Comparison Of The American Dream In Death Of A Salesman

He also sees his son in his eyes go from a star football player to a lazy bum. When Willy looks back and sees this he thinks he has failed his son because to him Biff has no drive and self-urgency. Willy although in his delusion of life thinks he has lived the “American Dream” and succeed he has greatly mistaken. Though he does try very hard to do what in his mind is right. Even though his family might not be provided for after he is gone he has been able to give them an ok life.

His boss was looking to fire him for a long time. His whole life, he has had the wrong idea. “Success doesn’t come from just luck, popularity, or personality. All throughout the Death of a Salesman, Loman tells his two sons, Biff and Happy, that the key to success in life is to be “well liked” and that all you need is “a smile and a shoeshine.” (Brett) However, Willy completely ignored his true calling of working with his hands, to become a business man. He was so infatuated with the American Dream, he didn’t realize that he wasn’t a good Salesman, and would have succeeded as ... ... middle of paper ... ...ity to indulge in a world that doesn’t exist.

The young Biff took his father’s words at face value since he placed Willy on a pedestal, thinking nothing could touch such a man. As a result, this is all Biff has ever known about what success is throughout his youth, where he should be aiming for more popularity and established contacts. This is also what Biff thinks he should strive for in his future, to be this type of person Willy frequently talks highly of. Even after a great number of years have passed in their estranged relationship, Willy’s words still ring true for Biff. He often thinks of the idea that “[he’s] not gettin’ anywhere!

While Biff is happy, he does not meet Willy’s criteria for success. Biff is unable to fulfill Willy’s dream because Willy’s idea of success is not a life Biff wants to pursue. Biff Loman, a highly successful high school football player, was supposedly meant for great things after high school. However, Biff failed to graduate from high school due to failing a mathematics class, and also did not complete the class during summer school, because of the discussion he had with his father. The discussion was one that was eye-opening, as Biff learned that his father was unfaithful to his mother, “You—you gave her Mama’s stockings…don’t touch me, you—liar...You fake!

Willy Loman's blind faith in his son Biff's abilities destroyed Biff's sense of moderation and modesty. Despite Biff's obvious incompetence and mediocrity, Willy vehemently refused to accept his son's failure to "make the grade." Biff "stole himself out of every good job since high school!" (131), yet Willy cannot accept that his son is a "dime a dozen" and declares that Biff is merely failing to spite him. "I want you to know...where ever you go, that you cut down your life for spite!"

Billy had already realised his appreciation of music & was seriously contemplating following that path as his chosen career. As he says himself : " I never wanted no proper job " The fact that his father was so avidly adverse to it was all the prompting that Billy needed. It was not just a question of deliberately wanting to rebel against him, but eventually more a case of wanting to prove that what he had chosen was not worthless. After many huge rows & 2 years of not even speaking, Billy managed to convince his father of this & Mr. Broad is now one of the first to recognise his achievements. One of the most admiral points of Billy’s career is that he has always resisted the temptation to ‘jump on the band wagon’.

Biff prefers manual labor and being outdoors to more ordinary work because that is when he is at his happiest but his father has pushed his narrower definition of success onto him, leaving him with the idea that farming is not a viable way to build a future. Willy thinks he wants the best for his son, but in reality he wants his son to live the life that Willy failed to achieve. Similarly, Jing Mei from “Two ... ... middle of paper ... ...job because that is what his father has taught Biff to want through his expectations. Under Willy’s influence, Biff feels like a failure. Both Jing Mei and Biff feel guilty for not pleasing their parents.

“ ‘People from all over the world have passed through this village, son,’ said his father. ‘They come in search of new things, but when they leave they are basically the same people they were when they arrived.’ ” (pg 9) Your family should support your dreams, but because society imprints false ideologies into people, Santiago’s father convinces him to give up on his dreams. Even though Santiago’s father wanted “to travel the world” (pg 9-10) too, he didn’t have the courage to do so which influenced his life by “having had to bury it, over dozens of years,”. Santiago was young and impressionable at the time, and so when his very own father doubted his ability to be able to achieve his dreams, Santiago too grew up to doubt himself. This then influenced Santiago to try to bury his own life callings when faced with his Personal Legend.

As Willy has always been a salesman, but his good for nothing father distorted his beliefs making sure that he would be nothing like his father. By trying to be likable, but in the end things because through the course of his life nothing has gone his way. His brother working hard doing the opposite that Willy believed in made a fortune and died with his wealth. Understanding this Willy attempted suicide hoping he could accomplish the same thing. Eventually, Willy became what his father was through his view as his connection with his sons slowly faded away.

In the play, there is little emphasis on school within the Loman household. Instead, Willy urges Biff to use unethical methods to graduate high school, “You’ll give him the answers,” yells Willy to Bernard (Miller 40). Willy believes that Biff’s divinity as a football player will translate into a successful career in business without much work or effort on Biff’s part (Ardolino 33). “Willy’s mad drive for his son’s success perverts the truth of sports and education” (Ardolino 32). Instead of learning that it takes hard work and effort to achieve long-term goals, sport or career wise, Biff and Happy learn through their father to believe that cheating and lying produce the same results as dedication and work ethic, only rapidly and effortlessly.