Death Of A Salesman Essay On The American Dream
analytical Essay
951 words
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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how willy loman, the father in the play death of a salesman by arthur miller, tries his hardest to achieve the american dream as he grows up.
- Analyzes how willy sees the american dream as the ability to become prosperous by the amount of individuals that like him.
- Analyzes how willy chased his american dream his entire life, but he complained about many things that occurred in his life. he shouldn't have gotten caught up in trying to compete with everyone by achieving the american dream.
- Analyzes how willy's problems are incorporated with the process of the american dream: choosing wealth over family, a broken mind, and self-importance.
- Opines that willy's problems were caused by decisions made because of his goal to attain the american dream.
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- Lies do not lead to Successanalytical essayThe film, Death of a Salesman, focuses on a character named Willy Loman, who faces an endless struggle to achieve what he considers to be the “American Dream.” Willy believes the American Dream consists of having money and being well liked. Throughout his life he attempts to achieve these concepts by working hard and being forever hopeful. However, Willy is not able to achieve any part of his American Dream. Willy’s obsession with financial success leads him astray from the real purpose of his life, caring for his family. Willy can be portrayed as a tragic hero due to his endless attempts at becoming rich and well-liked to accomplish his American Dream, which eventually leads to his tragic suicidal death.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the film death of a salesman focuses on willy loman, who believes the american dream consists of having money and being well liked. his obsession with financial success leads him astray from the real purpose of his life.
- Analyzes how willy's american dream fantasy of being well liked is brought about by his brother’s lifestyle of wealth and popularity, which he intends to copy.
- Analyzes how willy's long-term goal of achieving financial success as part of the american dream is a flaw that drags him down to the ground.
- Analyzes how willy fails to realize that he is creating a false impression of being rich to only certain people, such as his wife and children, but not his neighbor or coworkers.
- Analyzes how willy is portrayed throughout the film as a tragic hero. he has characteristics that are unbecoming of someone who wants to be well liked or popular.
- Analyzes how willy's countless efforts to achieve his goal of the american dream are thwarted each time and his attempts at financial success all end in failure.
932 wordsRead More - Themes Of The American Dream In Death Of A Salesmananalytical essayThe author and journalist Arthur Koestler once said “Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion.” In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the main character Willy Loman’s illusion of his life led to the suffering of others due to the fact that he would not accept that he was not as successful as he believed. Biff, Willy’s son lived in his father illusion and when he realized it was all an illusion he was frustrated and fought with Willy. Biff wanted to do the activities he enjoyed and couldn’t because of his father. Happy, Willy’s other son becomes incredibly similar to his father, never leaving his illusion of how flawless his life was. In addition to this Willy’s wife Linda was constantly trying to please Willy keeping him in his illusion even though she knew they were struggling for money.Through the play Willy Loman has an obsession with the American Dream, which causes the suffering of both his sons Biff and Happy and his wife Linda, which increases the tragic vision of the play as a whole.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how willy loman's illusion of his life led to the suffering of others due to his obsession with the american dream.
- Analyzes how willy loman's first son biff is the son he taught his ideals, which affected him and caused him to live in the illusion.
- Analyzes how willy's actions affected his wife linda as she lives in constant fear of him killing himself.
- Analyzes how happy, willy's youngest son, was affected by his father since he was always looking for approval.
- Analyzes how the play death of a salesman explores the theme of the american dream and causing suffering to others.
1265 wordsRead More - The American Dream; the belief that anyone regardless of where they were born or what their social rank is, can attain their own version of success in society. This dream is one that Americans strive for. They strive for that overwhelming feeling of success knowing they made an impact in society. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman searches for this dream while unconsciously destroying the relationships with his family and friends around him.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the american dream, the belief that anyone can attain their own version of success in society. in arthur miller's play, the death of a salesman, willy loman searches for this dream while unconsciously destroying the relationships with his family and friends.
- Analyzes how willy loman married linda and had two sons, biff and happy, who turned into hopeless dreamers. they fought almost every time they saw each other.
- Explains that willy's dream was to be a successful salesman who was remembered and talked about on his funeral day.
- Analyzes how willy's relationship with his son and his wife, linda, was affected by his disrespectful treatment of him. the dream went wrong when he put the pressure on his children to achieve success.
- Analyzes how the american dream drove willy lohman and the loman family crazy and obsessed with a false fantasy.
728 wordsRead More - Death of Salesman by Arthur Milleranalytical essayWilly Loman, a character thought-provoking enough to hold his own separate review, shows throughout the play his completely skewed view on the American Dream and how to be a successful business man. In turn, Willy brainwashes his family (especially Biff and Happy, Willy’s sons) into the misguided image of the American Dream he established. Willy, clearly not an ideal father, lectures Biff and Happy in a pool of lies in how to be successful. Willy is not an ideal father in a sense that he can’t distinguish between what’s right and what’s wrong, not even for his sons.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how watching arthur miller's "death of a salesman" for the first time at london theatre was both entertaining and frustrating. the storyline is unpredictable due to the time switches.
