Comparison Of Blanche In A Streetcar Named Desire And Death Of A Salesman

In both plays, the authors reference how the American dream is a clear deceiving myth as in Tennessee Williams’ play, he uses the character of Blanche to display how a well-educated, upper-class women eventually is able to lose her friends, mind and family in a world where the “freest and most enlightened men are placed in the happiest circumstances in the world”3 . This is very similarly shown in Arthur millers A death of a salesmen written and set in the late 1940s, as he describes the tale of a well-educated man who seems to be struggling with the American dream also, however he believes the American dream entails being able to get anywhere in life through being liked, as he countlessly tells his kids “A man can end with diamonds here on

However, he later states how the prideful American dream of gaining success through charisma is long gone and he even explains to his boss (Howard) how in the prior years of work, ”there was personality/ respect, comradeship and gratitude in it.”13 and then continues with describing the modern day work scene in America as being ”cut and dried” and how there's ”no chance in bringing friendship to bear... or personality.”14 Arthur Miller's use of having Willy dislike the modern day scene of work in America and having him describe it as the verb ”cut” accompanied with the adjective ”dried” effectively

This character trait of self-manipulation up to the form of lying to yourself for greater happiness is clearly inherited from his father Willy. We see examples of Happy lying to himself not only to impress Willy, but also to impress himself, as seen when his brother Biff describes him as having ”never told the truth for ten minutes in this house!”17 and explains how he is actually ”one of the two assistants to the assistant”18 as opposed to him being the self-proclaimed ”assistants buyer”. Arthur Miller effectively utilises this sense of ignorance by representing Happy as a youthful projection of Willy himself, as they both share perceptions of ignorance in the hope for bliss, similarly quoted in Thomas Gray's poem, Ode on a Distant Prospect at Eton College, where he stated, “Where ignorance is bliss, Tis folly to be wise.”19 This is often shortened to the much simpler quote “ignorance is bliss” which can be taken to be an excuse to lie to yourself in order for preserved