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Death Of A Salesman American Dream

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The Illusion of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman The American Dream has been regarded as a symbol of hope and opportunity, promising individuals the chance to achieve success, happiness, and prosperity through hard work and determination. However, Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman challenges this idealized vision by presenting a grim and disheartening portrayal of the American Dream and. Through the character of Willy Loman and the experiences of those around him, Miller exposes the dark side of the dream, demonstrating its destructive nature. Willy Loman, the protagonist of the play, is consumed by the idea of the American Dream. He has spent his entire life as a salesman, tirelessly chasing the promise of financial success …show more content…

One piece of evidence that highlights the destructive nature of Willy's illusions is his strained relationship with his sons, Biff and Happy. Willy places immense pressure on them to embody the ideals of success he has constructed, projecting his own unfulfilled dreams onto their lives. This creates a toxic dynamic, causing a profound sense of disillusionment and resentment within the family. Biff, in particular, is deeply affected by his father's false ideals, leading to a personal crisis and a loss of direction in his own life. Biff struggles to reconcile his father's expectations with his own desires, leading to a profound disillusionment that shatters their relationship. "Will you let me go, for Christ's sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?" (Miller, Act II). This quote, spoken by Biff to Willy, highlights the strained relationship between them and the destructive nature of Willy's illusions. This disillusionment highlights the negative consequences of blindly chasing the American Dream. Biff expresses his frustration and desperation, urging Willy to let go of his false dream and face reality. It emphasizes the pressure that Willy places on his sons to conform to his ideals, causing resentment and a profound sense of disillusionment within their family

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In order for Willy to be a successful father, he needs to feel that his kids are respected and accomplished. However this shows that Willy is such an outsider, because Biff is quite the opposite, as the Bill Oliver that is references has no idea who Biff is. Another example that shows how Willy’s goals and dreams turn him into a misfit is when he asks for a promotion “ Well, tell you the truth, Howard. I’ve come to the decision that I’d rather not travel anymore.” ( Miller 59).

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The main character, Willy, is a salesman who has not had much success in his career and is struggling to provide for his family, leading to his failure to live up to this ideal American Dream. On the other hand, his son, Biff, is a former high school football star who is unsure of what he wants to do with his life. Throughout the play, Willy constantly reminisces and projects his hopes and dreams onto his son. He wants his son to be successful and live up to his expectations, but he fails to understand or accept Biff's lack of ambition. However, Biff is resentful of his father's unrealistic expectations and frustrated with his failure to meet them.

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Prior to the acknowledgement of Willy’s suicide, Miller provides Biff with a defensive but harsh persona in which he degrades Willy’s morals, and by doing so, Biff feels that he provides Linda – his mother and also role-model – further protection and admiration. This is illustrated as to when Biff suggests that Willy ‘[spews]..vomit from his mind’ and also as to when he is presented to be ‘[evasive]’. Biff’s unreasonable and ambiguous manner is significant as Miller induces dramatic irony towards the audience, along with catharsis: an emotional release for the audience, as Biff is the only character that knows of Willy’s affair. On the other hand, after being exposed to the true nature of Willy’s mind set, Biff is presented to show sympathy

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Willy and his son happy were the same exact person. Biff is the first born son in the family. In high school he was seen as a popular athlete who was well liked and great with the women. In their room they are discussing old times and Happy brings up how Biff was the one who taught him everything about getting girls, but as the time passed on he has become more depressed.

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Everytime I’ve left it’s been a fight that sent me out of here. Today I realized something about myself and I tried to explain it to you and I—I think I’m just not smart enough to make any sense out of it for you… ”(Miller 128) In this last attempt to mend the shattered relationship between Biff and his father, Willy continues to hide behing the mask of a man that is not happy with who he is but refuses show it. He is stuck in his way even when Biff try’s to be the bigger person he can not allow himself to back down and admit what he has done

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His family are not ready to recognize the miserable realness on their specific souls, Biff perceives self dissatisfaction and over the long haul makes sense of how to confront it. In fact, even the difference between their names reflects this furthest point. Albeit Willy and Happy enduringly and euphorically misdiect themselves, Biff flourishes firmly at self-cheating. Biff 's disclosure that Willy has an extravagant lady strips him of his trust in Willy and Willy 's yearnings. Thus, Willy sees Biff as an underachiever, Biff sees self to be gotten in Willy 's ostentatious dreams.

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Biff memorializes times when the whole family was together, and his father was working for them all. Biff’s speech also honors the work that Willy Loman put into their family home. The image of Willy Loman working on his house represents the unsung heroism of Willy’s struggle to build something lasting for his

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He is not facing the truth. Additionally, the relationship between Biff and Willy improves when they are honest with each other. Biff shows his true feelings to his father and worries that Willy is getting hurt because of his belief in the American Dream, “Biff (crying, broken):… Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?” (99).

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Biff, a consequence of Willy, attempts to bring Willy out of his fantasies and his see the realities of his life, but in the end fails to. The two are different in their ideas, demeanors and personas, yet have some akin characteristics.     Willy and Biff’s physical traits are different. At what point, Willy tells his wife Linda, “I’m fat. I’m very foolish to look at, Linda.”

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Biff and his younger brother, Harold, also known as Happy, are staying with their parents. Biff and Happy discuss their childhood and their father’s poor mental state. Willy had been daydreaming and talking to himself. He constantly imagines past things happening in the present. He also imagines that his dead brother, Ben, is giving him advice on what to do.

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In the play “ Death of a Salesman” Willy Loman is a salesman who wishes for a better life for his family and himself. Willy Loman is obsessed with creating a better life; he believes he deserves more and that he has the recipe for success. Willy Loman 's obsession with the dream directly causes his failure in life, which, in turn, leads to his eventual death. Willy is an excellent representation of the failures of the American Dream. Some people have argued that, the American dream of "a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank is “the greatest contribution we have made to the thought and welfare of the world.

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Education is also a central belief associated with the American Dream. This includes the idea that anyone can access and receive a quality education, which can lead to better job opportunities and a higher standard of living. Overall, the American Dream represents a set of beliefs that emphasize the possibility of upward mobility, prosperity, and individual freedom through hard work, determination, and equal opportunity. Willy Loman, a character in Arthur Miller’s play called The Death of a Salesman, has a life that is very similar to what the American Dream could look like. Willy is a follower of this American Dream ideal as cited when he says, "Smell the stink from that Apartment House!"

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Willy’s American Dream The tragic play of Death of a salesman by Arthur Miller tells a story about an old man of 84 years old named Willy. Willy was captured by the American dream. He believed that hard work and ambitions could take him to a life of fame and popularity like the american dream was supposed to be. In Death of a salesman, the american dream reveals disappointment, failure and loss of hope. Thus showing that the american dream is not a great dream after all.

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This cancelled his plans to be a collegiate football player. Ever since then, things have kept going on a downhill path for Biff. Willy and Linda both notice this and it devastates them. But, instead of helping his son, Willy becomes agitated for the rest of his life. He expected his son to be better but, Biff did not want to be better.

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The American Dream - Death of a Salesman “The hope for a better tomorrow has no doubt been with the human race for thousands of years, but for a very long time that hope, for the most part, remained dim as the battle for survival dominated life,” (DeLair 1). The definition of the American Dream by James Adams has a major influence on people in the 1950’s. The American Dream can be portrayed in many ways, and many have their own opinion about the American dream; from life experiences, stories, and movies, the American dream has influenced people, giving them strives and motives to succeed in their dreams. Everyone has their own American Dream, in different perspectives; “Death of a Salesman,” by Arthur Miller represents the American Dream

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