How does Willy change throughout Death of a Salesman?

In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Willy is a complex character. At the start of the play, Willy is optimistic and hopeful. Although he is getting older and is having difficulty remembering things, he believes he can be successful and still thinks that he can bring money home to his family. He also believes that his two sons will be successful as well.

However, as time goes on, Willy has a harder and harder time traveling and making his sales quotas. When he asks his boss if he can work locally, the boss says no. Willy becomes frustrated. By the end of the play, Willy has lost hope and has become disillusioned. He gives up. Likewise, he knows that his sons will never make anything of themselves as he always dreamed.