Death Of A Salesman Essay Questions

1157 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Representation of the american dream today

Death of a Salesman Take-Home Essay Questions

1. How could some view Death as a critique of America’s capitalist economic system?
Death of a Salesman, a play written by Arthur Miller, critiques America’s capitalist economic system, which is based on the private ownership of the means of production, and their operation for profit, all driven by the delusion of the “American Dream,” and the effects it has upon society. Audience may observe, Death of a Salesman through the conflicts within an American middle class family, and the social reality that entails. The American Dream can be defined as “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative,” in which Miller uses this play to clarify and challenge the definition of the “American Dream”, using the character Willy Loman. …show more content…

The company released him without hearing another word, as well as ignoring his accomplishments in the past. Wagner’s company seen as the American capitalist system, draining Willy of his good reputation and income leaving him with nothing. The effect society has on Willy emphasizes the leaks in this system, effects such as Willy unable to cope with his new lifestyle resulting in suicide attempts and mistreating his family. Willy seems so consistent with the American view of providing for his family that even when Mrs. Loman, attempts at reusing items around the house, Willy gets frustrated with her. The effects of this unattainable “American Dream” make it difficult for Willy to understand the wishes of his son, ultimately leading to his suicidal death thinking that his son will use the life insurance money to start a business. Thus the word Death in Death of a Salesman can be depicted, as the “American Dream” is not a reality for all, especially the individual Willy

Show More
Related

  • Death Of The American Dream In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman exploits the notion of the American Dream and the promises made by the American Government towards its citizens. Throughout the play, Miller makes references to dreams that each character carries but the failure in the fulfilment of the same. He recaptures the disappointments and disillusionments that the American nation suffers from for the American Dream is as well as death. Miller was the first playwright of his time who sheds light on this fact that the dream that every American carries a torch for is dead and gone.

    Read More

  • Comparing Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Fences by August Wilson

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    Corruption of the American Dream In Death of a Salesman: A Thematic Analysis Of Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman. Cross-Cultural Communication 6.3 (2010): 122-126. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.

    Read More

  • Death Of A Salesman And The Piano Lesson Essay

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    The phenomenon of the American Dream has been engraved into the American culture since perhaps the beginning of post-revolutionary America itself. The classic belief that if you work hard, you would be able to reap the material benefits of what you sowed, at least enough to live comfortably is a myth that has been propagated in many literary works, deconstructed in many American literary works as a mere myth. And in Arthur Miller’s The Death of a Salesman and August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, we see such deconstruction of the American Dream take place through both plays’ showcasing of the many complexities of the American life, complexities that are not taken into consideration with the black-and-white narrowing of the American Dream. While hard work does make up a part of the equation, it does not make up the entire equation of a comfortable lifestyle. That manifestation of the many facets of the American Dream is shown in both Miller’s The Death of a Salesman and Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.

    Read More

  • Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, Americans have idealized the journey towards economic success. One thing people do not realize, however, is that the journey is not the same for every individual. Media often leads its viewers toward a “one size fits all” version of success that may help themselves, but will rarely help the viewers. This is seen in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Miller includes multiple instances of symbolism and personification to reveal to the reader the situational irony in Willy’s life, underlining the theme of self-deception in regard to the American Dream.

    Read More

  • Destruction of the American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of A Salesman

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    A white picket fence surrounds the tangible icons of the American Dreams in the middle 1900's: a mortgage, an automobile, a kitchen appliance paid for on the monthly - installment - plan, and a silver trophy representative of high school football triumph. A pathetic tale examining the consequences of man's harmartias, Arthur Miller's "Death of A Salesman" satisfies many, but not all, of the essential elements of a tragedy. Reality peels away the thin layers of Willy Loman's American Dream; a dream built on a lifetime of poor choices and false values.

    Read More

  • Willy Lowman’s Tragic Misinterpretation of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Barack Obama made history by being elected President of the United States, twice. This is just one more example that the American Dream is without a doubt achievable. Its pursuit is not easy; it requires undeniable hard work, modesty and optimism. Armed with these characteristics, seekers of this lifestyle will undeniably succeed. Success, though, is an interesting concept, for it can entail many superficial qualities. Willy Loman, the tragic hero of the play Death of a Salesman, sees only the superficial qualities of this dream. He views success solely as likeability (linked with attractiveness), and wealth. Ignoring all methods to honorably achieve these, Arthur Miller demonstrates how Willy’s search for the superficial qualities of the American Dream lead him to his own despair.

