how does arthur miller through death of a salesman deal with the theme of the american dream
How does Arthur Miller, through 'Death of a Salesman' deal with the theme of the 'American Dream'?
Death of a salesman is a play about one mans strange dream, which is shattered by his worthless son. The dream destroyed the son - Biff, and had its roots in the complex structure of contemporary existence. 'The inside of a man's head' was the first title for this play which I think shows what the play is really about. This shows that inside Willy's head was like a tangled mass of roots without end or beginning.
For Willy and Linda life's accomplishments and sources of pleasure are very simple. They lead very average lives for the time and any depth is ignored on their part. The first scene emphasises this point. The main focus in their lives is their morgage on the house. For twenty-five years Willy and Linda have worked hard to pay it off so they feel they have attained the sense of freedom or the 'American Dream'. This dream is something that all Americans aspired too especially at the time when the play was set. Willy fee
Willy is a salesman, always travelling from state to state staying in motels away from home. This increases the importance of a house to him because it is not only a place of habitation but also a representation of stability in his life. It is a concrete item, which cannot be taken away from Willy once he has made the last payment. While discussing his sons with Linda, he states,' " And they'll get married; and come for a weekend..." He shows the same pride for his ownership of the house as he did for Biff during his football years. The house is the centre of Willy's being, and now that he almost has it, he can see that it has been his life's work. He is a character who remains content only by trying to believe that he is living the 'American Dream ", and pride of his most valued possession is all he has to hold onto.
ls that you "work a lifetime to payoff a house. You finally own it and there's nobody living in it". He says this after hearing that his
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