Are readers too idealistic when they prefer perfect heroes in stories to imperfect ones? Authors August Wilson and Arthur Miller force readers to reflect on the likability of a flawed protagonist through their characters. In Fences by August Wilson, the main character Troy is a struggling father and husband dealing with racial injustice in his life. His flaws are brought to light as he tries to be a good father in the eyes of himself and his children. In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy is a traveling salesman struggling with mental illness and lack of commercial success, which compromise his position as both a father and a husband. Both Willy and Troy exemplify problematic qualities such as being unfaithful to their wives and burdening their children with the failures of their past. Readers discover how tragic heroes can be more difficult to empathize with due to their imperfections. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Cheating on your spouse is an unpleasant quality for anyone, and Willy and Troy are no exception. The tendency to give in to temptation is often a problem that many tragic heroes face. In Death of a Salesman, Willy is constantly away from home and his loneliness pushes him to have an affair. This does not directly impact his relationship with his wife, but rather that of his son Biff. Initially, Biff considered Willy a man of honor and respect in his life. One might say that he even considers his father to be an influential person. This causes their entire dynamic to shift downward. Bernard notices this change and credits Biff's lack of motivation on his trip to Boston to meet his father: “And he came back that month and got his sneaker lift with 'The University of Virginia' printed on it? He was so proud of them that he wore them every day. And he took them down to the cellar and burned them in the furnace” (Miller 91). The shoe symbolizes Biff's idea of ​​success. Biff loses his sense of self due to the fact that he learns of his father's infidelity Readers can more easily sympathize with Biff's flaws in this moment, and it is easier for readers to cast aside Willy as an antagonist. in this moment rather than seeing him as a "hero". to his temptations. To the outside eye, Troy and his wife Rose appear to have a healthy, loving relationship. They come up with a system: Troy is the dreamer and Rose the realist is able to put Troy in his place. As readers delve further into the book and learn more about Troy, the situation changes. Similar to Willy, Troy uses parenting difficulties as justification for cheating on his wife: “I can get out of this house and get away from the pressures and the problems… be a different man. I don't have to wonder how I'm going to pay the bills or fix the roof” (Wilson 69). Troy sees his relationship as a sort of alternate reality. He is able to leave his current failures at home and enter a new world where they cease to exist. The overwhelming pressure he puts on himself to provide for his family takes a toll on him. Troy lives in a time where a false sense of masculinity is unfairly imposed on men, which ends up destroying families instead of supporting them.When Troy is home and realizes the demands of running one, he is blinded by the endless duties he is unable to fulfill and prevented from seeing the love that surrounds him at home. Although a tragic hero may be loved and appreciated by the people around him, they are blinded by the weight of overwhelming responsibilities imposed upon him. Their internal turmoil consumes them until sources of optimism become symbols of struggle. Both Willy and Troy are overshadowed by their overbearing job as man of the house, which pushes them to cheat on their wives, thus ruining their family dynamics. In both works, an important theme is that of the complex relationship between a father and son. In Death of a Salesman, Willy imposes a false sense of success on his children rather than letting them develop one on their own. In Fences, Troy goes through a similar internal struggle. For both characters, the pressures they personally feel as men of the house make the relationship more difficult between them and their children. Willy expresses his disappointment at Biff's lack of commercial success to Linda when he says, "Not to find yourself at the age of thirty-four is a shame" (Miller 51). Society so strongly asserts the need to make money and achieve the "American Dream" that anyone who is unable to obtain it feels it as a disgrace. Willy inflicts this harmful illusion on Biff rather than giving him room to grow as a person. This is due to the fact that Willy never managed to achieve what he would have called "success". The failures of his past and the difficulties of his present push Willy to be more demanding with his children. While he may view him as a good father, others interpret him as harsh and unreasonable. In Fences, Troy feels the same pressures from society as it damages his relationship with Cory and Lyons. After Cory disobeys Troy by pursuing college football, Troy comments, “I don't care what he's doing. When he gets to the point where he wants to disobey me… then it's time for him to move on” (Wilson 50). Troy is letting the disappointments of his sports career interfere with his son's dream of having one. Troy pressures Cory to put stability before his dreams. While many fathers are traditionally encouraging of their son's aspirations, Troy displays a more condescending and judgmental attitude. Troy feels guilty for not being able to provide more for his family and doesn't want Cory to fall down the same rabbit hole. Even though it may have been towards the end of their lives, both Willy and Troy managed to make it through. they come to terms with the problems they once faced and confront the deeper internal dilemmas this has caused them. In Death of a Salesman, Willy's relationship with Biff is forever altered when his son leans into Willy's relationship. Willy and Biff misinterpret their actions towards each other as hostility, when in reality they love and care for each other. After years of turmoil between Willy and Biff, they are finally able to make peace with each other. Willy's burden is lifted from him once Willy discovers that Biff has loved him all this time, “Isn't- isn't that amazing? Biff, he likes me!” (Miller 212). When Biff and Willy resolve their battle, Willy is overcome with emotion. He realizes that although Biff was unable to match Willy's standards with absolute perfection, Biff was his son who loved and cared for him and that was enough to make him happy. Willy didn't need his children to be rich and powerful because it was enough to be a good person. This is what distinguishes Willy as a tragic hero. His materialistic ideology and his mind.