and you won't graduate. (P.32) Despite his friend's warning, Biff fails the test and does not graduate. Now that Biff didn't graduate from high school, it's a clue in the story that he's not destined for greatness. Biff was never destined for greatness because he has led a life of crime since his teenage years. Biff never achieved greatness because he went to prison for stealing. And being in prison is not considered a good thing for a person. Willy thinks that Bernard will not succeed in life, but this is another illusion in the story. Towards the end of the conversation with Charley, Willy says he's a good guy. They are all good kids and will grow up (p.98). This quote contradicts a lot of things Willy said about Bernard because at the beginning of the story he tells Biff that Bernard might get the grades in school, you see, but when he gets into business, you'll be five times ahead of him (p. . 33). The quote suggests that Biff will be successful in life, but Bernard will never be. At the beginning of the story, Willy suggests that Bernard will never truly succeed. But as time goes by Willy discovers that Bernard has become a prominent lawyer who will argue a case in the Supreme Court, which shows that Bernard has had a very successful life. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Many illusions have been made to hide the truth of the matter. One of the biggest illusions still around today is how women cover themselves with makeup. They are trying to create an illusion on men by covering up to make them look like a different person because they want to hide their true beauty or are insecure about their appearance. Willy Loman invented these illusions because they hid the truth. From Willy's point of view, these illusions seemed to be realities because of his..