Theme Of Materialism In Death Of A Salesman

1321 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Death of a salesman characterization willy loman

At the center of the play “Death of a Salesman” By Arthur Miller is the idea of a classic yet modern tragedy of a stereotypical middle class family. This family struggles to strive in a country run on the basis of capitalism. Psychological and psychoanalytical criticism, investigates the text by looking at the mental or emotional state of the brain and the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements through methods such as daydreaming and free association. The psychology behind the American dream is based on the ideology of becoming successful no matter who you are; after all it is the land of opportunity. With this mindset, Willy bestows himself and his family in to a trap . Willy never dares to percept anything but the misconception of the american dream that he has in mind, he lives in a fictitious life with no realistic end goal. On the other hand, through all the ups and downs; Biff realizes that his life has been a fantasy and that he has to pursue his real dream, the one that makes him happy. Ergo conscious or unconscious the brain is powerful, very powerful, It has the ability to change any individuals destiny.

The benchmark that willy set as success: materialism, if he is well known or loved leads to him living a life of false impression and a tragic death. Willy Loman the central character appears in Howard Wagner’s office in act 2 and poses the question “is there anything better then being a salesman?” He smirks “Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four” the age of eighty-four he said “into twenty or thirty different cities, pick up a phone, and be loved and remembered by so many different people?” Willy fails to see the real meaning of life-happiness and satisfactio...

... middle of paper ...

... that he lost his whole life in that path. The psychology behind “Death of a salesman” is based on the idea on Willy believing and relying to heavily on the American dream as his fuel to reach his goals; This ideology suffocated Wills dream of being successful however was a lesson for his son to build upon. Using the Psychological and psychoanalytical tools one can investigates the text by looking at the mental or emotional state of the brain and the interaction between conscious and unconscious elements through methods such as daydreaming and free association. “Death of a Salesman” explores the theme of failure within a success oriented society that has a great significance in todays contemporary society. Willy Lowman is accepted as a dire figure of failure, because of society's false value system and because of Willy's own inability to confront life with integrity.

Show More
Related

  • Growth In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the plot of Death of a Salesman, Willy Lowman believes in chasing the American Dream of

    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's Misconception of Himself in “Death of a Salesman”

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play, “Death of a Salesman” written by Arthur Miller, presents Willy Loman, as a salesman, who fails to earn a living and slowly loses his mind. Willy continuously seeks the past to find out where he went wrong. During his years in life, Willy wanted his two sons, Biff and Happy to become someone they’re not; Willy wanted them to become a salesman like him. However, because of his obsession in the American Dream of easy success and wealth, he created a life full of lies for himself and his sons. In the end because of “his misconception of himself as someone capable of greatness” leads to his downfall and the end of his life (Death of a Salesman).”

    Read More

  • Death of a Salesman: The Flaws and Failures of Willy Loman

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willy Loman is a 60 year old senile salesman who desperately wants to be a successful salesman; however, his ideas about the ways in which one goes about achieving this are very much misguided, just as his morals are. He believes that popularity and good looks are the key to achieving the American dream, rather than hard work and dedication. He not only lives his entire life by this code, but instills his delusional beliefs in his two sons Biff and Happy. As a result, his sons experience similar failures in their adult lives. Willy led a life of illusion, lies and regret which not only ruined his life, but gad a negative impact on the lives of family as well.

    Read More

  • The Character of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    Willy Loman is a firm believer in the "American Dream:" the notion that any man can rise from humble beginnings to greatness.  His particular slant on this ideal is that a man succeeds by selling his charisma, that to be well liked is the most important asset a man can have.  He made a living at this for 30 years, but as he enters the reclining years of his life, people have stopped smiling back and he can no longer sell the firm's goods to support himself.  His ambition was one of greatness, to work hard and to be a member of the firm; and if he could not succeed in this respect, that he should at least be well-liked and be able to sell until the day of his death:  When his friends would flock from all over the country to pay their respects.

    Read More

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

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    In brief, it is apparent that Willy’s own actions led to not only his own demise, but his children’s as well. The salesman tragically misinterpreted the American Dream for only the superficial qualities of beauty, likeability and prosperity. Perhaps if Willy had been more focused on the truth of a person’s character, rather than purely physical aspects, his family’s struggles and his own suicide could have been avoided. On the whole, Arthur Miller’s play is evidence that the search for any dream or goal is not as easy and the end result may seem. The only way to realize the objective without any despair is the opposite of Willy Loman’s methods: genuineness, perseverance and humility.

    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

  • The Internal and External Conflicts of Willy Loman

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    Like countless characters in a play, Willy struggles to find who he is. Willy’s expectations for his sons and The Woman become too high for him to handle. Under the pressure to succeed in business, the appearance of things is always more important than the reality, including Willy’s death. The internal and external conflicts aid in developing the character Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

    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

  • Willy's Tragic Flaw and the Effect it Has Upon his Sons in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

    1496 Words  | 3 Pages

    Willy Loman will bring his downfall upon himself as he entices his own disillusions and the bedrock of his values pertaining to success and how one can achieve it. His failure to recognize the fruitless outcome of his own idealism will seal his fated suicide and have a determining effect on the failures of his two sons that when adolescent, idolized their father as a guid...

    Read More

  • Willy Loman's Depression in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arthur Miller's, "Death of a Salesman," shows the development and structure that leads up to the suicide of a tragic hero, Willy Loman. The author describes how an American dreamer can lose his self-worth by many negative situations that occur throughout his life. The structure and complications are essential because it describes how a man can lose his way when depression takes over.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Superego In Death Of A Salesman

    1611 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the 1890s, Sigmund Freud introduced the psychoanalytic theory which stated that one’s psyche is governed by the id, ego and superego. It is evident that in Death of a Salesman, this psychological lens can be applied to Willy Loman in order to understand his actions and thoughts. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is about a delusional salesman who wishes to fulfill the American Dream and his dysfunctional family who do not live up to his expectations. Through the psychoanalysis of Death of a Salesman, it is evident that Willy’s personality is a product of his id, ego, and superego. This is portrayed through the frequent examples of an impulsive id, a powerful superego and the defense mechanism his ego utilizes in order to deal with

    Read More

  • Failure of the American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willy Loman equates success as a human being with success in the business world. When Willy was a young man, he heard of a salesman who could "pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, make his living." 8. This salesman is Willy's inspiration; someday to be so respected and so well known that he can still provide for his family, even at an old age. Of course, Willy is no good at being a salesman because his heart isn't in it.

    Read More

  • Is Willy Loman a Tragic Hero in "Death of Salesman

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    Willy’s hubris makes him feel extremely proud of what he has, when in reality he has no satisfaction with anything in his life. Willy Loman’s sons did not reach his expectations, as a father, but he still continued to brag about Biff and Happy in front of Bernard. Willy Loman caused the reader to empathize with him because before his tragic death he did everything he could for his family. Empathy, Hubris, and Willy Loman’s tragic flow all lead him to his death that distends from the beginning. He is unable to face reality and realize that he’s not successful in life or at his job; he remains living in a world where he thinks he’s greater than everybody else because he’s a salesman.

    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

More about Theme Of Materialism In Death Of A Salesman

Open Document