The American Dream as stated by James Truslow Adams is “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone…”. So many in this nation have used the ideals of the American dream to motivate them towards achieving their goals, whether it may to be a successful business man or to own a beautiful home or to become wealthy. This is the common theme in the plays Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. These two plays contain similarities and differences between the characters, the interpretation of the American dream, and their relationships with each other. In these classic works of American literature, there are many aspects that can be compared and contrasted. In
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Walter and Mama fight about the insurance check that they receive from recent death of Walter’s father. He sees it an opportunity to make money by owning a liquor store where she sees it as a way of improving their living situation by moving out of a cramped apartment and into a larger house. Mama is wiser for wanting to use her money to improve her family’s life rather than for personal gain like Walter. In Death of a Salesman, Willy’s refusal to let go of his idea of the American dream causes conflict between him and his son Biff. “Will you let me go, for Christ’s sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?”(Miller) Biff says this to his father who is convinced that Biff will become a successful businessman because he was popular in highschool. Willy fails to see what what his son does - that their family would be more successful in a rural area running a farm rather than being in business. Willy’s drive to succeed in business is most likely because “The elderly feel compelled to compete in this youthful world in order to survive and keep their self-esteem intact.”, as it says in Understanding Death of A Salesman. The relationship between Walter and Mama and Willy and Biff are the main sources of conflict in each
Walter and Mama fight about the insurance check that they receive from recent death of Walter’s father. He sees it an opportunity to make money by owning a liquor store where she sees it as a way of improving their living situation by moving out of a cramped apartment and into a larger house. Mama is wiser for wanting to use her money to improve her family’s life rather than for personal gain like Walter. In Death of a Salesman, Willy’s refusal to let go of his idea of the American dream causes conflict between him and his son Biff. “Will you let me go, for Christ’s sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?”(Miller) Biff says this to his father who is convinced that Biff will become a successful businessman because he was popular in highschool. Willy fails to see what what his son does - that their family would be more successful in a rural area running a farm rather than being in business. Willy’s drive to succeed in business is most likely because “The elderly feel compelled to compete in this youthful world in order to survive and keep their self-esteem intact.”, as it says in Understanding Death of A Salesman. The relationship between Walter and Mama and Willy and Biff are the main sources of conflict in each