If people work their entire lives trying to achieve something that will make them happy at the end of their life, they will miss the entire journey in between. Dictionary.com defines the
American dream as "a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S." In Authur Miller's Death of a Salesman Willy Loman, the main character, tries to achieve his idea of the American dream but ultimately fails in the end. Each person could have their own version of the American dream that they want to achieve. "While
Miller clearly uses Willy's collapse to attack the false values of a venal American society, the play ultimately captures the audience's attention not because of its blistering attack on …show more content…
After he finds out his son, Biff, is farming he is very upset. In the play Willy says "How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it's good for him to tramp around, take a lot different jobs. But it's more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week." The article "Death of a Salesman: An American Classic" reads "Willy expresses his surprise at Biff's affection for him by saying '...isn't that remarkable', the same statement he used to describe the fact that Charley is 'the only friend I got'. The echo of these words reminds us of the irony that Willy lives with the illusion that he can make a living by being 'well liked' and yet in his personal life he seems afraid of giving and receiving affection or love."(Harder) The sad part is Willy was never what he said he was. He continued to teach them values and ideals of life that he never actually had himself. It is easy to understand that he wanted Biff and Happy to grow up and become a more successful salesman then he ever was. He Williams4
wanted to live his dreams through them. Biff and Happy grew up with unreal dreams
American dream as "a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S." In Authur Miller's Death of a Salesman Willy Loman, the main character, tries to achieve his idea of the American dream but ultimately fails in the end. Each person could have their own version of the American dream that they want to achieve. "While
Miller clearly uses Willy's collapse to attack the false values of a venal American society, the play ultimately captures the audience's attention not because of its blistering attack on …show more content…
After he finds out his son, Biff, is farming he is very upset. In the play Willy says "How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it's good for him to tramp around, take a lot different jobs. But it's more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week." The article "Death of a Salesman: An American Classic" reads "Willy expresses his surprise at Biff's affection for him by saying '...isn't that remarkable', the same statement he used to describe the fact that Charley is 'the only friend I got'. The echo of these words reminds us of the irony that Willy lives with the illusion that he can make a living by being 'well liked' and yet in his personal life he seems afraid of giving and receiving affection or love."(Harder) The sad part is Willy was never what he said he was. He continued to teach them values and ideals of life that he never actually had himself. It is easy to understand that he wanted Biff and Happy to grow up and become a more successful salesman then he ever was. He Williams4
wanted to live his dreams through them. Biff and Happy grew up with unreal dreams