What significance does Willy Loman’s occupation have in his tragedy?

Although Willy Loman is a deeply flawed character, there is something compelling about his nostalgia. Modernity accounts for the obsolescence of Willy Loman's career - traveling salesmen are rapidly becoming out-of-date. Willy is a symbol of his fading career as his very identity begins to deconstruct. Selling no longer offers even the illusion of the American dream for Willy. Significantly, Willy reaches for modern objects, the car and the gas heater, to assist him in his suicide attempts.