american dream death of a salesman

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Describe how Death of a Salesman is an "anatomy" of the American Dream? I think that Miller's work is an anatomy of the failure inherent in the American Dream. Miller draws from personal experience in this regard. He recognized Willy's failures in his own father. From his own childhood and in witnessing the failure of his father in business, Miler understood that the American Dream predicated upon wealth and continual acquisition of money is one doomed to failure. In the end, Miller recognizes that money and the construct of success according to the American Dream is incapable of providing happiness to the individual. It is here whereby the play operates as a dissection into the anatomy of the American Dream. Miller is able to construct Willy as a representation of someone who follows all of the expectations laid out in the American Dream, and yet fails in his endeavor. The anatomy that lies underneath the veneer of the American Dream is one of impossible success and inevitable failure. In this, Miller is able to suggest that the only chance for happiness is for individuals to actively resist or redefine the matrices of their lives so that happiness and "being something" is not defined by material reality. Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is an anatomy of the American Dream. The American Dream is what Willie Loman is trying to achieve. He believes that if one works hard enough, he will be rewarded. His brother Ben is a perfect example, having owned large sections of forest land and a diamond mine when he was alive. Willie believes that he, too, should be rewarded; however, this play is not about achieving that dream, but failing to realize it. In reality, Willie's American Dream is a "myth." He believes that this dream can be achieved through "material wealth," but it cannot be, and because of Willie's tunnel vision, he loses touch with those around him—losing sight of what really makes a man "successful."

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Page 1: American Dream Death of a Salesman

Describe how Death of a Salesman is an "anatomy" of the American Dream?

I think that Miller's work is an anatomy of the failure inherent in the American Dream. Miller draws from personal experience in this regard. He recognized Willy's failures in his own father. From his own childhood and in witnessing the failure of his father in business, Miler understood that the American Dream predicated upon wealth and continual acquisition of money is one doomed to failure. In the end, Miller recognizes that money and the construct of success according to the American Dream is incapable of providing happiness to the individual. It is here whereby the play operates as a dissection into the anatomy of the American Dream. Miller is able to construct Willy as a representation of someone who follows all of the expectations laid out in the American Dream, and yet fails in his endeavor. The anatomy that lies underneath the veneer of the American Dream is one of impossible success and inevitable failure. In this, Miller is able to suggest that the only chance for happiness is for individuals to actively resist or redefine the matrices of their lives so that happiness and "being something" is not defined by material reality.

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is an anatomy of the American Dream. The American Dream is what Willie Loman is trying to achieve. He believes that if one works hard enough, he will be rewarded. His brother Ben is a perfect example, having owned large sections of forest land and a diamond mine when he was alive. Willie believes that he, too, should be rewarded; however, this play is not about achieving that dream, but failing to realize it. In reality, Willie's American Dream is a "myth." He believes that this dream can be achieved through "material wealth," but it cannot be, and because of Willie's tunnel vision, he loses touch with those around him—losing sight of what really makes a man "successful."

Through his main character, Willy Loman, Miller examines the myth of the American Dream and the shallow promise of happiness through material wealth.

The American Dream is like a false façade on a movie set: underneath the surface, there is nothing. For Willie, the dream that his brother Ben realized is what Willie wants, but all we know is that Ben was materially successful. The promise of wealth and happiness is an illusion. This illusion drives Willie's downward spiral in the play. As Willie continues to fall apart, it only supports Miller's assertion of the emptiness of the dream. There is no American Dream, Miller demonstrates, for the average man. There are only disappointments, "missed opportunities" and "compromised ideals."

Much of [the play's] success is attributed to Miller's facility in portraying the universal hopes and fears of middle-class America.

In trying to achieve the "dream," Willie becomes distanced from his wife, Linda, who is completed devoted to him. Willie has a mistress for a time, and Biff accidentally stumbles upon the secret—which further isolates this father and son. The disillusionment, frustrations and

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failures that Willie experiences are the true elements of the dream for most Americans.The harder Willie tries, the more disappointed he is.

The play is an anatomy of the American Dream as it demonstrates one man's destruction in putting the dream before all else, and losing everything. Willie never quite accepts that the dream is "an empty promise." He fails…

...to honestly face the facts of his life.

He takes the blame, as he sees it, upon himself, and in the end takes his life in the hope that his insurance money will help his family—serving them with his death, as he feels he could not in his life.

I first read this work when I was an ambitious and idealistic teenager in high school. It terrified me more than anything else. I so desperately wanted to be successful. I was the type of kid that had five, ten and fifteen year old plans. I look AP classes, participated in extracurriculars, worried about my future and tried to do everything right. It wasn't materialism, it was just a desire to succeed. I think I was more afraid of failure than anything else. To me, this was a story about the dangers of desperate attempts at success. I am not sure I even understood then why it affected me so. Now that I am older, I see it as a cautionary tale and not a nightmare. The people in our lives are the most important thing. Happiness is not directly linked to success. It is linked to efforts to enjoy life and make it worth living.

I like the term "anatomy" because it is a biological, organic term. Death of Salesman shows a portrait of the American Dream through a full life cycle--from the early days when the dream is young and burgeoning (Biff's a big football hero and Willy's making some ok money), when the dream starts to wane (Biff recognizes his father's betrayal, Willy struggles to make ends meet), and finally through to its expiration (Willy gets fired, loses any honor he may have once had, and commits suicide). The word "anatomy" reminds us that the American Dream is not, as we all would like to think, invincible. Rather, it's as fragile, temporary, and potentially diseased as any human body, or mind, on earth.

I like #6's comments on the word anatomy. I associate it myself with an in depth examination that gives reasons for the object's death or decline. This excellent play does this centrally through the character of Willy Loman and its presentation of him as a "low man" who is used and abused by American capitalist society at large and the way it creates and promotes the American Dream, which, as the play suggests, is not open to all and often creates a crushing sense of failure that it is impossible to recover from.

