Death Of A Salesman American Dream

Death of A Salesman: Shifting of the American Dream Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman addresses loss of self-identity and a man's incapability to accept change with society in the 1950’s. The play involves memories, strange dreams, and confrontations with his family, which all make up the last hours of the protagonist’s life. Death of a Salesman captures all the dramatic and disparity that a family can gain during a downfall. The country at that time period was all about rebuilding itself and everyone achieving the “American Dream”. Therefore, American commercialism makes up of the play's idealistic themes and although ego and pride leads Willy Loman into committing suicide, he was driven by the harsh economic system of society making

Overtime, development of fear of abandonment is made, which makes him want his family to conform to the “American Dream” he desires so much. Willy Loman almost has a phobia of being left alone. “Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people…Today it’s all cut and dried, and there’s no chance for bringing friendship to bear or personality. You see what I mean? They don’t know me anymore.” (Act 2) Willy overpraises the idea of being remembered and is overthinking that even the clients who he sells to have abandoned him. He's absolutely terrified that ultimately he's really alone. Through out the story it is obvious that the salesman has a part of him that clings on to the past. His wife Linda explains to their son about accepting him. “I don’t say he’s a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He’s not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person. You called him crazy.” (Act 1) His wife understands Willy's fear, and this is reflected that their son to be sympathetic to his own father. Here, she recognizes that Willy's fears have turned him into a fallacious person. She asks her son to look past those flaws, see the good in his father and forget about his abandonment issues. Throughout the play the flute is a symbol of Willy remembering his father. His father is portrayed as one of Willy’s most important role models. While reminding him of the father, the flute takes him back in time to his younger