Death Of a Salesman

A detailed Summary of Death Of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman and The American Dream

On close examination of "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller, the idea of the American Dream and its' presence and significance throughout the play is huge.

The American Dream offers those who start with nothing, the opportunity to gain riches. It dates back to the early history of America, in which pioneers conquered the wilderness of the frontier. Ben demonstrates this to Willy saying, "William, when I walked into the jungle I was 17. When I walked out, I was 21. And, by God, I was rich!" (p.40). The characteristics for success are thought to be masculinity, competitiveness and popularity. The allegory was that becoming rich was a simple matter of using your personal qualities as an individual. The other great myth that prompted people to work hard was that America was "The land of opportunity". Thus, the logic of these myths is that failure to achieve the American Dream must be caused by a failure in the personality of the individual and could in know way be due to a flaw in the system. Obvious parallels between this train of thought and that of characters in the play can be drawn; both Willy and Biff hold themselves responsible for their lack of success and its' negative

The most interesting character to pay attention to when considering how Miller handles ideas connected with the American Dream is Willy Loman. Willy, despite his desperate searching through his past, does not achieve the self-realisation or self-knowledge typical of the tragic hero. While achieving a professional understanding of himself and the fundamental nature of the sales profession, Willy fails to realise his personal failure and betrayal of his family through the meticulously constructed artifice of his life. He cannot grasp the true personal and emotional understanding of himself as a literal "Loman" or "Low man". Willy's failure to recognise the anguished love offered to him by his family is crucial to the climax of his final day, and the play presents this flaw as the real tragedy. Despite this failure, Willy makes the most extreme sacrifice in his attempt to leave an inheritance that will allow Biff to fulfil the American Dream.

In conclusion, the prevalence of the American Dream in Miller's play is very apparent. Willy believes wholeheartedly in what he understands to be the promise of the American Dream; that a "well liked" and "personally attractive" man in business will deservedly achieve the material comforts offered by modern American life. Oddly, his fixation with the superficial qualities of things such as popularity is at odds wit

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Approximate Word count = 921
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English