The word "anatomy" in this sense means an in depth examination or analysis. Therefore the suggestion is that the play examines or analyzes what came to be known as the American dream as it stood in that period of time. If it is agreed that the definition of the American dream at that time included a house in the suburbs (which didn't exist until after WWII); a steady, dependable and lucrative job (which was much harder to come by before the end of WWII); and

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a prosperous family that could pursue ambitions that stemmed from interests and passions instead of pursuing the necessities of making a living through any means open to them, then Death of a Salesman is an analysis of this dream because Willy, who places all his hopes and self-esteem on fulfilling this definition of the dream life, ultimately fails to achieve success, particularly notably with his sons.

The word "anatomy" can also carry overtones implying a kind of dissection -- an in-depth look to determine the causes of the death of something. To the extent that the American dreamed seemed to be dying at the time Miller wrote, Death of a Salesman can be seen as an "anatomy" in this sense.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller certainly defines the American Dream and warns us about it. However, the American Dream that is described is mostly Willy Loman's version of it: A lifestyle in which you are well-liked, successful, and ahead of everybody else. Unfortunately for Willy, he could not even achieve his own version of the dream. He became overconfident in his "formula" for achieving success and forgot to balance reality and fantasy. In the end, Willy's dream shattered along with those of his entire family.

The way that the play warns us about the American Dream is perhaps best described by Biff when he said that his father had "the wrong dream all along." Willy wanted to repeat the success and mimic the life of another man who did succeed as a salesman. If he had followed his true calling in life he would have indeed been successful. Maybe his idea of the American Dream would have been different, and his life would have been worth living. Therefore, the play warns us that the American Dream is not necessarily a lifestyle based on financial gain and professional success, but in knowing what is important to us and safekeeping it for all it is worth.

during those times, people generally tended to think that American dream meant money or anything related to money. It was largely believed that money was key to happiness. Therefore, Miller tried to change the image of the people. He tried to show the expected results of the dream which was related to surface rather than the real life.

Death of a SalesmanA recent NYT article intrigued me:

Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” … is the most devastating portrait of punctured middle-class dreams in our national literature. … [It] has consolidated its prestige as an exposure of middle-class delusions. … Mr. Miller later wrote …. that he had hoped the play would expose “this pseudo life that thought to touch the clouds by standing on top of a refrigerator, waving a paid-up mortgage at the moon, victorious at last.” … Mr. Miller remembered worrying in 1949

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that “there was too much identification with Willy, too much weeping, and that the play’s ironies were being dimmed out by all this empathy.” … Miller’s outrage at a capitalist system he wanted to humanize has become our cynical adaptation to a capitalist system we pride ourselves on knowing how to manipulate. (more)

I didn’t remember the play offering a critique of capitalism, but looking around I see this view is common:

Critics have maintained that much of the enduring universal appeal of Death of a Salesman lies in its central theme of the failure of the American Dream. Willy’s commitment to false social values—consumerism, ambition, social stature—keeps him from acknowledging the value of human experience—the comforts of personal relationships, family and friends, and love. … Some commentators perceive the play as an indictment of American capitalism and a rejection of materialist values. … Willy’s … penchant for blaming others has been passed onto his sons and, as a result, all three men exhibit a poor work ethic and lack of integrity. Willy’s inability to discern between reality and fantasy is another recurring motif. (more)

So I just re-read the play. And it does contain critiques of status, ambition for status, and self-delusion to gain status. It is indeed sad to see a success-driven man unwilling to admit his failure, or to accept charity from friends, choose instead to kill himself. But I see no further critiques of materialism or capitalism in the play.

On materialism, Willy Loman and his similar son Happy mainly want to be liked and respected. Sometimes they care about money, but mainly to keep score, and get respect. When they want luxury goods, such as stockings or fancy drinks, it is mainly to get women to sleep with them. In contrast, Willy’s other son Biff wants “to be outdoors, with [my] shirt off.” Perhaps those other women are materialistic, but not these men.

On capitalism, the play might hold critiques of failing to save for hard times, or of success based on who you know, good looks, and likability. But these are not intrinsic to, or even obviously correlated with, capitalism. For example, North Korea today is nothing like capitalism, yet it has strong status differences, people who struggle for status, in part to gain sex, and success based in part on good looks and who you know. A story about an old self-deluded status-seeking North Korean failure would make just as much sense as Willy Loman’s story.

This seems to me a common situation – things said to be critiques of capitalism are often just critiques of humanity. Humans vie selfishly and self-deludedly for status. Some succeed, while others fail. The struggle, and the failures, aren’t pretty. Yes capitalism inherits this ugliness, but then so does any other system with humans.

It is interesting to note that, compared to most occupations, the world of Miller the playwright was especially like the salesmen Miller described:

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For a salesman, there is no rock bottom to the life. … He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. … A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.

Like salesmen, playwrights succeed when others like them. Even though most fail, most self-deludedly think they will be the exceptions, and can be crushed when they eventually learn otherwise. But few playwrights lament this, or blame it on capitalism. Why?

I suspect this is because playwrights see even failed playwrights as high status, and successful salesmen as low status. A hidden message of the play is “Poor Willy can’t see that even if he sold a lot, he’d still be a failure in our eyes.” Which is part of why it bothered Arthur Miller that his audiences empathized so much with Willy. Audiences thought Willy could have high status.

Some key quotes from the play:

To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off. And always to have to get ahead of the next fella. …There’s nothing more inspiring or—beautiful than the sight of a mare and a new colt. …

And whenever spring comes to where I am, I suddenly get the feeling, my God, I’m not gettin’ anywhere! What the hell am I doing, playing around with horses, twenty-eight dollars a week! I’m thirty-four years old, I oughta be makin’ my future. …

Sometimes I want to just rip my clothes off in the middle of the store and outbox that goddam merchandise manager. I mean I can outbox, outrun, and outlift anybody in that store, and I have to take orders from those common, petty sons-of-bitches till I can’t stand it any more. … I gotta show some of those pompous, self-important executives over there that Hap Loman can make the grade. I want to walk into the store the way he walks in. …

That girl Charlotte I was with tonight is engaged to be married in five weeks. … Sure, the guy’s in line for the vice-presidency of the store. I don’t know what gets into me, maybe I just have an overdeveloped sense of competition or something, but I went and ruined her, and furthermore I can’t get rid of her. And he’s the third executive I’ve done that to. …

I mean, Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y’understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him. That’s why I thank Almighty God you’re both built like Adonises. Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want. …

Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You’ll never get out of the jungle that way. … See—I put thirty-four years into this firm, Howard, and now I can’t pay my insurance! You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away—a man is not a piece of fruit! …

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Willy was a salesman. And for a salesman, there is no rock bottom to the life. He don’t put a bolt to a nut, he don’t tell you the law or give you medicine. He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. And then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.