- Analyzes how willy loman, a character thought-provoking enough to hold his own separate review, brainwashes his family into the misguided image of the american dream he established.
- Opines that willy's painful voice was like a lethal bullet which ricocheted in their ears, hitting every angle.
- Analyzes how willy began to converse with the dead and the living simultaneously, and as you can imagine, the conversation was in turmoil.
- Analyzes how watching a play performed in the theatre should leave one with satisfaction, fulfillment, and peace of mind. the melancholy disturbance emerged, one that had not been there before.
- Analyzes how willy showed favoritism towards biff, the star child, where happy was left on the bench waiting to be heard. he doesn't recognize that open differential parenting affects the less favored child and the family as a whole.
- Analyzes how willy's presence and the influence he had on his family made the play what it was - baffling. if you like rollercoasters with endless loops and spins, this is for you.
655 wordsRead More - Living or Dying with the American Dreamanalytical essayMany people claim that Willy Loman was corrupted by the “American Dream”. They say that Willy went crazy trying to prove that he could be successful. Juan Zhao, a literary critic, went as far as saying that Death of a Salesman is a “moving destruction of the whole myth” that the American Dream does or ever did work. However, the people who say this, like Willy, seem to believe in a distorted and contrasting view of the true American Dream (Zhao, 2010).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's death of a salesman portrays the american dream through the eyes of many different characters, giving us perspective of our own priorities and goals.
- Analyzes how willy loman is the main person we see seeking this dream. he makes many mistakes, but the first one is in how he defines the american dream.
- Opines that many people claim that willy loman was corrupted by the "american dream". zhao said that death of a salesman is "moving destruction of the whole myth" that the american dream does or ever did work.
- Argues that the american dream should be analyzed and defined in order to avoid confusion. forbes magazine polls show that 20 percent of americans define it as opportunity, freedom, family, and happiness.
- Opines that happiness comes down to everyone trying to be happy. many people misinterpret what happiness means, like willy in death of a salesman.
- Explains richard layard's book entitled happiness, in which he discussed the results of several tests. the children were asked how happy they were on a scale of one to ten.
- Explains that children in the study were less happy because they compared their "gifts" to their peers and felt like they got the "short end of the stick." people brainwash themselves into believing they don't have everything that they want.
- Analyzes how willy compares himself to his brother ben, who is "success incarnate". ben left for the jungle at age seventeen with absolutely nothing. the process involves immense risk and self-denial.
- Compares willy to his father, an inventor who set out to provide for his family. he traveled to america and became a relatively wealthy man.
- Compares the loman's neighbors, charley and his son bernard, who started out relatively poor and are not the most popular people. they have a good family relationship and have taken advantage of the opportunities life has given them.
- Analyzes how willy ignores the importance of determination, honesty, and hard work in attaining the american dream.
- Analyzes willy's desire to attain the american dream, but he tries to achieve it through charisma. he hopes that if his boys are popular and liked by others, they will definitely attain it.
- Analyzes how willy's pursuit of immense popularity for his boys causes biff more harm than good.
- Analyzes how willy clings to a fierce belief that anyone well liked can make it big, despite his evident failure to meet his life goals.
- Analyzes how willy lies to himself when he kills himself, believing that biff will use the money from the life insurance to start a business. his naive perception of the american dream fails him and delusions lead him to take his own life.
- Analyzes how miller wants us to connect to the characters and their dreams. he uses the "average man" to provide at least one that everyone can relate to.
- Explains that americans most commonly define the american dream in terms of opportunity, freedom, and family.
1271 wordsRead More - An American Myth Exploded in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesmananalytical essayArthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a demonstration of the affliction with which America has been stricken. It is an affliction of false idealism, but also a birthing of the consumer. It is this consumer society which is the affliction, and the characters of this drama are unable to cure themselves of it. Willy Loman is the manifestation of the consumerism which is destroying society. He is the corporeal manifestation of this myth, and the American dream is the myth itself. This myth can be broken down into several parts itself. First is the belief that situations, commodities, etc. improve with time, which is a technological misconception. Second is the understanding that hard work is necessary to bring about this sort of improvement. And third, the coming together of these amounts to the belief that commodities brought about by hard work will help in the betterment of our lives, and that this never ending accumulation of wealth will generate a truly happy life.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's death of a salesman shows the affliction with which america has been stricken. willy loman is the corporeal manifestation of the consumerism which is destroying society.
- Analyzes how willy embodies the first part of the american myth, being the belief that things will always continue to get better.
- Narrates how willy loman worked hard all of his life and realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want.
