by Debra
Materially Successful
Character #2
Charley
Charley is
a large, unimpressive man about Willy's age. He is Willy's next-door
neighbor and lifetime friend. He is also the father of Biff's schoolmate,
Bernard. In addition, Charley stands in contradiction to everything
Willy believes in. First, we see that he does not concerned about
his appearance as much as Willy does when Charley first appears in pajamas
and robe, to see why Willy's home in the middle of the night.
Making clear
that his play is not an attack on business in general, Miller once writes
that "the most decent man in Death of a Salesman is...Charley whose aims
are not different from Willy Loman's. The great difference between
them is that Charley is not a fanatic. Equally, however, he has learned
how to live without that frenzy, that ecstasy of spirit which Willy chases
to the end."
Moreover,
he is not concerned about being will-liked. Once he says to Willy,
"Why must everybody like you? Who liked J.P. Morgan? Was he
impressive? In a Turkish bath he'd look like a butcher. But
with his pockets on he was very well-liked." Willy recalls Charley
in the past, looking ridiculous in knickers his wife bought for him.
Charley doesn't care about sports in the least and has no ability with
tools.
Ironically,
Charley turns out to be quite successful in business. To make money
is as natural for him as carpentry is for Willy. Charley is prospering
well enough that he can regularly lend Willy money which, Charley know
he'll never see again although Willy firmly assures him that he's keeping
strict accounts. His relationship with his son, Bernard, has been
casual, and he has never expected him to be big or even given him advice.
Charley is more down-to-earth and isn't obsessed about the business
world.
Charley is
not envious at Willy's abilities, which are different from his. He
admires the ceiling and tells Willy that "to put up a ceiling is a mystery
to me." He is stern about Willy's low standards of fair play, and
he gradually becomes more and more impatient with his child-like dreams.
He urges Willy all through the years to "grow up," but Willy never pays
too much attention to his unwelcome advice.
Charley is
a humorous realist; even though he knows that Willy doesn't much like or
respect him, it doesn't keep him from caring about Willy and seeing his
good qualities. Despite Willy's rejection of his offers, Charley
twice tells him that he could use him in his firm. In the final hours
when Willy is reviewing his life, he comes to realize what Charley has
meant to him. As he leaves Charley's office, he stops to say with
his real feeling, "Charley, you're the only friend I got."
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