The American Dream in "Death of a Salesman"What does Willy Loman sell?

What does Willy Loman sell?

In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller avoids mentioning Willy Loman’s sales product. The audience never knows what this poor salesman sells. Why? Perhaps Willy Loman represents “Everyman.” By not specifying the product, audiences are free to imagine Willy as a seller of auto equipment, building supplies, paper products, or egg beaters. An audience member might imagine a career linked with his/her own, and Miller then succeeds in connecting with the viewer.

Miller’s decision to make Willy Loman a worker broken by a vague, unfeeling industry stems from the playwright’s socialist leanings. It has often been said that Death of a Salesman is a harsh criticism of the American Dream. However, it may be that Miller wanted to clarify our definition: What is the American Dream? The answer depends on which character you ask.

Willy Loman’s American Dream:

To the protagonist of Death of a Salesman, the American Dream is the ability to become prosperous by mere charisma. Willy believes that personality, not hard work and innovation, is the key to success. Time and again, he wants to make sure his boys are well-liked and popular. For example, when his son Biff confesses to making fun of his math teacher’s lisp, Willy is more concerned with how Biff’s classmates react:

BIFF: I Crossed my eyes and talked with a lithp.

WILLY: (Laughing.) You did? The kids like it?

BIFF: They nearly died laughing!

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Of course, Willy’s version of the American Dream never pans out. Despite his son’s popularity in high school, Biff grows up to be a drifter and a ranch-hand. Willy’s own career falters as his sales ability flat-lines. When he tries to use “personality” to ask his boss for a raise, he gets fired instead.

Ben’s America Dream:

To Willy’s older brother Ben, the American Dream is the ability to start with nothing and somehow make a fortune:

BEN: William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich!

Willy is envious of his brother’s success and machismo. But Willy’s wife Linda is frightful and concerned when the Ben stops by for a brief visit. To her, he represents wildness and danger. This is displayed when Ben horses around with his nephew Biff. Just as Biff starts to win their sparring match, Ben trips the boy and stands over him with the “point of his umbrella poised at Biff’s eye.” Ben’s character signifies that a few people can achieve the “rags to riches” version of the American Dream, but Miller’s play suggests that one must be ruthless (or at least a bit wild) in order to achieve it.

Biff’s American Dream:

Although he has felt confused and angry since discovering his father’s infidelity, Biff Loman does have potential to pursue the “right” dream – if only he could resolve his inner conflict. Biff is pulled by two different dreams. One dream is his father’s world of business, sales, and capitalism. But another dream involves nature, the great outdoors, and working with his hands. Biff explains to his brother both the appeal and the angst of working on a ranch:

BIFF: There’s nothing more inspiring or – beautiful than the sight of a mare and a new colt. And it’s cool there now, see? Texas is cool now, and it’s spring. And whenever spring comes to where I am, I suddenly get the feeling, my God, I’m not getting’ anywhere! What the hell am I doing, playing around with horses, twenty-eight dollars a week! I’m thirty-four years old. I oughta be makin’ my future. That’s when I come running home.

However, by the end of the play, Biff realizes that his father had the “wrong” dream. Biff understands that his father was great with his hands. Willy built their garage and put up a new ceiling. Biff believes that his father should have been a carpenter, or should have lived in another, more rustic part of the country. But instead, Willy pursued an empty life. Willy sold nameless, unidentified products, and watched his American Dream fall apart.

During the funeral of his father, Biff decides that he will not allow that to happen to himself. He turns away from Willy’s dream and, presumably, returns to the countryside, where good, old-fashioned manual labor will ultimately content his restless soul.

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Death of a Salesman and the American DreamThe American Dream has always been the most sought after reason for coming to America. Everyone has heard of it, and many have died fighting for it. The only thing is that there is no clear definition for the American Dream. The American Dream is not defined by one dream, but all the opportunities that the United States has to offer. Since the United States was created, people have strived to reach their definition of the American Dream. As time has gone on, these dreams have become more complex and have changed drastically to appeal to the times. In "Death of a Salesman", everyone is looking to achieve their own version of the American Dream. Willy feels that by being well liked he has achieved what the American Dream is all about. On the other hand, Bernard feels that the American Dream is based on how successful one is in their academic and professional careers. Throughout the play these feelings are shown through the dialogue and actions of the characters.

"Death of a Salesman" is a play about a man by the name Willy Lowman. He has spent his whole life as a salesman who has not been very successful. As he is getting older, he is starting to have conflicts with everyone in his life and feels that by killing himself all the people around him will be able to finally be happy. Throughout this play, two characters try to achieve their goal of the American dream. Willy Lowman is unsuccessful in his attempt, while Bernard is very successful in achieving his goal.

Willy Lowman has spent his entire adult life trying to become a successful salesman. His role model was an older man who had achieved this goal by being well liked. Willy has decided the best way to be successful in anything in life is to be popular. He believes that it does not matter if you are not good at what you do as long as everyone likes and respects you. This is first shown in the beginning of the story when Bernard informs Willy that Biff is failing math. Willy completely ignores Bernard and asks Biff about his football game. Willy thinks that since Biff is a popular football player that he will be able to go anywhere he wants in life. Willy's lack of academic sternness causes Biff to fail his math class. When Biff goes to his father to ask for help, he explains to his father that his professor does not like him because Biff has mocked him on several occasions. After this information is revealed, Willy laughs and asks if Biff's classmates laughed about it. It does not matter that Biff has insulted his teacher, as long as his peers approved of his behavior according to Willy's outlook on life. Willy has also taken this attitude toward his profession as a salesman. Even though he is not a very good salesman, he thinks he is successful because in his mind he is well liked.

