Failure of the American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of...

Failure of the American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller forces the reader to deal with the failure of the American Dream(Field 2367) and the effect it had on the Loman family, how it ruins the life of Willy, and destroys Biff’s life as well. By focusing on serious problems that the reader can relate to, Arthur Miller connects us with the characters facing these life-altering crisis. To Willy Loman success is defined as being a well-liked businessman. As Willy grew up, his American Dream was to be able to â€Å"pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, make his living.† (81) This is Willie’s dream, to be†¦show more content†¦When Biff suggest that he does not belong in the business world, but rather as a blue collared worker, Willy falls back on this American ideal of â€Å"Even your grandfather was better than a carpenter.† (61) The more Biff begins to realize that the American Dream is not for him, or his father, the harder it is to pretend that he cares about it. Biff denies the fact that the American Dream is not for him for over fifteen years. He has always claimed that he was just â€Å"finding himself†. Willy could not except the fact that Biff could get lost with the idea that â€Å"In the greatest country in the world [where] a young man with such personal attractiveness†¦and such a hard worker could get lost.† (16) This idea that anyone can make it big is all Willy believes in, â€Å"Be liked and you will never want.† (33) is the attitude that Willy has trusted in his whole life. Biff begins to understand that there is more to life then being liked, and selling products. As Biff becomes less and less attached to the American Dream the closer he comes to happiness. â€Å"To devote your whole life to keeping stock, or making phone calls , or selling or buying. To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off. And always to have to get ahead of the next fella.† (22) His whole life has been leading to the point when he acknowledges this fact and tells his father whatShow MoreRelated Failure of the American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman932 Words   |  4 PagesFailure of the American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman is a story about the dark side of the American Dream.   Willy Lomans obsession with the dream directly causes his failure in life, which, in turn, leads to his eventual suicide.   The pursuit of the dream also destroys the lives of Willys family, as well.   Through the Lomans, Arthur Miller attempts to create a typical American family of the time, and, in doing so, the reader can relateRead MoreArthur Miller Criticism913 Words   |  4 Pages Arthur Miller is a highly distinguished author. He is considered by many to be one of Americas greatest writers. 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However, Willy’s role is quite important because he often led to failure through the creation of the American Dream and the real world. To fully understand the storyline of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, one must evaluate each member of theRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1573 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresents a character with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while the audience experiences catharsis (Bloom 2). Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall, and theRead MoreArthur Miller s Death Of A Salesman Essay1567 Words   |  7 Pagescharacter with a tragic flaw leading to his downfall. In addition, in traditional tragedy, the main character falls from high authority and often it is predetermined by fate, while the audience experiences catharsis (Irving 247). Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is considered to be a tragedy because this literary work has some of the main characteristics of the tragedy genre. In this play, the main character Willy Loman possesses such traits and behaviors that lead to his downfall, and the