Death Of A Salesman Essay On The American Dream

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The American dream today is based on the fact that anyone living in America can achieve a perfect life if they work hard. Willy Loman, the father in the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, tries his hardest to reach the American dream as he grows up. The Loman’s life from beginning to end is a troubling story based on trying to become successful, or at least happy. Throughout their lives they encounter many problems causing Willy to have a tragic death due to the desire of succession. Willy wants to provide his wife Linda, and two sons Biff and Happy, the perfect life. Willy strives for the American dream throughout the entire play, yet never achieves what he hopes because there are too many problems standing in his way. Willy is a salesman trying to find success in a country known for its endless amount of opportunities. He grows up seeing how successful his brother, Ben, has become and because of this he is determined to succed in his lifetime. He wants to show his family that they can achieve whatever they put their mind to. Willy sees the American dream as the ability to become prosperous by the amount of individuals that like him. It is easily shown that he feels personality, not hard work and improvement, is the key to living a successful life. “You and Hap and I, and I’ll show you all the towns… And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England. The finest people. And when I bring you fellas up, there’ll be open sesame for all of us, ‘cause one thing, boys: I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own…” (Miller 24). Willy always raised his kids to think being popular and well liked was most important. He told them that if they had those two traits t... ... middle of paper ... ...These traits are what the world judges each other on; whereas a person’s true meaning is in things unseen. Willy wants to be “well-liked,” that he often overlooks the fact that he is loved by his family. Although the Loman family had lives full of problems, not all problems were caused by Willy striving for the American dream. Willy’s problems were caused by decisions made because of his goal to attain the American dream. He put his family through endless amounts of torture because of his search for a successful life. Willy should have settled with what he has in life, without trying to achieve everything he had hoped for. One dream, the American dream, is not worth all the problems and pain it caused Willy and his family. Willy should have lightened up on his goal of succeeding when he realized it was not going where he had hoped. The American dream is impossible.

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