Oppositely, Bernard feels that the American Dream can only be achieved if one has been successful in all of their endeavors including academic and professional. He also has high expectations for Biff in this area. In the beginning of the play, Bernard really tries to encourage Biff to study because he understands the importance of a diploma in the real world. He feels that in order to be successful one must first have a successful academic career. When Willy

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comes upon Bernard in his father's firm, Bernard is heading to Washington to present a case in front of the Supreme Court. As Willy tells Bernard about Biff and his recent job opportunity, Bernard begins to blame Willy for Biff's incompetence and lazy attitude towards academics. Bernard shows that through hard work and dedication success can be accomplished.

Many critics look at this play and see two completely different sides between the two characters. Critics say that although Willy was not a successful salesman he achieved success because he felt he had succeeded. Although this may be a good argument, he still was not well liked in his community and also was not a successful salesman. None of his goals were achieved, and he did not achieve the American Dream unless one considers his death a completed goal. Many critics also may say that Bernard was not successful because he did not attain his goal in helping Biff succeed. Although he did not help Biff be successful, he still reached his professional goals and achieved his version of the American Dream.

In conclusion, many people try to achieve the American dream, but few actually do so. As with any goal, the American dream takes hard work and dedication. In "Death of a Salesman", all aspects of this goal are examined. As we see this goal can be achieved, but the dream must be a true and attainable dream which is worth working for. It also must be a dream that will be helpful and useful in the professional world.

Death of a Salesman and the American Dream

Death of a Salesman is considered by many to be the quintessential modern literary work on the American dream, a term created by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book, The Epic of America. This is somewhat ironic, given that it is such a dark and frustrated play. The idea of the American dream is as old as America itself: the country has often been seen as an empty frontier to be explored and conquered. Unlike the Old World, the New World had no social hierarchies, so a man could be whatever he wanted, rather than merely having the option of doing what his father did.

The American Dream is closely tied up with the literary works of another author, Horatio Alger. This author grew famous through his allegorical tales which were always based on the rags-to-riches model. He illustrated how through hard work and determination, penniless boys could make a lot of money and gain respect in America. The most famous of his books is the Ragged Dick series (1867). Many historical figures in America were considered Alger figures and compared to his model, notably including Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.

But the Horatio Alger model of the American dream is not what's represented in Death of a Salesman. Rather than being a direct representation of the concept, or even a direct critique of it, Salesman challenges the effects of the American dream. This myth exists in our society - how does the prevalence of this myth change the way in which we live our lives?

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Miller had an uncertain relationship with the idea of the American dream. On one hand, Bernard's success is a demonstration of the idea in its purist and most optimistic form. Through his own hard work and academic success, Bernard has become a well-respected lawyer. It is ironic, however, that the character most obviously connected to the American dream, who boasts that he entered the jungle at age seventeen and came out at twenty-one a rich man, actually created this success in Africa, rather than America. There is the possibility that Ben created his own success through brute force rather than ingenuity. The other doubt cast on the American dream in Death of a Salesman is that the Loman men, despite their charm and good intentions, have not managed to succeed at all. Miller demonstrates that the American dream leaves those who need a bit more community support, who cannot advocate for themselves as strongly, in the dust.

Death of a Salesman: American Dream

The tragedy of Willy Loman, says Arthur Miller, is:

“Willy gave his life, or sold it, in order to justify the waste of it…”

Willy represents Every low-man in America. Hence, it is a tragedy of every American. The play is really a challenge to the American Dream because it is the tragedy of a man troubled by the society. Willy believes in American myth that “Success is obtained by being well-liked”. His dream ends up in nightmare. So the play challenges to new American capitalistic concepts.

American dream means the dream of becoming rich overnight. The scale and merit of success is money, big house, a costly car and other material things. Nobility, truth, honesty are not merits. Values have been changed through this dream. Instead of hard work and courage, there is salesmanship. It implies fraud, the ability to sell a commodity regardless of its intrinsic uselessness. The goal of salesmanship is to earn a profit.

So, in these circumstances, man ceases to be man and spiritually he is hollow. He constantly wears a mask hiding his deceptive frauds. The only reality, the only goal is that of material success. The same situation happens with Willy Loman. By this way, Willy, to a large extent, represents Every Low-man in America. His fall, his death reflects the total break down of the concept of salesmanship, an integral part of America setup.

Willy believes that life’s problems can be solved by looking “Well-liked”. But he does not realizes the fact that the age in which he is living, the good looks does not matter, what matters is the wealth you have. By wealth you can buy anything. All relations are useless before almighty dollar. He receives his severest blows when he needs the greatest amount of love and care. He is unable to travel extensive. He makes a request to his young employer to relieve him of such a tiring burden and give him a comfortable job. But, for the capitalism businessman no moral or legal obligation can be biding. To him, Willy is commercially as useless as the peels of a fruit. So, he says:

I can’t take blood from a stone.

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In fact, “Death of a Salesman” is a red light for American society. It shows that all Americans adopt one million ideas and dream for success. Everyone wants to become the president of America, but when he fails to achieves his dreams, he becomes frustrated. Willy’s suicide is a caution for such modern values.

Eugene O’Neil comments on the failure of American dream in following lines:

“I am going on the theory that the United States, instead of being the most successful country in the world, is the greatest failure”

In conclusion we can say that Miller in “Death of a Salesman” has tried to show the failure of American dream. Implicitly, he tells us tht man is not a machine, he has emotions too. Thus placing all the values on riches is wrong. The whole situation he sums up in Biff’s remark who says on his father’s death.

“He had the wrong dream. All, all wrong.”

Literary analysis: The American dream as portrayed in Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller

What visions of the "American Dream" are presented in Death of a Salesman? What do these visions suggest about the stability and/or future of American society?

