Theme Of Success In Death Of A Salesman

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... ... middle of paper ... ... in the following of his unrealistic dreams. His belief is that with simple charisma any man can achieve success and riches.

A majority of individuals desire love, compassion, and a family. On the other hand, there are those concerned with self-image, material items, and the fact that money can indeed buy true happiness. In Arthur Miller's play DEATH OF A SALESMAN [published by Ted Buchholz (1993)]--the story of a sixty-three year old man named Willy Loman striving to achieve the "American Dream" and his family who suffer as a cause--contains many examples of trying to achieve material success. Willy's ultimate dream concerns following in his brother Ben's footsteps and rising to be a successful salesman. Willy Loman wanted success so badly that he lost a realistic sense of himself.

Throughout the play, many events show Willy appreciation to traits such as good looking and popularity. He uses this as a principal to not only live his life but also encourage others to do the same. like his son. He gives a condescending look on people who do not agree or live or the same ideal that he does when he does not think Bernard will be success because he is a nerd that only focus on school work. However, that one thing, hard work is more important to become successful than anything of the superficial perception of look and popularity that Willy has.

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 tells his children that Bernard might get the best grades in school, but they will certainly have more success than he will as they are “[…] built like Adonis’s” (Miller 34). Willy assumes that it is necessary to be attractive to become successful. Additionally, he says that it is “[…] the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (Miller 34). Moreover, Willy states that “it’s not what you say; it’s how you say it – because personality always wins the day” (Miller 70). Willy believes that if he wants to become a successful businessperson, he has to impress people with his appearance and with his looks; he has to seduce his customers with his personality and his charm.

She is often trying to point out his accomplishments, but, he turns a blind eye. Happy, Willy's youngest son is truly a mess. He follows in his father's footsteps into the business world, where he is admittedly unhappy, yet continues because it is what is expected of him. He, like Willy believes that success is the measure of a man. He says "I gotta show some of those pompous, self important executives over there that Hap Loman can make the grade" (p 250).

He has always worried about how he looks. Miller used this aspect of Willy’s life to illustrate that not only America but half the world, puts too much importance on the outside image and outer facade. He has a lot of potential, but he also has a whopping case of self-deception paired with misguided life goals. A salesman for all of his career, Willy thinks that in order for him to have reached the goal of life he has to be well-liked and gain material success, “he 's liked, but not well-liked”. So what happens when he doesn 't reach these goals?

What is a man, but, pieces of limbs made into a body and a mind, full of thoughts, beliefs, and dreams - dreams that urges one to try and convinces one to live. What if the dream, the reason to live, leads one to a futile life? In the Death of a Salesman, by playwright Arthur Miller, Willy the main character slowly dies as his dreams demise. In this play, one can discern how people surrounding Willy influenced his dreams and how his dreams influenced himself and his sons’ lives. This is best exemplified by the influence he received from his father, a famous salesman and his wife, who all aided in constructing his life to the wrong dreams and principles, and consequently destructing his sons’ future.

When his son, Biff, for example, is trying to explain why he cannot become successful, Willy believes that Biff is just trying to spite him. Unfortunately, Willy never realizes that his values are flawed. As Biff points out at the end of the play, "he had the wrong dreams." In many ways Biff is similar to his father. In the beginning of the play we see that Biff shares many of the same ideas as Willy.

The 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.