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What Is Willy's Faith In Achieving The American Dream

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Recommended: Characters of a death of a salesman

The play Death of a Salesman was written in 1949 by Arthur Miller. In the play, the main character, Willy Lowman, is a traveling salesman that puts all of his faith in achieving the “American Dream”. Willy believes that being popular, good looking, and well-liked by others will make him successful, wealthy, and happy. Willy instills this same belief into his two sons, Biff and Happy, from a very early age. As a teenager, Biff idolized his father and tried to make him proud by doing well in football. Biff’s idea of his father suddenly changed when Biff discovered his dad cheating on his mom. His entire outlook of life changed, and suddenly he no longer cared about his future in football or college. Willy raised Biff to think that being popular would get him further than having good grades: “Bernard can get the best marks in school y’understand but in the business world, y’understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him. That’s why I thank almighty God you’re both built like Adonises. Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who created personal interest, is that man that gets ahead.” …show more content…

Biff finally confronts Willy by telling him that he was trying to become someone that he doesn’t really want to be. He explains to Willy that they are both “a dime a dozen” and don’t stand out amongst anyone else: “I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them! …I’m not bringing home any prizes any more, and you’re going to stop waiting for me to bring them home!” (Miller 1299). Biff tells Willy to stop expecting big things from him because he is happy being who he is. Biff starts out in the play as lost but shows growth and maturity by finally accepting what really makes him feel

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This quote is letting people know how Biff and Willy have a lot in common since Biff likes working on a farm outside and so does Willy. When Biff said, "You wait kid, before it 's all over we 're gonna get a little place out in the country and I 'll raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens…" (72). This is showing how Willy enjoys working on a farm like Biff does and how they do have similarities. Admittedly Willy and Biff both are not succeeding in life since they both do not have a job.

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Although in a way one can understand him not taking the risk and going to Alaska. Finally, Willy is responsible for his own death. I see this as a tragedy because Willy felt that the only way for him to make up for the fact that his past actions contributed to Biff’s failure in life was to commit suicide. In order that Biff would get an inheritance that would allow him to achieve the “American

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Biff wants to retake the class in the summer but when he catches his father having an affair his perception of his father, his biggest role model, is shattered causing him to give up on the things he used to want to do. Willy represses this memory entirely and tries to blame others for Biffs behavior instead of himself. Willy also fools himself into thinking he is well liked and successful. In small moments of clarity Willy admits that people have made fun of his physique and no one talks to him anymore when he goes

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He lost this dreams that he was chasing in high school. At the start of the play, Willy and Biff’s relationship is not very good because Willy cannot accept Biff to be soeone working in a farm; he wants him to be in the business world. For Willy, being successful is the most important thing in a man’s life and Willy thinks that money can show if a man is successful or not. But Biff just want to work in a farm and be with those animals everyday, and he is really pleased when he is doing that, Biff thinks that in a man’s life, happiness is more important than money. Willy and Biff fight against each other because they don’t understand each other.

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