The play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller explores riveting issues surrounding the illusion of the "American Dream", and the difficulty of achieving economic and personal success in an increasingly fragmented and bewildered post-World War II society. Miller contrasts failed visions of the "American Dream" with "successful" ones in order to highlight the abstract quality and the implications of such fantasies, and also to reveal the instability of American society, a society where economic and material success are interchangeable with the notion of personal identity. Furthermore, the failure of Willy and Biff's visions of the American Dream sheds light on the pervasive effects of a burgeoning capitalistic society whose future is rooted in materialism.

Miller presents Willy's failed vision of the American Dream, one where personal relationships and a good impression ensure financial success, in order to comment on the changing nature of American society and its instability. In a flashback, Willy tells his sons what it takes to be successful in America. He states, "Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want. You take me, for instance. I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. Willy Loman is here!" Thats all they have to know, and I go right through" (Miller 33). In his own eyes, Willy has achieved the "American Dream" of success, as he is "well liked" and takes a "personal interest" in his business. In reality, however, Willy is mocked by his fellow salesmen, rejected by his customers, and his material world (his world of objects) is breaking down (35-37). The instability in Willy's own life mirrors the instability of the larger society he is in, as in Willy's

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society, having a solid identity means being wealthy and having material possessions, and Willy does not fit either criteria. Furthermore, Willy's equation of success with personal relationships also fails him, as people do not "take to" him. Miller purposely has Willy's customers not like him in order to comment on the increasing dehumanization of American societyWilly's world is one where interpersonal relationships have broken down and material things have taken over. Willy himself notes that his successful neighbor Charley is "a man of few words, and they respect him" (Miller 37), shedding light on Miller's view that economic success is contingent upon one's suppression of their humanity. Willy's view of economic successone based on personal relationshipsis extinct, and the failure of Willy's "American Dream" is indicative of the fact that not only have interpersonal relationships broken down in the bewildered sphere of American society, but also that this society is unstable, as "success" is based on things and the tangible. Willy's inability to grasp the tangible (which is demonstrated through the absence of the capital he sells) not only reflects his economic and personal instability, but also the volatility of the greater American society, as what constitutes "American Dream" is constantly shifting and in itself is an elusive concept at best. Willy's failed American Dream casts a dismal light on the future of American society, as success is equated with objects and a sense of the material, and human interaction and relationships are no longer prized.

However, Miller also presents a "successful" version of the American Dream through Willy's brother Ben, who becomes rich through investing in diamond mines in Africa. Ben tells Willy's sons, "Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked outAnd by God I was rich" (Miller 48), and also notes that his wealth is a result of his involvement with African diamond mines. Ben's wealth is an example of tangible success, as the diamonds that make him rich symbolize not only his riches but also the fantasy of the American dreamfrom a rough, untamed place (the jungle), Ben, an entrepreneurial American, finds success and wealth. Significantly, Ben originally intends to look for his father in Alaska (I, 48) but ends up flourishing economically, revealing how, in the quest to achieve the "American Dream" of success and wealth, interpersonal relationships break down, which suggests the pervasiveness of capitalism and material wealth in American society. Ben's tangible and concrete success is contrasted with Willy's vision of success and his hope for Biff, as he desperately tells Ben, "And Ben! When he walks into a business office his name will sound out like a bell and all the doors will open to him! I've seen it, Ben, I've seen it a thousand times. You can't feel it with your hand like timber, but it's there!" (II, 86). Willy's abstract vision of successbeing recognized, respected, and acknowledged by otherscontrasts with Ben's tangible wealth, as Willy sees the American Dream as being liked and respected, abstract ideas that "you can't feel" and therefore do not fit in with the materialistic notion of success pervasive in American society. However, while Ben is indeed economically successful, his version of the American Dream is, like Willy's, abstract and questionable in its purity. In other words, Ben's success cannot even be called "American", as he exploits the resources of another country to gain his wealth. Furthermore, Ben's wealth and success not only further complicate the notion of the American Dream and pollute it, but they also contribute to Miller's view that American society is unstableBen does not achieve his success through American society, reflecting the instability of this society economically and socially, as its members are not able to prosper or grow (contrary to popular myth). The fact that Ben's entire identity is based on his wealth

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reflects the interchangeability of personal identity with the notion of the material that is so present in American society, as Ben identifies himself with his wealth and the diamonds, almost as if he needs something tangible to remind him of who he is. Ben is emblematic of the future of American society as Miller sees itin Miller's eyes, American society is on a path that leads to the increased importance of material objects and the deterioration not only of the family, but of the self, as the increased importance of materialism and wealth often becomes ingrained in one's personal identity.

Miller's staging of Biff's American Dream also serves to highlight the shifting of American society and its instability, though tragically, Biff's realization of his failures does not help him find success. In a conversation with Happy, Biff laments, "Shipping clerk, salesman, business of one kind or another. And it's a measly manner of existenceTo devote your whole life to keeping stock, or making phone calls, or selling or buyingWhen all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt offAnd stillthats how you build a future" (I, 22). Biff seems to realize the artificiality of existence in American society, as he notes that this society is composed of "selling or buying", hinting at the materialism ingrained within the American consciousness. Biff's dull description of the American way of "build[ing] a future" contrasts with his dream of being "outdoors" and in a frontier of sorts, as he dreams of heading West and buying a ranch with Happy (I, 23), the West symbolizing freedom and a new beginning. Biff's failure to reach the West and obtain his own ranch highlights the extinction of American agrarian idealsthe "new", increasingly commodity-driven American society has no room for the interpersonal relationships and personal recognition that Willy craves, and it can no longer fit in Biff's vision of naturalistic living, either. Willy and Biff purposely have different visions of the "American Dream" in order for Miller to highlight the fact that not only are old versions of this dream extinct (as with Willy and Biff), but also to reveal how America is being pervaded by a capitalistic and material-driven mentality where economic success depends on dehumanization and depersonalization, as Biff notes that in order to achieve a certain level of success and to ensure some kind of future, one must devote their whole life to mediocrity. Biff's failure to achieve his dream of owning a ranch signifies not only his economic failure (as he ultimately has nothing tangible or material that he can use to assert his identity), but also the shift of agrarian ideals to capitalistic ones. Miller makes clear that the abstract notion of the ever-shifting "American Dream" is only harmful in the sense that it perpetuates grandiose, unattainable ideals. Through Biff and Willy's failed visions of the American Dream, Miller sheds light on the instability of American society in the sense that this society equates success with an abundance of material objects, and he also comments on the impossibility of maintaining a solid identity in a fragmented society that prizes capitalin other words, Miller makes clear that in American society, it is difficult to keep identity and material things separate. The future implications for American society, through Miller's eyes, are an increased materialism and further abstraction of idealsWilly's society is already fragmented and chaotic because of the intensification of capital, therefore it is clear that Miller is suggesting that if America continues on the path of the "thing", society will further break apart and turn becoming increasingly invested in commodities.

