What Is Willy's Perception Of The American Dream

Death of a Salesman The American Dream is based on the belief that if a person works hard enough, he will be successful. Willy Loman, the protagonist in Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman,” believed in this warped perception of the American Dream. Willy worked his entire life as a traveling salesman in an attempt to provide the best for his family. In his life, Willy was happiest when he possessed a new car and new household appliances. In his later years, as those possessions began to break down and he could no longer provide the best for his family, Willy believed his life insurance policy was more valuable to his family than his own life. Willy made the ultimate sacrifice and killed himself in order to allow his family to be financially free from the …show more content…
The thought of the perfect car and the most advertised washing machine were all very important to Willy. Willy worked vigorously for years as a salesman traveling all over to try to provide the best for his family. In his mind, Willy thought as long everything seems perfect, life will be perfect. Although Willy worked endlessly, reality set in when everything started to break down, and Willy could not provide for his family anymore after he was fired from his job. In Willy’s eyes, his whole life was falling apart. In the end Willy’s values became all he need to live and when they were gone, so was Willy. Willy’s suicide was all an attempt to save the family from debt. Life insurance would allow Linda and the boys, Biff and Happy, to live on happily without the worry about money. Willy did not think about the repercussions of his suicide and how it would affect his family. Not how Linda would be devastated and how the boys would have to take care of their mother by themselves. Willy cared more about money than his family. Willy was fascinated with the thought of the American Dream and in the end it cost him his