The Influence Of The American Dream In Death Of A Salesman

Decent Essays
In life, people’s experiences influence themselves to make them feel as a success or a failure. Depending on the character of the person he or she can turn the negative influences and make something positive out of it. In the play Death of a Salesman, Willy experiences events in his life that makes him feel inadequate, which eventually leads to his death. According to Miller, Willy feels like failure because he can’t achieve the “American Dream”, his sons haven’t become successful, and his neighbor is wealthy. To begin with, Willy feels like a failure because of the influence of not achieving the “American Dream”. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the American Dream is the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, …show more content…
His sons Biff and Happy Lowman are both in there thirties and still live with their parents while struggling to find a well paying job. While in high school, Biff was a gifted football player who had a bright future ahead of him with scholarships coming left and right. Unfortunately, Biff did not have sufficient credits to graduate due to the fact that he failed math class. Not only does this make Willy feel like a failure of a father but Biff getting fired from every job because of stealing adds to the matter. Willy’s younger son Happy does maintain a job as an assistant to the assistant manager but never gets promoted. Living in the shadows of his older brother Biff, he hides his frustrations by becoming a womanizer. He often puts his job and family life into jeopardy from being consumed by the desire of being with women. Willy observes that his sons don’t live up to his expectations, which makes him wonder if he was a positive role model to his …show more content…
His neighbor Charley, a rich business owner, is everything Willy aspires to be. He often becomes jealous of Charley and treats him in a brutal manner at times. Not only is Charley living the “American Dream” but his son Bernard is a successful lawyer that any father would be proud of. Willy is constantly reminded of not being able to achieve the same success as Charley since he is his neighbor. When Biff was in his glory days in high school, Willy would make fun of Bernard for being a total “nerd” and often disrespect Charley. Now that the tables have turned Willy is in need of Charley’s help, even asking him to pay for his insurance. In the end he comes to the realization that Charley was his only true friend he’s ever had and feels terrible that he has to ask him for money in order to

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Many immigrants all over the world come to U.S every year to seek their American Dream, which is a national ethos of the United States. Moreover, the American Dream is used in a lot of ways but it essentially is a set of ideas that suggest that all people in the USA can succeed through hard work. Moreover, anyone has potential to lead a happy, successful life. A lot of people believe that rising social mobility and success is possible in the U.S for everyone due to the American economic and political system. James Truslow Adams in 1931 defined the American dream as: "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.”…

    • 1927 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    According to Linda, Willy “drives seven hundred miles without earning a cent”. Willy suffers between the adversity of low income and unrealistic goal of being successful. In order to ensure Willy’s independence, Willy sacrifices not only his happiness, but also opportunities to be rich. During Willy’s funeral, Charley says that Willy is “a man with a batch of cement”; Linda also recognizes that Willy is “wonderful with his hands”, which shows that Willy is good at fixing and…

    • 1061 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Willy Tragic Hero

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Death of a Salesman is a tragedy that fits the classic model portraying the same qualities as Oedipus and Hamlet. In all three plays there is strife between the family’s dynamics and problems that surface throughout the play; although, their goals were different they have similar endings. Each play wants the best for the family but the downfall is each of the character could not deal with his flaw that was induced by their own actions. The characters have goals and weaknesses that end up destroying themselves.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Willie completely loses his mind with the desire to see his sons’ affluence. In addition, he wants his son Biff to seek an office job in a town firm, but he declines since that is not where his passion is. He prefers to undertake manual work. Furthermore, both Happy and Biff show commitment to their dreams by abandoning their father at a restaurant following his outburst. Despite the fact that Willy did not like his traveling job as a salesman, he continued to pursue it knowing that he was a rather hands-on man.…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Death Of A Salesman

    • 2198 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Does success constitute only of monetary wealth, power, and fame, or is there something more? The question as to what success really entails and how it is achieved is profoundly explored and critiqued in Arthur Miller’s 1949 Pulitzer winning play, Death of a Salesman. Ironically, Death of a Salesman follows the unsuccessful and dysfunctional relationship of the Loman household and the problems that arise as the two Loman brothers strive aimlessly to obtain success through completing the so called “American Dream”. The story features Willy Loman, the old and senile father of Biff and Happy Loman, who consistently urges his children to settle down and be the accomplished young men he has always envisioned them to be. After Willy loses his job…