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Miller's play highlights the tragic consequences of an increasing materialism and obsession with all that is material, and the different version of the American Dream the he presents illustrate not only the breaking apart of the individual, but the instability and fracture of society as a whole. In a world where capitalism seems to be the dominant economic model, one has to question whether the fracture of identity and the worship of materials are consequences that can be lived with peacefully. The American Dream seems to be a dated idea that is no longer prevalent in American society, but it is clear that Miller wishes to suggest that such a grandiose, abstract fantasy can only be harmful.

Death of a Salesman: Themes

The American Dream

The American Dream that anyone can achieve financial success and material comfort lies at the heart of Death of a Salesman. Various secondary characters achieve the Dream in different ways: Ben goes off into the wilderness of Alaska and Africa and lucks into wealth by discovering a diamond mine; Howard Wagner inherits his Dream through his father’s company; while Bernard, who seemed a studious bore as a child, becomes a successful lawyer through hard work. Willy Loman’s version of the Dream, which has been influenced by his brother Ben’s success, is that any man who is manly, good looking, charismatic, and well-liked deserves success and will naturally achieve it.

Over the course of his lifetime, Willy and his sons fall short of the impossible standards of this dream. But the real tragedy of the play is not that Willy fails to achieve the financial success promised in his American dream, but rather that he buys into the dream so thoroughly that he ignores the tangible things around him, such as the love of his family, while pursuing the success he hopes will bring his family security. By sacrificing himself at the end of the play in order to get his family the money from his life insurance policy, Willy literally kills himself for money. In the process, he demonstrates that the American dream, while a powerful vehicle of aspiration, can also turn a human being into a product or commodity whose sole value is his financial worth.

Fathers and Sons

The central conflict of the play is between Willy and his elder son Biff, who showed great promise as a young athlete and ladies’ man, but in adulthood has become a thief and drifter

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with no clear direction. Willy’s other son, Happy, while on a more secure career path, is superficial and seems to have no loyalty to anyone.

By delving into Willy’s memories, the play is able to trace how the values Willy instilled in his sons—luck over hard work, likability over expertise—led them to disappoint both him and themselves as adults. The dream of grand, easy success that Willy passed on to his sons is both barren and overwhelming, and so Biff and Happy are aimless, producing nothing, and it is Willy who is still working, trying to plant seeds in the middle of the night, in order to give his family sustenance. Biff realizes, at the play’s climax, that only by escaping from the dream that Willy has instilled in him will father and son be free to pursue fulfilling lives. Happy never realizes this, and at the end of the play he vows to continue in his father’s footsteps, pursuing an American Dream that will leave him empty and alone.

Nature vs. City

The towering apartment buildings that surround Willy’s house, which make it difficult for him to see the stars and block the sunlight that would allow him to grow a garden in his back yard, represent the artificial world of the city—with all its commercialism and superficiality—encroaching on his little spot of self-determination. He yearns to follow the rugged trail his brother Ben has blazed, by going into the wildernesses of Africa and Alaska in search of diamonds, or even building wooden flutes and selling them on the rural frontier of America as his father did. But Willy is both too timid and too late. He does not have the courage to head out into nature and try his fortune, and, anyway, that world of a wild frontier waiting to be explored no longer exists. Instead, the urban world has replaced the rural, and Willy chooses to throw his lot in with the world of sales, which does not involve making things but rather selling oneself.

Biff and Happy embody these two sides of Willy’s personality: the individualist dreamer and the eager-to-please salesman. Biff works with his hands on farms, helping horses give birth, while Happy schemes within the stifling atmosphere of a department store. While Willy collects household appliances and cars, as the American Dream has taught him to do, these things do not ultimately leave him satisfied, and he thinks of his own death in terms of finally venturing into nature, the dark jungle that the limits of his life have never allowed him to enter.

Abandonment and Betrayal

Inspired by his love for his family, Willy ironically abandons them (just as he himself was abandoned by his father when he was three). The tragedy of Willy’s death comes about because of his inability to distinguish between his value as an economic resource and his identity as a human being. The Woman, with whom Willy cheats on Linda, is able to feed Willy’s salesman ego by “liking” him. He is proud of being able to sell himself to her, and this feeling turns to shame only when he sees that by giving stockings to The Woman rather than Linda, he is sabotaging his role as a provider. He doesn’t see that his love, not material items, is the primary thing Linda needs from him.

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The link between love and betrayal is present throughout the play: part of Biff’s revelation at the play’s end is that Willy has betrayed him by encouraging him to settle for nothing less than greatness, thus making the compromises of the real world impossibly difficult. Happy, and even Linda, also betray Willy out of a kind impulse to not shake him out of his illusions, which forces Willy’s fragile mind to deal alone with the growing discrepancy between his dreams and his life.

Search for the American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

What is the American Dream? Some believe in the nineteen fifties ideal created through television. Successful children, perfect families, and a happy stay-at-home mother are all associated with this version. Yet, everyone knows that the children are not always successful, there are family fights, and not every mother can be at home and happy. Many families have lifelong searches for the ideal American Dreams and never find one. These types of families are seen as failures. One family in this type of search is represented in Death of a Salesman through Willy, Linda, and their sons.

