Death of a salesman and the american dream. The American Dream Theme in Death of a Salesman 2023-01-01
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Death of a Salesman is a play written by Arthur Miller that tells the story of Willy Loman, a middle-aged salesman struggling to find success and happiness in a society that values wealth and success above all else. Throughout the play, Willy grapples with the idea of the American Dream, which is the belief that anyone can achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination.
At the beginning of the play, Willy is a man in his 60s who has been working as a salesman for most of his life. Despite his best efforts, he has never achieved the level of success that he had always hoped for, and he is now struggling to make ends meet. Willy's obsession with the American Dream is a constant presence throughout the play, as he tries to convince himself and others that he is a success, even as he faces mounting financial and personal problems.
As the play progresses, Willy's relationship with his family becomes strained, as he becomes increasingly disillusioned with his own failures and begins to take his frustration out on those around him. His relationships with his wife, Linda, and his sons, Biff and Happy, suffer as a result, and he becomes increasingly isolated and bitter.
Despite Willy's best efforts, he is ultimately unable to achieve the success and prosperity that he had always dreamed of, and he is left feeling disillusioned and unfulfilled. In the end, he realizes that the American Dream is an unattainable goal for him, and he takes his own life, unable to face the reality of his own failures.
The death of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman serves as a commentary on the harsh realities of the American Dream, and the ways in which it can lead individuals to pursue a path of self-destruction. It suggests that the relentless pursuit of success and prosperity can be damaging, and that it is important to find meaning and fulfillment in other areas of life.
Overall, Death of a Salesman is a powerful and poignant exploration of the American Dream, and its enduring themes of disappointment, disillusionment, and the search for meaning and fulfillment continue to resonate with audiences today.
Criticism of ' the American Dream' in 'Death of a Salesman' by Arthur Miller
However, to readers the tone of this scene does not feel serious, because he laughs it off with Biff. Willy however, fails to see this, thus leading him up to fail in his business endeavors. The character of Willy Loman dreams of success for him and sons, Happy and Biff, by being well liked and wealthy. He is unable to travel extensive. Harold Clurman, in one of the most overtly Marxist analyses he produced, observed that the play showed how the ideals of hard work and courage had been replaced in the United States by salesmanship, the ability to put over or sell a commodity regardless of its intrinsic usefulness qtd. Yet, it is Charley who has his own business and not Willy. Order custom essay Death of a salesman on the American Dream with free plagiarism report Willy says, "Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead.
Willy believes wholeheartedly in the American Dream of easy success and wealth, but he never achieves it. Men built like we are should be working out in the open. Now that he acknowledges his problems, there is a hope that he will be able to reach his potential. It was this greed that then turned him into a coldhearted bourgeoisie who was only directed by monetary gain and not his moral compass, therefore exploiting Willy and firing him later. The popular image of America within the Turkish Republic also changed, as the domestic economy gradually adopted free market principles.
Happy, despite being a more static and one-sided character, is following in Willy's footsteps of self-delusion and pretenses. Miller is trying to say that a society which solely bases itself on hopes and ambitions that are beyond the reach of the vast majority of its members is using them. This play shows that wealth is acquired through luck and the lack of effort. As we will see, this faith turns into an increasingly desperate delusion. Willy's house, for example, allows characters to walk in and out of scenes through the house's transparent walls. All the mothers are afraid of him. Willy, however, refuses to believe that Biff is not successful.
Death of a Salesman: The American Dream Free Essay Example
They all hope for an enjoyable life with the basic necessities in a typical American Dream like buying a house, owning a car, having a job of your dreams or having a family. Rather than put this kind of effort into his sons, however, Willy puffs them up with false confidence. What does the garden symbolize in Death of a Salesman? The only reality, the only goal is that of material success. Traditional symbolic meaning of seeds include: Potential, Trust, Hope, Nourishment, Sacred, Earthiness, Initiation, Reproduction, Cycles, Time, Provision. People all have their own American dream. He has gained a lot of money and all he did was get lucky.
What does Death of a Salesman say about the American dream?
In turn, Happy and Biff develop unrealistic expectations of careers in which they will never have to endure the inconveniences and servitude their father has. Conversations with Arthur Miller. A detailed analysis of the relationship between Linda and the protagonist Willy categorizes her as a loving wife and Willy in turn considers her as caring and wonderful. He rents an apartment by himself and does not seem to have a sense of responsibility in his life. Seeds come in different shapes and sizes. Oxford University Press, 2003. At least, that is the view expressed by many students in contemporary Turkey as a reaction to current events: like Willy Loman, America seeks to sell the American Dream abroad, but as time passes, fewer and fewer people seem prepared to buy into it.
This is common in most young boys, especially when they are this close in age. Learn more The American Dream is characterized by the materialistic and idealistic values of society. To suffer fifty weeks a year for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off. John Mac Nicholas, Volume 7. The power the American Dream had on the working class was thus manipulated in the capitalist society. However, the darker side of the American Dream, one that was used in the capitalist system to brainwash the working class into a vicious cycle, was displayed in Death of a Salesman. In his striving to get a hold on his vision of the American dream, Willy honors his brother Ben.
Throughout the play, Willy experiences flashbacks. The American Dream is based on the power and strength of achieving goals. So the play challenges to new American capitalistic concepts. Therefore, distracting Willy from the reality of losing his job. Howard represented the capitalist bourgeoisie. Similarly, Willy contradicts himself throughout the play to distract himself from reality as he does not realize it.
The setting in the story takes place in Boston, and New York City. Berkeley and London: University of California Press, 1985. This encompassed a wide variety of products: whereas, in 1979, 60 per cent of Turkish exports were agricultural products, by 1988 80 per cent came from industry. May 1953 : 16. It shows that all Americans adopt one million ideas and dream for success. He is ambitious and loves spending time with different, often already taken, women.
Capitalism And The American Dream In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman: [Essay Example], 1122 words GradesFixer
Nevertheless, it was fear of Biff defecting from becoming the ideal person Willy dreamed Biff would be that lead Willy to his downfall. Death of a Salesman. Seeds represent for Willy the opportunity to prove the worth of his labor, both as a salesman and a father. Instead of hard work and courage, there is salesmanship. He failed math, however, and did not have enough credits to graduate.
The Failure of American Dream in Death of a Salesman
America has long been known as the land of opportunity and the idea of the American Dream is rather appealing to most. Conversations with Arthur Miller. On the other hand, he also inherited his father's sense of poetry and love for the natural life that Willy didn't allow to fully develop. Chasing the American Dream: Understanding What Shapes Our Fortunes. Works Cited Aytür, Necla. Hence, it is a tragedy of every American. It is ironic because during high school Willy used to mock him for studying hard and always praised Biff for not studying at all.