    • 2198 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Willy was disappointed with his life and the life he has provided for his family. After learning about how the interview went between Biff and his former employer, Willy was upset and argued with Biff about not living up to his expectations in the business world. Willy’s life was spiraling downhill. After all of his disappointments he thought he would be worth more dead than alive and that his…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Biff's Internal Conflict

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Biff’s Internal Conflict, and His Relationship With His Family In the book Death of Salesman, the author, Arthur Miller creates a different character with different personality each one of them has a role in the book. Biff's role is pivotal and affects every main character in story. Biff is the son of Willy and Linda and the brother of Happy. This essay analyzes Biff’s character: his internal conflicts, the relationships with his parents, and his relationship with his brother, Happy.…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Willy Loman Failure

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Willy becomes jealous of Charlie’s achievements, maybe because Willy never obtained the American Dream he desperately chased his whole life. Charlie appears to be a caring neighbor for Willy, even paying for Willy’s bills when he can no longer pay for his own. Willy refuses to show Charlie any respect despite his kindness towards Willy, until in the last parts of the play when he comes to the realization that Charlie might be his own real friend left. Charlie also acts as the character of commonsense and reason, even proposing a reasonable solution to Willy’s financial…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Impact of Willy’s Expectations in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman “Blessed [are] [those] who expect nothing, as [they] will never be disappointed” (Alexander Pope). In the playwright Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is a mercurial salesman who contemplates suicide due to the emptiness in his life. Despite his hard work, the Loman family survive with only minimum income, causing Willy to hold his sons, Biff and Happy, to unhealthy pressure that hinders their mental wellbeing. Therefore, Willy’s unrealistic expectations lead to the mental downfall of Biff and Happy, which is proven through their denial, anxiety, and dishonesty. Both sons are lead into a state of denial as Willy pressures them to be financially successful.…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Likewise, Biff feels that Willy has betrayed the whole family because of the other woman he has been having an affair with. Biff looks up to Willy as a father figure, while growing up his greatest influence was Willy, and he thought that Willy could do anything. His father established a good image for himself, but when Biff found out the truth, he knew that his father has betrayed the family and has lied to him. Since Biff and Willy are always getting into confrontations, Biff expresses to his mother what he really thinks of his father. “Because I know he’s a fake and he doesn’t like anybody around who knows!”(42).…

    • 1941 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Willy had a lot of expectations for his son, Biff. Through his flashbacks it is evident that Willy wanted Biff to become a football player because he thought football would take Biff far. Willy only wanted Biff to focus on football, and did not really care for Biff’s schooling. Unfortunately, Biff had to drop the idea of pursuing football because he did not get grades good enough to participate. Years later when Biff came back to the city, Willy had hopes that Biff could get into business with Bill Oliver rather than living life on a farm like Biff wants.…

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Death of a Salesman” is one of the most important plays in Twentieth Century American Theatre. Arthur Miller creates tragedies that are easily relatable for Americans. For instance, his play “Death of a Salesman” uses the idea of a dysfunctional family through out to support its plot. The play is centered around its protagonist, Willy Loman. Willy is a salesman, but also an old man, and from the title of the play the readers of the play can easily conclude what happens to him by the end of the play.…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Arthur Miller emphasizes the importance of family relationships in his play “Death of a Salesman.” Through the characters, and their actions, Miller demonstrates to his audience how drastically one person’s actions can affect the rest of the family since everyone 's actions affected each other to some degree. Willy’s actions and attitude greatly distressed himself, his wife, Linda, and son Biff, resulting for all three characters to have realizations in the end. Willy learned that Biff had always loved and cared for him even when Willy felt otherwise; Linda learned that she was never able to live a happy life until Willy died; and Biff, who underwent the greatest epiphany, finally accepted the fact that he should have lived his life for…

    • 967 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While Biff and Happy are in their childhood room, many emotional/ mental differences between the two brothers are revealed. Growing up, Biff was Willy's preferred son. Willy had high hopes for his eldest son and expected him to follow in his footsteps as a salesman. Biff was popular throughout his high school days and was admired by many boys who looked up to him and was loved by many girls. However, Biff never graduated high school and ultimately disappointed his father.…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Death of Sales is about a family in pursuit of the American dream. The characters Willy, Linda, and both of their sons, Happy and Biff try to accomplish this goal, and they come across struggles. The course of action the characters take to handle their internal and external conflict aid to reveal their personality. Willy Loman is very concern for the achievements of his family. He wishes for his family to live the American dream but struggles to achieve it, for example, Biff to become a successful salesman and Biff to get married.…

    • 972 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays