False American Dream

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The False American Dream Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” is tragic tale of a man who chases an unattainable dream that leads to his own self-destruction. One of the major themes of the play is the concept of "The American Dream." Miller creates characters that have different perceptions of The American Dream, and he uses their experiences to expose the flaws in America’s new found love for money. Willy Loman is an old traveling salesman who has recently been slowing down mentally and physically. Biff and Happy are Willy’s two sons; Biff has been moving from one worthless job to another, and Happy only focuses on trying to gain his parents attention. Willy lives his entire life trying to accomplish his “American Dream” of gaining…show more content…
Willy has created a distorted image in his head about himself and his family, but as his true reality begins to set in, he gradually loses his mind. “In Death of a Salesman, Miller presents Willy in the final days of his…show more content…
Willy ignores all of Biff’s faults and religiously praises Biff feeding his ego. Biff is not ever made to work hard, and his father gives him the idea that popularity is the only thing he needs to reach his dreams. As a thirty-four year old man, he finally realizes that popularity does not gain success. In the book, Perspectives of Arthur Miller, Ram comments on Willy’s actions Death of a Salesman, “A victim of his own delusions, he is forced to adopt a double standard of morality. While preaching clean living, friendliness, sportsmanship, and honesty to his sons, his own life denies these qualifications.” Biff’s father emphasizes to him the importance of living a righteous life, but Willy does not offer himself as a role model for his advice. Actions speak louder than words, and Willy’s actions effect Biff negatively. After Biff finds his father in the act of adultery, he falls off the road to success. “Willy tells Bernard that Biff’s “life ended after Ebbets Field game’and that, when Biff flunked math shortly thereafter, he ‘laid down and died like a hammer hit him” (Perkins 1355). These remarks made by Willy show his inability to see why Biff has become such a failure. When Biff finds his father cheating on his mother it allows him to see his dad as a phony, making all his advice invaluable to him. Biff gets a brutal realization that popularity alone will
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