Ben as an influence

Overall I do not think that Ben is a good influence on Willy. He is too much of a wild card in Willies hallucinations and the fact that he is a figment of Willy's imagination makes him an even worse influence. I think the fact that he makes Willy focus on what he can touch with his hands and less his dreams makes his reality worse. The fact that Ben is usually providing an example of what Willy could have been but will never reach now is also extremely demoralizing to Willy and seems like it could lead him a lot of places where he does not want to go.