The character of Ben in Arthur Miller's, Death of a Salesman, functions as a catalyst to fuel the development of his main character, Willy. Miller uses Ben as an idealistic figure for Willy; he is what Willy strives to belike throughout the story. By exploring Ben's personality, we develop a better understanding of Willy's nature. We learn Willy's persona and character by looking at Ben's actions and beliefs. Ben's personal morals become Willy's rules of life.
             Throughout the story, Willy strives to be like his brother. Ben's character allows us understand the importance of living one's life by their own rules. His character helps us to understand that we must play with the hand we are dealt. Life is too short to be playing someone else's hand. The contrast between Ben and Willy's characters allows the reader to recognize the importance of letting go of the past and not dwelling on mistakes made. Willy is so rapped up with his brother's success and the idea of living his brother's life, that he loses control over his own life and reality. Ben appears but three times throughout the story, first in a flashback, second in a quasi-flashback where Willy has inserted him into a scenario that actually happened, and finally in a complete hallucination.
             Through a comparison and understanding of each of these occurrences, we are able to gain vast knowledge of who Willy Loman actually is. These flashbacks and hallucinations show how Ben's character is used as a device to allow us to understand what is actually going on inside Willy Loman's head. The first time Ben appears is in a flashback within Willy's mind. This flashback is used as an interruption of Willy's feelings of inadequacy about his present situation. Willy has returned home from a selling trip, unable to concentrate and unable to keep his mind in the present. Ben appears as a scape
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