Willy Loman is the first character to represent the search of the American Dream. First, Willy has a strong belief of the American Dream because of his brother Ben. "Why boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich." This quote by Ben is the bases of Willy�s beliefs for his family and himself. By this understanding, Willy thinks he will never need to search for anything; it would come to him. Next, Willy instills this same belief within his sons. "Listen to this. This is your Uncle Ben, a great man! Tell my boys, Ben!" When Willy states this to Ben he wants his boys to have the same thought on life as himself. Though, like their father, the two sons are led to the idea that greatness will come to them. Finally, Willy does not ever understand his search until the end of the play. "What-what�s the secret?" Willy asks Bernard this question which shows he is still searching for the key to the American Dream. At the end of the play, Willy believes that the only answer to the success of his family is through his death.

Linda Loman is the next character to represent her search for the American Dream. At first, Linda�s search is for good family relationships. After the big plans are made for the sporting goods shop, Linda�s spirits seem very high. Everyone in her family is getting along, therefore she is happy. These little perks of happiness are enough to keep her dream alive. Then, Linda has a more true view on her family�s search. Comments like, "Your such a boy," and, "One a philandering bum," are insights on what Linda sees within her sons. Knowing her boy�s potential is no longer existent, is what makes her far different than her husband. At last, Linda represents the realistic side of the family. As Linda is speaking of the last mortgage payment she states, "It�s an accomplishment." She has given a clue that little accomplishes such, as these are enough to fulfill the dreams in her life. She has no high aspirations for being rich nor does she have it all. Linda is the one character that is content in what her family can or cannot accomplish.

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The Loman boys are the final representatives of the American Dream. First, the two men represent the failure in the search of the American Dream. When the two sons make statements like, "I�m thirty-four years old, I oughta be makin� my future," and, "Pop, I�m nothing!" They know they have not accomplished the factor of being successful. The two do not have a clue on hardwork of how to reach above their parents. When their father puts down such people as Bernard it is no question of why the two are mislead from success. In addition, Happy Loman believes that the key to the American Dream is through his father. As a boy Happy of would impress his father with statements like, "I lost weight, Pop, you notice?" These types of words didn�t end with his childhood even an adult he would say, "I�m getting married, Pop, don�t forget it. I�m changing everything." These types of statements are clues that Happy only found happiness in pleasing his father. However, Buff Loman takes his own thoughts about the American Dream to a different level. His dream is surfaced around, "Working out in the open," as he states to his brother. Without any rules or barriers Buff wants to accomplish this aspect of his American Dream.

In sum, the Loman family represents all of the searches for the American Dream in each of their own ways. Even after the loss of Willy, Linda, Happy, Buff, nor Willy himself capture their dreams. Throughout the play the families� failure is exemplified by the success of Charley and his family. The family almost seemed destined to end up the looser. As their name entails they will be nothing short of a low man.

Parody of the American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman as Parody of the American Dream

In 1949 Arthur Miller wrote the play, Death of a Salesman. The play is a parody on the concept of the American Dream. The aim of this essay is to explain in what ways this statement can be said to be true. But at first; what is the American Dream? Well, if you are an American and if you have a family, a house and a car, a decent job with a good salary and if you consider yourself to be surrounded by people who respect you for who you are, you can be said to have reached the American Dream. The concept of the American Dream became a popular idea during the nineteenth century when millions of people immigrated to America in search of better lives. At that time, a better life could mean a cottage or perhaps a house, some cattle and a piece of land to cultivate. Even today the meaning of the American Dream is quite the same; be sure to have valuable possessions, a social life with high standard and keep up good standards. The phrase the American Dream came into the American vocabulary starting in 1867 when writer Horatio Alger came out with his book “Dick.” It was a rags-to-riches tale of a poor boy in New York City who saves his pennies, works hard and eventually becomes rich. It became the model that through honesty, hard work and determination, the American Dream was available

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to anyone willing to make the journey.

There are several connections to the concept of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman. One can be found on page 32 when the principal charachter Willy Loman expresses his jealousy towards the successes of his brother Ben. Ben knew what he wanted, Willy says. He started with the clothes on his back, walked into the jungle and came out enormously rich at the age of twenty-one owning several diamond mines. Willy continues: “That man was a genius, that man was success incarnate!” (32) Another example of a man’s success, and therefore also of the American Dream, is found on page 38. Willy’s imaginary memory of Ben describes their father as a great inventor who travelled with his whole family westwards through America. He was successful in selling his inventions and he also became rich. On page 54 Willy remembers one occasion when his son Biff was playing at Ebbets Field. There was this glow around him and people cheered his name when he came out. He was a star then and this kind of personal success is also a typical example of the American Dream. And as described on page 62, Willy himself experienced a personal success in his work. It reached its peak in 1928, when his commission average was at its highest level.

The whole story of the play is in itself a parody on the American Dream. Willy Loman is a weary 63-year-old man who wants nothing more than to reach the American Dream, but in reality he fails (has failed?) big time. He is no longer a good salesman, he does not earn enough money, he does not manage to communicate with his family, his sons’ lives are a disappointment to him and he disrespects his own family by having a mistress. The parody lies in the gap between Willy’s wishes and his actual accomplishments. Willy does not have a healthy ideal self, compared to his real self. The rift is too deep for two feasible reasons. Firstly, it is not possible for Willy to achieve all of his goals due to external circumstances such as a changed labour market and the free will of his sons. Secondly, it is not possible for Willy to achieve all of his goals due to internal circumstances such as a decreasing capacity to master social situations and a consciously made choice to commit adultery.

Willy Loman, in his naive world between determined hope and painful awareness, represents a parody of the American Dream. But at the same time, he represents a memorable saying by George Bernard Shaw: “You see things as they are and ask, ‘Why?’ I dream things as they never were and ask ‘why not?’”

The Role of the American Dream in Death of a SalesmanThe American Dream: we all want it, but is it really possible to obtain? We work hard every day, knowing that someday our dreams will come. But will they ever really appear to us? Can anyone really achieve their American Dream? According to Arthur Miller in Death of a

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Salesman, the American Dream is impossible to achieve, mainly because of society's many flaws.

