Compare And Contrast Fences And Death Of A Salesman

Royce Marquez

Mr.Catangui

ENGUI-15

April 5th, 2023

How Troy and Willy Utterly Destroy their Built Utopia by Chasing the American Dream

Fences by August Willson and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller are two significant plays in American culture that highlight the false representation of the American dream. Fences focuses on an African American family living in Pittsburg where the family of three, Rose, Cory, and Troy, struggles to keep themselves together due to the actions of the husband and father of the family, Troy Maxen. In contrast, the play Death of a Salesman focuses on the family husband and the hard-working father Willy Loman, along with his wife and children, Rose, Biff and Happy. The Play as well shows how the family

Biff lays bare his true feelings towards Willy, and how the image of him being a father figure is shattered. He reveals the damaging impact of Willy's unrealistic expectations and values that were imposed upon him, shaped by Willy's view of the American dream and his utopian vision. Biff expresses his deep frustration with the unattainable expectations that Willy has placed on him, which have led to a constant sense of pressure to cater to a false view of success. Biff argues "I had to be boss big shot in two weeks, and I'm through with it. Never again! Never again, will you hear that anymore!" (Miller 105) Moreover the relation to Cory from Fences, Biff shares his frustrations with the unattainable goals that Willy has instilled in him since childhood, he begins to realize that the relationships and life he has been chasing after were all based on trying to fulfill Willy's unrealistic expectations, exactly how Cory must follow in his father's footsteps. Biff now sees that he has been chasing after the utopia that Willy created for himself, without considering his own desires and values. He acknowledges the detrimental impact that Willy's warped perception of success has had on their family, leading to their downfall. Biff now sees that his pursuit of Willy's version of success has been

These issue in turn alter Willy’s perception of life and he constantly makes false situations in his head which alter the ways he thinks. Willy constantly talks about how his brother Ben got rich by finding diamonds in Africa and constantly regrets not going to him. These imaginations and potential fictional stories of how Willy remembered Ben alter how Willy constantly is trying to work harder to make more money. Willy is focused on making money because it is all he thinks about, and he constantly puts his imagination of the utopia he wants to live in above his family. As Willy talks to Happy about Ben, he talks about him as a great man, “What’s the mystery? The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, at the age of twenty-one, and he’s rich! The world is an oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a mattress!” (Miller 32) In Willy’s mind, Ben is a man that accomplished remarkable things and ended up becoming rich at such an early age. This in turn, alters Willy’s mind and makes him think that becoming successful is the way to live a remarkable life. Having this mindset, Willy tends to do anything to make it and ensure he is always well liked, unlike Troy who does not care if you like him. Willy pushes his family away, driving around all of America to try to make more money, and pushing it onto his kids, breaking