BEN: You don’t want to make a fool of yourself. They might not honor the policy.
WILLY: How can they dare refuse? Didn’t I work like a coolie to meet every premium on the nose? And now they don’t pay off? Impossible!
– Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman, Act 2. Ben warns Willy that his life insurance company might not honor his policy in the event of his suicide. That would mean no insurance payout to Willy’s family. We don’t know if the death was eventually ruled a suicide. Willy argues that the company cannot refuse to pay, as he has been paying into the policy for a large part of his life. This foreshadows Willy going ahead with his suicide plan so his family can collect on the insurance.