Death of a Salesman - 606 Words

Willy Loman: Victim of the American Dream Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman tells the tale of Willy Loman, a man who falls from the top of the capitalism system in a resonant crash. Being controlled by his fears of the future, and stuck in his memories of the past, Willy fully contributes to his self-victimization by putting little blame on his own mistakes. Although Willy is perceived as selfish, it is important to see that he is misguided. His character is one of a common man, he has never been anything special, but he chose to follow the American Dream and continue the â€Å"destiny† it gave him. However, in my reading of the play, I feel it was not an unlucky destiny that pushed Willy to damage his own life and the lives of his family,†¦show more content†¦Willy believes that wealth is the key to your happiness, and the extent of your wealth is exposed by the amount of materialistic items one has. Miller explains Willy’s thoughts in Timebends, â₠¬Å"The publicity apparatus tells Willy that if he works hard like Edison, that if he perseveres like Goodrich, that, if he is â€Å"well-liked† like Dave Singleman, then he will rise like Charley and become rich and powerful.† Willy’s thought process is foolish, and his belief that failure cannot be tolerated in his family causes him to lie about his success. This is evident when Biff says â€Å"We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house! [130]† The American Dream is to blame for imprinting wealth is all you need to be happy, into Willy’s mind. Willy’s obsession with success leads to the start of him living in his own fantasy world. He lives in the past, for there was hope for him then, but now he is completely subject to failure. Willy’s demise could have been avoided had he changed his dream, and had he not conformed to society. In the end his dream did not pay off, and he ultimately fell victim to the American Dream, and the deceitful ideals of freedom that factored into theShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of A Salesman1496 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Today, the play The Death of a Salesman is celebrated in many theatres. The play is regarded as one of the finest dramas of American theater play. It was written in 1949 by an American playwright Arthur Miller. After the play was produced, it was first opened at the Morosco Theatre and starred Lee J Cobb as Willy Loman, Cameron Mitchell as Happy, Mildred Dunnock as Linda, Howard Smith as Charley and Arthur Kennedy as Biff. The play has been revived on Broadway four times and won manyRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman857 Words   |  4 PagesSome stories have stood the test of time. These stories are relatable are leave readers feared perplexed. Oedipus the King is the tragic story of a man whose figurative blindness at a young age lead to his literal blindness at an old age. The Death of a Salesman converts this to a modern society of a man who just wants to do good for his family but doesn t see the effect of his actions. Although 2400 years separate these stories, readers can still relate to both the same. The genre of tragedy is interpretedRead MoreDeath of a Salesman990 Words   |  4 PagesDiscuss â€Å"Death of a Salesman† as a film. How could this film be more film-like? The well known late 1980’s play Death of a Salesman was beautifully crafted and opened my mind up to the reality of some people’s fantasies. When I first began to watch the play, I had immediately noticed that it was a play and not a movie. Usually in a film, there is a hero, heroine, climax, something they are fighting for, and usually (nine times out of ten) a happy, heroic ending. This movie included none, atRead MoreThe, Death Of A Salesman909 Words   |  4 Pagesdesire to be the breadwinners of the family, wish to achieve only success, become unemotional and might take dangerous risk to prove manhood. Many feminist novels, plays or short stories such as Frankenstein, â€Å"A Dollhouse†, â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper†, â€Å"Death of a Salesman† showcase the ill effects of gender roles. Women had to fight to have the same advantages and opportunities that men possess. Before modern times, many people would believe that a woman s place is in the home but now it is common for the modernRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman859 Words   |  4 PagesThe Death of a Salesman is a heart-wrenching story of a man named Willie, and his fight for economic freedom. The story takes place in 1931, and it starts off with Willie’s faint memory of his father, who was a flute maker and a salesman. Willie is a sixty three-year-old salesman who has work his entire life to achieve the common goal of the American Dream. Nevertheless, while trying to achieve economic freedom he ends up becoming trapped in the process. Willie in a lot of ways, died before his carRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman1024 Words   |  5 PagesVictoria Gutierrez Professor Gilbreath Drama 10 6 April 2015 1026 Words The Death of A Salesman San Joaquin Delta College presented Arthur Miller s Death of A Salesman on Sunday the twenty-second of March at 2 o clock in the afternoon. This play is about a young man and his father coming to terms with the past and their futures. Willy Loman, an old salesman, is dealing with both financial and health difficulties. He is put under even more pressure when his unsuccessful son, Biff, returnsRead MoreDeath of a Salesman915 Words   |  4 PagesDefine The American Dream. In what way does Death of a Salesman point out the hopelessness of chasing this dream? Are there any rewards? The idea of the American Dream is truly subjective. To some, it is living in the lap of luxury in all aspects. To others, it is a chance at a better brighter opportunity for themselves or their families. Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman portrays the promise of the American Dream in the form of opportunity, freedom, success and wealth; the ability to acquireRead MoreThe Death Of A Salesman995 Words   |  4 PagesHope Miller’s play, The Death of a Salesman (1949) was about a family, and their struggles for the American dream. The family composition was not unlike that of an average family, a mom, a dad, and two children. Mom, Linda, tended to the house, oversaw the finances, as well as the lives of the remaining family members. Dad, Willy, supported the family as an on-the-road salesman. At first, Willy’s outbursts were confusing, but as I read the outbursts began to unfold the meanings buried in the storylineRead MoreDeath of a Salesman1187 Words   |  5 PagesDeath of a Salesman There are some who would argue that it is precisely the ultra-capitalist mentality of individuals like Willy Loman that has propelled the American Economy to global dominance, but Arthur Miller’s classic work â€Å"Death of a Salesman† begs the question: at what cost? What does it do to a person, this desperate need to â€Å"be number one man?† Each of Willy’s sons draw a different lesson from his life and their assertions about how one should live offer a compelling choice for modernRead MoreDeath of a Salesman1278 Words   |  6 PagesSteve Flatley Flatley 1 Mr. Nevels English 102 June 17, 2010 The Struggle Within There is a complete descent into madness evident in Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman.† The struggle Willy Lowman has come to endure during a life of lies and false hope is portrayed very well by Miller’s use of dialogue, stage comments, prologue, and time and perhaps best shown by the use of dialogue and character interaction. By putting all of these elements to good use Miller paints a perfect picture as