The main character in the play, Willy Loman, is constantly striving to be a better man. He wants to become rich and prosperous, to be liked by everyone, and to be successful in his work and life. These things come together to compose his American Dream. Willy's problem is that society is constantly shattering his dreams. All of society keeps building up against Willy, and eventually forces him to do the most drastic thing possible to capture a small fragment of his American Dream.

One problem with society revealed in Death of a Salesman is the lack of compassion. Arthur Miller shows how a person can be caught within a downward spiral, and yet no one seems to care. It shows that a person can be feeling so depressed and confused that they feel obligated to commit suicide, and no one sees fit to find them some sort of assistance. If only someone had helped Willy, either by giving him a job or by helping him to find another solution to his problems, his life might not have ended so tragically. Moreover, if his boss had kept him on as an employee, and possibly given him the job he wanted, things could have turned out better. Also, if Willy's sons had tried to help him more, instead of abandoning him, whether in a restaurant bathroom or in life in general, they could have all come together to triumph. These things show that members of society often do not care about anyone except for themselves. There is a definite lack of compassion in society.

Another problem revealed in the play is ageism in society. After Willy reached a certain age, he was seen as useless in his career and in his life. Instead of trying to teach Willy the new technology he needed at work, his employers decided he was too old to bother with. They wouldn't give him a desk job where he might be of use, they simply tossed him aside. Willy's family and friends decided that his ramblings and flashbacks were simply a result of his old age, and wouldn't try to help him. His children just assumed that their father was trying to ruin their lives because they were still young and he was not. They didn't see that he was trying to help them and to provide them with a more enjoyable lifestyle. This play showed how instead of honoring and respecting the elder members of a community, these people are tossed carelessly aside as though they are useless pieces of rubbish.

A third societal problem that Arthur Miller exposes is the amount of greed. Each member of society wants to become affluent, and they don't care who is affected by their financial gain. Willy's boss reduced him to commission, and eventually eliminated Willy, so that the company could gain more profit. The developers surrounded Willy's house with apartments so that they could sell more living space. These apartments boxed Willy in, and made him feel as if there was no escape from the city life. Willy's sons wanted to party and have fun, and they did not try to help him. They were so greedy that they dealt only with their own interests, and tried to improve their life, and in so doing, abandoned their father and mother.

Another issue in the play is the abundance of peer pressure. Willy wanted to be liked by everyone, and as a result of that, he was miserable when he discovered his lack of friends. He

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felt that a significant part of being successful was to be surrounded by people and to have everyone love you. He thought that if you were unpopular, you were a failure in life. All of the pressure that society was constantly putting on Willy to be liked contributed to his downfall.

Another one of societies flaws shown in Death of a Salesman is the false image of happiness. Society tries to teach us that if we are prosperous and well-liked, we will be happy. Because of this, Willy thought that money would make him happy. He never bothered to try to be happy with what he had, he just tried to get more things to make him feel happy. If he had realized other opportunities, like the job offer from Charley, he might have been happy. However, he saw the image of happiness that society was trying to paint, and he continued to strive for that, and only that. Willy thought that material things would make him happy, because that is what society wanted him to think.

An additional problem made known in the play is the presence of large corporations in society. It seems that the everyday employee is not noticed as much, and that the company as a whole is what is more often seen. This was shown through both Biff and Willy. Willy was not treated well because he was a lowly salesman, and not a high-class owner or manager. Biff's old employer didn't even remember him, because he was only a shipping clerk. This shows that many employees are not often observed, even if they have made contributions to the work place in their lifetime. Without the workers who are lower in rank, companies cannot be run. However, these people are often taken for granted as big businesses take over.

Death of a Salesman reveals many problems in society. The character of Willy Loman is not simply a person, he is a representation of the everyday individual trying to survive in an unjust world. Arthur Miller used Willy to show that the American Dream that is perceived by many is not easy, and sometimes even impossible to obtain. He showed that there are many things wrong in society, and that these flaws are stopping many people from succeeding, no matter how hard they try.

The American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Material happiness provides the ambition behind seeking the "Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman ." In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman's determination to live up to his "American Dream" and to seek material happiness only takes his life.

What is the "American Dream"? The "American Dream" cannot be defined. I know that my "American Dream" consists of a Porsche, a large house, and a happy family. Willy Loman's definition does not differ greatly from mine although while trying to pursue this dream, Willy's mind slowly drifted further and further away from reality. The "American Dream" is the idea that any man or woman can make his or her own fortune, despite his or her past. Willy is trying to achieve success through this thought, believing that being "well liked" and working hard will be enough to ensue his success. Willy was wrong.

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Social class is a major factor in Death of a Salesman. Willy is a salesman. Willy believes that success comes from being well liked and popular and has tried desperately to instill his notions to his two boys Happy and Biff, Willy's biggest aspirations in life. His wife Linda is extremely supportive and is Willy's only connection to reality. While raising his boys and trying to instill his "American Dream", he fails to teach them any sense of morality, leading them down to what he feels is the wrong path. At one point, he defends Biff for stealing just because he was an amazing football player. "Loaded with it. Loaded! What is he stealing? He's giving it back, isn't he? Why is he stealing? What did I tell him? I never in my life told him anything but decent things." (Pg 41. Act 1)

Willy's goal throughout life was to climb out of his social class. As a salesman, Willy was a failure and he tried desperately to make his sons never end up like him. As a result, he loses his mind and his grasp on reality. Throughout the story, Willy often has flashbacks of the conversations that he and his brother Ben once had and the author intertwines them in past and present very nicely.

Ben: "Is mother living with you?"

Willy: "No, she died a long time ago."

These flashbacks illustrate Willy's loss of reality from the world. As Willy and Charley are playing a game of cards, Willy has a flashback of him and Ben and Charley becomes completely confused, believing that Willy is speaking to him.

Ben: "I'd hoped to see the old girl."

Charley: "Who died?"

As a character, Ben represents the opportunity that Willy did not take and all the fortune that he missed.