Kierkegaard and Failures of Double-Mindedness in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

abstract Willy Loman’s double-mindedness in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a major cause of failure for him as a salesman, husband, and father. In all three roles, double-mindedness underlies Loman’s false sense of self and deceptive speech that cause him to act ineffectively and even self-defeatingly in securing prosperity for himself and his family. This article examines the definition of double-mindedness according to the Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, in his work, Purity of the Heart Is to Will One Thing (1846), in order to illuminate instances of double-mindedness and its deleterious impact on Loman in the play. The discordant, variable mental state that double-mindedness causes predisposes Loman to self-sabotaging and destructive tendencies in both his career and family life. In the end, Loman’s suicide cannot be ruled tragic but should be seen as a forced error for its self-mutilation and escapism.