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Holding onto false dreams can lead an individual to live in an illusory world, where their perception of reality is greatly hindered. In fact, these false dreams can also hurt and negatively influence the beliefs of other individuals. In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, the character of Willy Loman holds onto the wrong values of the American Dream, consequently causing his inevitable failure and in most cases negatively affecting those close to him.
Willy Loman was a salesman whose deluded thinking led him into believing that he was “well-liked” by everyone and was a successful salesman. His false dreams and skewed sense of reality led him to believe that following his true passion, carpentry, was not a conventional way of life. Willy’s true passion for carpentry and not sales can be evidenced in the quote, “There’s more Willy in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made” (Miller, 22). Willy mainly constructed his fantasy as a means of coping with his personal failures, for he had the “wrong dreams. All, all wrong” (Miller ?). In Willy’s deluded state, he lied to his family, regularly lying to them of his success at work. Willy was unable to let go of his false dreams, resulting in him carrying them to his grave. Ultimately, in Willy living to satisfy a dream, which was not his own, led to, unhappiness to both, him and his family, and in time eventually, his death.
Willy’s false dreams and illusions tormented the whole Loma family, especially his two sons, Biff and Happy, who suffered greatly because of them. Willy was a deluded idealist who at a very early age taught his two sons to believe that, “…the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who...

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...of her very persona and individuality. Linda was forced to live a lie, which caused her great pressure, because she knew if Willy were to leave his false dreams, he would commit suicide. Linda was willing to go great lengths in order to prevent Willy from committing suicide, even if it meant emotionally hurting herself along the way. Finally, Willy’s delusions robbed her of her husband and left her to take care of her two sons as a widow.
Willy’s fabricated dreams affected both him and his family negatively. The lives of both, Biff and Happy, were ruined and once he realized the fallacy of his dreams, he too was left ruined. While, Linda suffered great emotional pain. To prosper in life, In Miller’s view in the play, and become an ideal person, an individual must let go of all false dreams and see through the façade; for only hard work will result in success.

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