He hears people laughing behind his back. Willy is ashamed: He's not selling things like he used to. Willy loves his wife, Linda, though he has sought companionship on the road. They find him foolish, a small-timer trapped in big dreams. He is 63 and loves his sons, Biff and Happy. We never really learn what Willy sells mostly, he tries to sell himself. He's the title character of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman, and he's our In Character profile today, the next in our series exploring famous American fictional characters. Willy Loman isn't a guy in an airport, of course. Because personality always wins the day." It's not what you say, it's how you say it. "Start with a couple of your good stories to lighten things up. "Walk in with a big laugh, don't look worried" - that's Willy's strategy. Then he sits up to tap out a new number, and snap open a new smile. He might sit back, and stare at his shoes, or into a light. So if maybe I could stop by, and - Oh, you don't. But we've made some improvements in the A-9 series. "Listen, Rod, I won't take much of your time. The family? Good, good." And he laughs, for no apparent reason. "Hey, Julia! How are you? Ted Jinks for Rod Holloway. He looks down into a small book, or a screen, and taps out a number: He's wearing heavy-soled shoes, scuffed, creaking, but well-shined. I think I see Willy Loman several times a week - in lobbies, coffee bars, airports. 'Death of A Salesman' Marks 50th Anniversary
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