Are readers being too idealistic when they favor perfect heroes in stories over imperfect heroes? Authors August Wilson and Arthur Miller force readers to think about the sympathy of a flawed protagonist through their characters. In Fences by August Wilson, the main character Troy is a struggling father and husband, dealing with racial injustice in his life. His flaws are highlighted as he strives to be a good father in the eyes of himself and his children. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Willy is a traveling salesman dealing with mental illness and a lack of business success, which compromises his position as both father and husband. Both Willy and Troy exemplify problematic qualities such as being unfaithful to their wives and blaming their children for the failures of their past. Readers discover how tragic heroes can be harder to sympathize with because of their imperfections. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Cheating on your spouse is an unappreciated quality in anyone, and Willy and Troy are no exception. The tendency to give in to temptations is often a problem that many tragic heroes face. In Death of a Salesman, Willy is constantly away from home and his loneliness leads him to have an affair. This does not directly impact his relationship with his wife, but rather that of his son, Biff. Initially, Biff considered Willy a man of honor and respect in his life. You could even say that he considers his father to be an influential person. This causes a downward spiral in their entire dynamic. Bernard notices this change and attributes Biff's lack of motivation to his trip to Boston to meet his father: "And he came back that month and took his sneaker remover, these sneakers with "The University of Virginia" printed on them. above ? He was so proud of them that he wore them every day. And he took them down into the cellar and burned them in the oven” (Miller 91). The shoe symbolizes Biff's idea of ​​success. It also represents the difficult relationship between Willy and his son. Biff loses his self-esteem when he learns of his father's infidelity. Readers can more easily sympathize with Biff's flaws at this point, and it is easier for readers to dismiss Willy as an antagonist at this point rather than seeing him as a "hero". Willy let a dark moment in his life get to him and it caused him to damage his relationship with someone he loved. In Fences by August Wilson, Troy goes through a similar struggle as he gives in to his temptations. To the outside world, Troy and his wife Rose appear to have a healthy and loving relationship. They found a system: Troy is the dreamer and Rose, the realist, is able to put Troy in his place. As readers delve deeper into the book and learn more about Troy, this changes. Similar to Willy, Troy uses parental difficulties to justify his deception: "I can get out of this house and get away from the pressures and the problems...be a different man." I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay the bills or get the roof fixed” (Wilson 69). Troy views his affair as a sort of alternate reality. He is able to leave his current failures at home and enter a new world where they cease to exist. The overwhelming pressure he puts on himself to provide for his family has a negative impact on him. Troy lives in a time where a false sense of masculinity is wrongly imposed on men, and ends up tearing families apart rather than supporting them. When Troyis at home and becomes aware of the necessities of running a home, he becomes blinded by endless tasks that he is unable to complete and cannot see the love of the home around him. Although a tragic hero may be loved and appreciated by those around him, he is blinded by the burden of overwhelming responsibilities they impose on themselves. Their internal turmoil consumes them until sources of optimism become symbols of struggle. Both Willy and Troy are embarrassed by their bossy jobs as housekeepers, and this leads them to cheat on their wives, ruining their family dynamic. In both plays, an important theme is that of the complex relationship between a father and son. In Death of a Salesman, Willy imposes a false sense of success on his sons rather than letting them develop one for themselves. In Fences, Troy goes through a similar internal struggle. For both characters, the pressures they personally feel as the men of the house lead to a more difficult relationship between them and their sons. Willy expresses to Linda his disappointment at Biff's lack of commercial success when he says, "To not find yourself at the age of thirty-four is a shame" (Miller 51). Society so strongly asserts the need to make money and achieve the “American dream” that anyone who is not able to obtain it is seen as a shame. Willy inflicts this harmful illusion on Biff rather than giving him the opportunity to grow as a person. This is because Willy has never been able to achieve what he would call "successful". The failures of his past and the struggles of his present that push Willy to be more demanding of his sons. Although he may consider him a good father, others interpret him as harsh and unreasonable. In Fences, Troy feels the same pressures from society as it hurts his relationship with Cory and Lyons. After Cory disobeys Troy by pursuing college football, Troy comments by saying, "I don't care what he does." When he gets to the point where he wants to disobey me… then it’s time for him to move on” (Wilson 50). Troy lets the disappointments of his athletic career interfere with his son's dream of one. Troy pressures Cory to stabilize his dreams. While many fathers traditionally encourage their son's aspirations, Troy demonstrates a more condescending and critical attitude. Troy feels guilty for not being able to provide for his family and he doesn't want Cory to fall down the same rabbit hole. Although it may have been towards the end of their lives, both Willy and Troy managed to come to terms with the problems they once faced and confront the deeper internal dilemmas it caused them. In Death of a Salesman, Willy's relationship with Biff is forever changed when his son looks into Willy's affair. Willy and Biff both misinterpret their actions towards each other as hostility, when in reality they love and care for each other. After years of turmoil between Willy and Biff, they finally manage to make peace. Willy's burden is relieved once Willy discovers that Biff has loved him all this time: "Isn't that...isn't that remarkable?" Biff, he likes me! » (Miller 212). When Biff and Willy resolve their fight, Willy is so overcome with emotion. He realizes that even though Biff was not able to match Willy's standards with absolute perfection, Biff was his son who loved and cared for him and that was enough to make him happy. Willy didn't need his sons to be rich and powerful, because you just need to be a good person. This is what sets Willy apart as a tragic hero. His ideology.