The American Dream

The American Dream is the ideal that every American desire for an opportunity of success and prosperity through hard work and determination. America born on the rags-to-riches stories like Rockefeller and Carnegie, who rose to power and wealth. Unfortunately, only a few people in America actually achieve the desirable dream while others live in poverty. In Death of a Salesman, characters of the Loman family struggle to adapt to modern times and reach the unattainable American Dream, a challenge defined by the historical context, setting, and symbols.

The time period the play take places named the “Baby Boomer Era”, seen as the growth of suburbs and economic prosperity in America. This era ran from late 1946 through the 1950s, which changed

The Loman family are the main characters of the play and often delude themselves to get closer to the American Dream. Willy Loman, the father, is the most delusional of the family and project his delusional ideas to his sons. Willy is delusional because he believes success will come with a charismatic personality and being liked by other people. He lies to himself that he is a well-like and successful salesman to obtain his view of the dream with material things. He wants fame and money to provide for his family. In reality, he is not the best salesman because doesn't make a sale. Willy glorifies his older brother, Ben for success in foreign lands and wishes to become like him. Willy disguises his terrible life with his nostalgic delusions of the past to keep him from seeing the corruption of the American Dream. Willy cannot be unsuccessful by his family and other people, so he always makes up lies to keep a well imaged. Even though Willy was given a reduced salary for low sales production and has to borrow money from his neighbor Charley just to pay off bills. Braun states, “Willy’s obsession with the American Dream, believing that being well liked equates with success, keeps both he and his sons in a state of emotional immaturity” (11). This caused Willy to convince Biff to become the son he wants him to be a successful salesman with material

Although, Happy is very lonely and yearns attention he was never given from his parents. Miller gives Happy the same mindset as Willy by stating, “Sometimes I wanna just rip my clothes off in the middle of the store and outbox that goddamned merchandise manager. I mean I can outbox, outlift and outrun anybody in that store, and I have to take orders from those petty, common sons of bitches till I can’t stand it anymore”(Act 1 pg.1008). Happy copies his father with delusional confidence in himself and manipulates to get what he desires. Jacobson elaborates on Happy’s character by saying, “Happy’s need to be number one has another significance also, for he has never been the sole focus of his father’s attention, always a poor second to Biff” ( 253).When Happy was younger, he was overshadowed due to the glory of Biff. Happy follows his father dreams to try to get accepted by his parents. Happy sees the Dream just like Willy does, he wants approval from his father. Happy has fallen into the road to catch the unattainable dream by manipulating/competing for his way to the top. He cannot compete for business wise so he gets even by having sexual affairs with women. He even goes as far with creeping with his friends’ wives to fill his emptiness. Happy is proof of being a mini-version of his father Willy. Both men use women to prove their manhood and affair with woman to keep a