Willy Loman American Dream Essay

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Post-World War II Economic Expansion Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is written in the early 1940s and set in Brooklyn, New York. Miller contradicts the post-War American culture through the portrayal of the protagonist Willy Loman. American culture after the War gave a new hope for the future, and the American Dream became a popular disposition.Willy Loman represents the American Dream in multiple qualities he possesses. Willy, along with his wife Linda, live in a small dismembered home with their two newly returned sons. The Loman family lives among tension and anguish from the past that nurtures into the nonconforming habits of Willy. Willy Loman differs from the post-war American lifestyle through distorted vision of success,…show more content…
In the course of the play, Willy is optimistic about his future and the futures’ of his sons. Willy consistently believes that he will abruptly make a huge sale and earn money again. Willy hangs on to his past mistakes, not allowing him to be present and possibly fix his present-day problems. He also promotes his sons’ optimism in their hope to land a loan and begin their own company. All of these goals are unrealistic in reality, but they seem very real and attainable to Willy. Linda, Willy’s wife, plays her role in encouraging Willy to stay in the business because he is “vital”. They both create an unreal and naively optimistic atmosphere that hold them back from the reality of their deplorable lives. Ultimately, Miller verifies that Willy Loman does not adapt to the new lifestyle and culture of post-War Americans. Throughout the novel, Willy has a distant perception of his success, causing him to be blind to reality. Willy does not accommodate to the new technological advances of the time. Willy does not let go of his past life and his visions for accomplishment. The ideas of success throughout the play are depicted as being well-liked and profitable, which contradicts the success of Willy Loman

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