Character that appears briefly but has a significant presence: Ben Loman in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman"

Some characters in works of literature only appear briefly but have a tremendous impact on the literature. These characters's significant presence often influences the actions or development of the other characters in the literary work. In Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman", Ben Loman is the character that does just that. Ben is the brother of the main character Willy Loman. Though Ben has a brief part in this play, he affects the theme of …

…Willy. Ben's accomplishments as well as his absence all influenced Willy Loman and his actions. It was Ben who influenced Ben to want to become rich, and ultimately it was Ben who influenced Willy to his demise. Characters that appear briefly in literature stand to represent and influence something greater than what is actually expressed. Ben represents the theme of the American Dream, he is the symbol of success, and he is a literary motif.