- Analyzes how willy loman's hard work and endeavors have fallen short of his dreams. the flame of truth is always quenched up until the very end.
- Analyzes how willy, biff, and happy are always talking about how to make money and how good things will be when they get it.
- Opines that the so-called american dream is a myth because it is founded on presuppositions which are empty of validity and serve only as delusion.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's depiction of american myth is a depraving force in the lives of americans in his drama, death of a salesman.
1034 wordsRead More - Comparison Of The American Dream In The Death Of A Salesmananalytical essayThe American Dream is something we all strive for, whether it is subconscious or outright, most all of our major goals in life fall along the same path towards wealth and power. Known as a national ethos of the United States, the American Dream is said to give the people opportunities of prosperity and success no matter what economic or social background they came from. The story, “The Death of A Salesman” by Arthur Miller tells the story of Willy Loman and his failure to achieve the American dream ending in his ultimate downfall. He is a salesman, living in New York city in the late 1940s, with his wife and two sons, often finding himself unhappy and struggling to discover his true identity in his version of American society. A key factor
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's "the death of a salesman" tells the story of willy loman and his failure to achieve the american dream ending in his ultimate downfall.
- Analyzes how willy has a warped vision on prosperity, happiness, and the true american dream. he never fully blames himself or the american system for his failure.
- Analyzes how willy's failed attempts to reach the american dream play a big role in how the story plays out and the development of his character.
- Analyzes how willy's attempts to achieve the american dream fail due to his warped vision of reality. he often committed actions of lies and deceit to fit his view of his life.
- Analyzes how willy's neighbors, charley and bernard, represent the true american dream — they are content and humble in their lives, although they do not live the ideal image.
- Analyzes how willy's downfall was caused by his insecurity and his idea that the goal of life is to be well-liked and gain respect instead of doing what makes you happy.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's "the death of a salesman" portrays willy loman as the tragic hero who lives his life with his warped perception of the american dream leading to his downfall.
1725 wordsRead More - "We've been talking in a dream for fifteen years,” (Arthur Miller). Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller is a play about a man named Willy Loman, Arthur Miller, who explores the American dream and what happens to a family when the dream is not fulfilled. In the late 1940s, after World War II, things don’t turn out the way people want it to be. Most men were unemployed, economical and financial issues regarding lack of payments for workers and families.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how death of a salesman, by arthur miller, explores the american dream and what happens to the family when the dream is not fulfilled.
- Opines that willy loman dreamed to be a successful salesman like dave singleman who has both material success and freedom.
- Analyzes how willy loman has grown as an old man which means he can no longer drive competently, pay his bills, or sell anything.
- Explains that willy has been going through a lot in his life and cannot handle anymore failure which leads to suicidal event.
- Analyzes how the american dream left him with a lot of things he couldn't afford and not enough money to pay for them. he ended up worth more dead than alive.
- Recommends the summary of the death of a salesman to students going on to the high school because they need to understand the major idea in reading drama plays like an american dream.
436 wordsRead More - Examples Of Tragedy In Death Of A Salesmananalytical essayIn Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, the character Willy Loman is an average modern American man with a superficial American Dream: to be liked, to succeed over everyone
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how aristotle defined tragedy in his respected piece poetics that defined the tragedy and many other forms of literature. many tragic heroes such as oedipus rex and romeo and juliet fit well into this mold of a tragic hero.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's character, willy loman, incites frustration, anger, and pity in the contemporary audience.
- Analyzes how willy loman's life was a feeble attempt to climb up the ranks of his department, but he didn't realize the doom that awaits him at the end.
- Analyzes how arthur miller captures the american tragedy in death of a salesman. the character of willy loman doesn't reach the standard of high status that is required to be tragic hero.
- Analyzes how death of salesman is a modern tradegy that an audience can realte to.
941 wordsRead More - Overarching Theme In Miller's Play 'Death Of A Salesman'analytical essayThe overarching theme in Miller’s play is living the American dream. Willy believes he is the best salesman. That he is well known all over New England. Which would mean he was living the American dream. Willy tells the boys, “I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. ‘Willy Loman is here!’ That’s all they have to know, and I go right through” (Miller, 2121). Even though he does not make a lot of money and people do not show up at his funeral. Linda asked, “Why didn’t anyone come? But where are all the people he knew?” (Miller, 2174).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the overarching theme in miller's play is living the american dream. willy is an average salesman and retreats to the past to be perceived as a success.
- Analyzes how willy feels that it is important to find evidence to prove that he is successful to others. he wants his sons to be successful and better than anyone else.
- Analyzes the multiple clues that indicate the theme of "death of a salesman" in miller's play.
- Analyzes how "death of a salesman"'s attitude towards its theme is living the american dream. there are numerous signs of failure throughout the play.
898 wordsRead More