Death_of_a_Salesman

The American dream is what most Americans desire. When thought of, the American dream consists of a owning a house, having money, and having a family. Arthur Miller portrays the American Dream in his play the Death of a Salesman. The play follows Willy Loman who is becoming a senile salesman. Willy’s whole career was around establishing a stereotype of a dream. While Willy’s dream seems to contrast with the rest of the characters, through Willy’s flashbacks and conversations, we begin to see that Willy’s dream is similar to the other characters. Willy Loman’s depiction of the American dream was that financial success will be in the beholder of personal relationships. Throughout the play, Willy strived to be “well-liked” and tried to teach his sons that “the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead” (950). Willy believed that to be successful, a man had to be in the business world. This was proved during his conversations with Biff that condemned him of being a farmer. Another part of Willy’s American dream is the materialistic possessions. In the Loman household, things are often broken such as the stockings and the broken refrigerator. Willy becomes embarrassed by fixing things (even though he was always good with his hands) because he thought people were judging him on how much he fixed an item. Willy knows his dream failed when he walked into Howard’s office and tried to use his personality to get a job without traveling. Instead of getting the job, he gets fired. While Willy hopes his dream is taken over by his children, Biff has an opposing American Dream. Biff wishes to be in the West doing labor. Biff retaliates to the natural materialism that is building American successors. He believes that hard labor and a basic life will bring him happiness rather than selling. Biff wants people to see his personality rather than his success by saying that he saw “the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and the time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for' Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am” (Miller 987). Biff prides himself on being a “dime a dozen” (Miller 989), and wishes that his father could accept the fact that he also is a dime a dozen. Even though Willy and Biff’s idea of the American dream seemed complete opposite, we begin to see that the dreams are vastly similar. Willy’s American dream fails because it eventually kills him in the end, and Biff’s dream was recognized. Biff was successful in his dream because he came to accept the fact that he is a “nobody” but people like him. But Willy’s failed because he always believed that in order to be happy and successful; you had to go from rags to riches. Throughout the play, we begin to see Willy’s real dream come out. Willy desired to go to Alaska with his brother, Ben. He also loved being outdoors with his two sons. He also explains to Linda that he eventually wants a small house out in the country and to grow his own vegetables. Similarly, Biff’s dream was to be out in the country doing work and for people to accept him for who he is, like what Willy is striving for. Happy’s dream is for everyone in his job not to lie. He is waiting for his merchandise manager to die so he can be the new merchandise manager. Happy mentions that all he wants is “my own apartment, a car, and plenty of women” (Miller 930). When Biff mentions that they should go West and buy a ranch, Happy fantasizes about it, but then goes right back to thinking about his manager and how he can “outbox, outrun, and outlift anybody in that store” (Miller 930). Happy’s dream is being his own boss and not to take orders from people that he believes are petty. Happy and Willy have a similar idea of the American Dream because they both want to be financially responsible for themselves have plenty of opportunity. Neither of them wants to take orders from people and they both think that they are smarter than the man that employs him. Like Happy, Willy has another woman besides his wife in his life that makes him happy and gives him more self-confidence to continue his career as a salesman. Willy Loman’s boys never dreamed the same way that Willy portrayed, but his brother, Ben, did. Ben was a young man who “walked into the Jungle when I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich!” (Miller 946). Ben is a prime example of someone who went from rags to riches, just like Willy had always imagined he would. Ben and Willy are similar because Willy wanted to follow in the footsteps of his brother. He always dreamed of getting rich like Ben was, and even was going to go to Alaska with him and leave his job. Willy was not just jealous of Ben and his success, he was jealous of his neighbor, Charley. Charley had a great family, and especially a smart child. Willy had hopes that Biff would play football in college, but when Biff failed math, he lost his scholarship and from then on he failed at every job he had done. Charley’s American Dream is to have a good family and security which he was granted. Charley tries to give Willy advice, and often gives him money so Willy can pretend it is his salary. Charley has the life that Willy wished he had. In conclusion, Willy’s dream (or dreams) had ties to the characters in the play. Willy’s dream of being out West with his kids and his brother was hidden by the dream to be a successful businessman whose success is based on the personality of the person. Willy’s dream failed because he was always reaching for something he did not have. No one even knew his name. Happy and Biff had similar dreams of being out West together and having their own house with lots of women. Willy shared similarities with them such as being outdoors and doing hard labor. Willy was always outshined by his brother Ben who went from rag to riches, which is where Willy’s basis of success came. Willy was never happy with not having enough money and his possessions that kept falling apart. His neighbor Charley had the perfect child who was smart in school and was successful and that is all Willy wanted from his children, but he was not granted that when Biff failed math and could not continue to college.