    Read More

  • Death of a Salesman Character Development Essay

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    A person’s attitude is mostly what everyone around him or her will view them as. From this they can tell many things. Whether it is if the person is funny or down to earth or even irresponsible. Many times people change personalities often and they would be classified as being a dynamic type of person. A person who is doesn’t change is classified as being a static character. Willy, from Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller, is a static character for his inability to grasp reality, his poor parenting and his constant lying to his wife.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Social Class And Family In Death Of A Salesman

    1679 Words  | 4 Pages

    Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, portrays the cost of selling oneself to the American Dream. Willy Loman, the central character, is madly determined to achieve affluence that he overlooks the value of his family and himself in the process. He instills in his sons, Biff and Happy Loman, that being charismatic will hand them a prosperous lifestyle. Happy trusts in his father’s ideology while Biff’s beliefs contradict them. Biff deems that success is a product of happiness and contentment, not a paycheck. Out of all the sociological theories, social conflict best emphasizes the author’s perspective of how conflict, through class and family, can deteriorate the American dream. By analyzing the play’s themes- social class and family- through the sociological perspectives: structural-functional, social conflict, and symbolic interactionist, we can predict what drives these characters to behave and perceive things the way they do.

    Read More

  • Death Of A Salesman American Dream Essay

    1297 Words  | 3 Pages

    An American dream is a dream that can only be achieved by passion and hard work towards your goals. People are chasing their dreams of better future for themselves and their children. The author Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman has displayed a struggle of a common man to achieve the American dream. Willy Loman the protagonist of the play has spent his whole life in chasing the American dream. He was a successful salesman who has got old and unable to travel for his work, and no one at work gives him importance anymore. He is unhappy with his sons Happy and Biff because both of them are not successful in their lives. Moreover, Biff and Happy are also not happy with their father Willy because they don’t want to live a life that Willy wants them to live. The heated discussions of Willy and his older son Biff affect the family and the family starts to fall apart. However, Willy is unable to achieve the American dream and does not want to face the reality that his decisions for himself and his family have lead him to be a failure in the society. In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the protagonist Willy Loman spends his whole life to achieve the American Dream by his own perception and denies facing the reality, just like nowadays people are selling themselves and attempting to find success in life.

    Read More

  • Comparing The American Dream In Arthur Miller's 'Death Of A Salesman'

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The owners of this country know the truth... it's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it!” George Carlin’s ironic statement exposes the hamartia of the American Dream and the emptiness it bestows upon those attempting to attain it. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, failure to conquer the American Dream triggers desolation in a multitude of characters. Throughout Miller’s play, the quest for the American Dream occurs on four different frontiers: Brooklyn, New York; the African Jungle; American West; and the new promise of Alaska.

    Read More

  • The Collapse of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller,

    2029 Words  | 5 Pages

    Prosperity, job security, hard work and family union are some of the concepts that involves the American Dream, generally speaking. Some people think this dream is something automatically granted; or in contrast, as in the story “Death of a Salesman” written by Arthur Miller, as something that has to be achieved in order to be successful in life. The play takes issues with those in America who place to much stress on material gain, instead of more admirable values. American society is exemplified with Miller’s work and demonstrates how a dream could turn into a nightmare. Arthur Miller’s, “Death of a Salesman”, is a play that portrays the author’s life and the psychological problems that brings the collapse of the American Dream for this in a lower-middle family in an economical depression.

    Read More

  • Death Of A Salesman Analysis

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    Moseley, Merritt. "The American Dream in Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman." In Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom 's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom 's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 30 Nov. 2015

    Read More

  • Death Of A Salesman American Dream Essay

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    One major theme in Death of a Salesman is the pursuit of the American dream. Playwright Arthur Miller details main character Willy Loman’s misguided quest of this dream. Death of a Salesman was written in postwar America, when the idea of the American Dream was a way of life. The United States was flourishing economically, and the idea of wealth was the base of the American Dream. Capitalism was alive and well, and by living in a capitalist society, everyone in America was supposed to have a chance to become rich and successful. Miller makes the reader realize this dream is a falsehood, because it doesn’t always work for everyone as planned. In the play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is a prime example of someone trying desperately, yet unsuccessfully, to pursue the false hope of the American Dream, directly resulting from capitalism’s effects.

    Read More

  • The Meaning of the Title in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman criticizes the American Dream and the means some (i.e. Willy Loman) use to achieve the Dream through many different symbol and motifs; however, the title Miller selected for his play is an overlooked aspect of his criticism towards the Dream. He uses the title to build layers of understanding for his denunciation of the American Dream.

    Read More

  • The American Dream in "Death of a Salesman" and "Seize the Day"

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play “Death of a Salesman” the “American Dream” can be seen in almost all of the male characters. The protagonist Willy works his whole life trying to be a salesman although he is good with his hands. Willy believes that if he has charisma he will become prosperous. When he goes to ask for a raise he ironically gets fired. Even th...

    Read More

More about Death Of A Salesman Essay Questions

Open Document